JPII Archives

6 Books to Read Before you get Married

Congratulations! You’re engaged! Phew, do you have a lot of work ahead of you. It will be easy to get caught up in the details of the big day, so take it from someone who’s just a month away from her own wedding: make a point to slow down and put some preparation towards the…

Why the Catholic Church is against Contraception

Humanae Vitae Giving Day 2018 * * * by Jason Evert Contraception is nothing new; history records people using various methods of birth control four thousand years ago. Ancient people swallowed potions to cause temporary sterility; they used linens, wool, or animal skins as barrier methods; they fumigated the uterus with poison to…

From Humanae Vitae to Theology of the Body

Humanae Vitae Giving Day 2018 We are very glad to share this excerpt from Christopher West’s newest book which he debuted at our conference earlier this month, Eclipse of the Body: How We Lost Sight of the Meaning of Sex, Gender, Marriage, and Family and How to Regain It. * * * by Christopher West Soon after…

4 Ways NFP is Different from Contraception

Humanae Vitae Giving Day 2018 * * * by Professor Janet E. Smith On the 50th year anniversary of Humanae Vitae, let’s take a moment to consider the differences between NFP and contraception. Some people think they are essentially the same because both are used by couples who want to have sexual intercourse but who…

Cincinnati Invests in New TOB Curriculum

This is an extended version of the original article in our May/June 2018 edition of our magazine, Family Foundations. You can subscribe or order individual issues here. When Emily Macke was approached to write an 8-semester Theology of the Body curriculum for high schoolers, she wasn’t overwhelmed as one would expect. “My first reaction was excitement…

Aquila’s “The Splendor of Love” Worth a Read

Early last month on the Feast of the Presentation, Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila released an incredible pastoral letter that, although written for his Colorado flock, speaks to Catholics everywhere. The 50-paragraph document entitled, “The Splendor of Love” is essentially a theological pep talk on the mind-blowing beauty of human sexuality, as expressed in Blessed…

Humanae Vitae: The Sword and the Stone

Humanae Vitae Giving Day * * * by Michael Gagnon It has now been 49 years since Humanae Vitae dropped out of heaven through His Holiness Pope Paul VI and the shockwaves continue to resound throughout the world. Since its release, this blessed document has not failed or slowed in its mission to clearly call…

Zombie Apocalypse: Spirituality, Sex and the Lay Vocation

Humanae Vitae Giving Day * * * by Dr. Greg Popcak On this 49th Anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae, one point that continues to be overlooked is that sexuality stands at the center of the lay vocation. Attempting to practice a lay spirituality while ignoring sex is like living a zombie spirituality that divorces…

“I Am Legend” and Pope Paul VI

Humanae Vitae Giving Day * * * by Christopher West In the apocalyptic movie I Am Legend, the “once hailed miracle cure for cancer” turns out to be a virus that very quickly wipes out 90 percent of mankind. Only 1 percent is immune. The other 9 percent morphs into the so-called “dark seekers” –…