I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full
Planning For A Family
Responsible parenthood will often involve planning when to have children, God willing, and the Catholic Church believes that this should not be by means of contraception that places a barrier between the partners, or that suppresses the healthy working of the body to make the act infertile.These actions undermine the full human meaning of sexuality and raise other medical and moral questions that should not be overlooked: the long term health implications they may have for women and the serious impact they seem to be having on the environment. In addition to this, some chemical contraceptives do not operate only by preventing contraception, but also work by preventing those embryos that are occasionally conceived from implanting. The need for effective family planning requires a different and more radical approach.
The Catholic Church advocates a reliable knowledge of the cycle of female fertility and a willingness to agree to abstain from sexual union at certain times. The last twenty years have seen great improvements in this area and Natural Family Planning is now regarded by respected medical authorities as being highly effective for those who are instructed by trained teachers and who are strongly motivated.
Attractive elements in taking a natural approach to family planning include self-control, greater awareness of bodily function, the involvement of both partners on an equal basis, and the absence of health risks or dependence on constant use of pharmaceuticals. The values of this holistic and human approach to family planning deserve to be considered seriously. On this page you will find signposting to a range sources of information and support for couples in England and Wales.
Cherishing Life
In our society, there are many signs of the ways in which human life is cherished: respect for those who live with disability, debate about adequate healthcare for the elderly and widespread concern for the protection of children from harm. The majority of people wish to live in a society where the values of honesty, trust and integrity enable us to flourish as individuals and with others. Such values require the building of an ethos of life that protects persons from womb to tomb, especially the most vulnerable. In 2004 the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales published the document Cherishing Life which underlined their concern to place the gift of life at the heart of all moral reflection and action.DOWNLOAD A COPY OF CHERISHING LIFE (2004)
UK: NFP Conference
The UKNFP Conference has taken place annually since 2012 to support different NFP system providers to network and share ongoing professional development with a variety of speakers covering NFP related topics of mutual interest, including recent research. Providing this multi-system NFP forum in the UK encourages a unified NFP approach to healthcare professionals, the general public and the Catholic Church. For details of the next UK conference please visit the UK: NFP Conference website.Support and Resources
Links to external websites provided on this page have been checked but we cannot take responsibility for the content on external websites or that organisation’s affiliations with third parties. The link is provided for information purposes only. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales cannot and does not necessarily endorse the content on these websites.
NAOMI (The National Association of Ovulation Method Instructors Billings UK)