The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-12-28
.CHURCHFN1HTS
.B|RTHCONTROL
Catholic Hierarchy Directs That
Women Be Urged to De-
: feat Plan.

NEW YORK. Dec. 2S-The Catholic
Hierarchy. through the National
Catholic Welfare Council. has ordered
that the Catholic women Of the coun-
try be instructed to wage ''incessant
warfare" against the spread Of birth
control propaganda and to light es-
pecially any effort to repeal existing
State laws.
49, SEND OUT PAMPHLET,
The Welfare Council is now send
ing TO about 200 organizations OF
Catholic women and to the spiritual
heads of women's sodalities. ma
tional and local, q pamphlet en-
titled The Attitude of the Church
on Birth Control" 1t hopes by the
middle of next month to have the
pamphlet In the hands of every
Catholic mother in the country.
The authors of the pamphlet mako
II clear that the bishops got their
inspiration for the order from tho
recent action OF the New York State
Federation of Women's Clubs. which
adopted resolution favoring the
removal OF obstacles in the way of
Intelligent birth-control propaganda.
Catholic women delegates are
praised for opposing the resolution.
There Is no question the
pamphlet reads. "of the lawfulness
OF birth restriction through absti-
ncnce from the relations which re-
sNlt in conception. The immortality
OF birth control as II is commonly
pgacticed and understood consists in
the evil of the particular methods
employed.
OPPOSED TO MORAL LAW.
These are all contrary to the
moral law and forbidden because
they are unnatural, being a perver-
sion Of natural function. Human
faculties are used in such a way as
10 Illustrate the natural end for
which these faculties were created.
This is always intrinsically wrong.
as wrong as lying and blasphemy.
No supposed beneficial consequence
can make good a practice which is
in itself immoral. 4
THE advocates OF birth control do
not accept this moral position and
argument. On the one hand they
cxaggerate the inconvenient results
of large families; on the other they
studiously ignore the evil conse-
quences which follow everywhere
from the adoption of the practices
they advocate.
1T Is, simply not true" the pam
phlet says. referring to declarations
OF the federation, that the failure to
practise birth control frequently re-
suits in serious disaster for mothers
and babies Large families some
times are an unreasonable burden to
the parents, but these instances are
not. in any fair Interpretation of the
word. ..frequept' ~--sz..
CITES EVIL RESULTS.
The evil results of birth control are
declared to be numerous" But this
statement Is reduced to three specin-
cations: First, that birth control de-
grades the marriage relation: second,
that the deliberate restriction of the
family, through these immoral prac-
tees, weakens seif-control and the
capacity for self-denial and increases
the love of ease and luxury; finally,
birth control leads sooner or later to
a decline in population.
This is clearly proved" says the
pamphlet. 'in the case of France.
where the practice has long abeen
rather general and where the births
have been for some years less than
the deaths. This fact has become so
disturbing in France that many of
the most prominent persons in that
country are genuinely alarmed for it's
future and are striving to create a
public spirit which will make 1t
fashionable for Frenchmen to raise
large families"
In closing, reference is made to the
grave dangers of proposed legislation
on birth control and a final appeal is
made to Catholic women to thwart
all attempts to increase this sort OF
propaganda