The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1959-11-27

LED. NOTE: The follow.
ina is the text of "Explo-
sion or Rackfire7" one of
two statements made by
the US. Bishops assembl-
ed in their annual meet
inc at Washington. The
text of the other state
ment is on Page 10y.
For the past several
years a campaign of prop
uganda has been gaining
momentum to influence
international, n onal,
and personal opinion in favor
of birth prevention programs.
The vehicle for this propa-
ganda is the recently coined
terror technique phrase, pop
ulation explosion" The
phrase, indeed, alerts all to
the attention that must be CIV
en- to population pressures,
but it also provides a smoke
screen behind which a moral
evil may be foisted on the
public and for obscuring the
many factors that must be
considered in this vital ques-
ton.
MORE ALARMING is the
present attempt of some rep
re~sentatives of Christian bod
les who e4deavor to elaborate
the plan into a theological
doctrine which envisages arti-
fetal birth prevention with
in the married state as the
will of God" Strangely too,
simply because of these eff
forts and with callous disre-
gard of the thinking Of hun.
dreds of millions of Chris
tians and others who reject
the position, some interna-
tional and national figures
have made the statement that
artificial birth proven t n
within the married state is
gradually becoming acc e p t.
able even in the Catholic
Church. This is simply not
true.
The perennial teaching OF
the Catholic Church has dis
tinguished artificial birth pre-
vention, which is a frustra-
ton of the marital act, from
other forms of control OF
birth which are morally per-
missible. Method alone, how
ever, is not the only ques'
ton involved. Equally import
ant is the sincere and objec'
tive examination of the mo
tives and intentions Of the
couples involved, in view oil
the nature of the marriage
contract itself. As long as due
recognition Is not given to
these fundamental questions
there can be no genuine un
derstanding of the problem.
AT THE PRESENT time
too, there is abundant evi
dence Of a systematic, con
certed effort to convince
United States public opinion
legislators and policy makers
that United States nationa
agencies, as well as interna
tionaI bodies, should provide
with public funds and sup
port, assistance in promoting
artificial birth prevention TO.
economically underdevelope'
countries. The alleged pun
pose, as already remarked,
to prevent a hypoth e
population explosion" E>
perts, however, have not We
reached agreement on the e.
act meaning OF this phrase. ]
is still a hypothesis that mus
stand the test of science. Ye
pessimistic population predl'
tors Selling on the popular al
ceptance of the phrase, tax
little account Of economic, 81
cial and cultural factors an
changes. Moreover, it woul
seem that If the Projectors
population explosion wish I
avail themselves Of the rigl
to foretell population inerea
es, they must eoncede TT
right to predict produetic
increases of food as we'll as
employment and education
opportunities.
The position Of Unite
States Catholics 10 the gro
ing and needy population
the world is a realistic oil
which is grounded in Il
natural law (Which, it shou
be made clear. is not the Ia
of the jungle, as sometim
enormously supposedly and
respect for the human persc