The full statement:
In 1968 Pope Paul VI issued a re-affirmation of central aspects of the Church’s traditional teaching on human sexuality. The encyclical Humanae Vitae affirmed, in harmony with the Church’s traditional teaching, the purity and beauty of the spousal act, always open to procreation and always unitive.
Humanae Vitae predicted that if artificial contraception became widespread and commonly accepted by society then we would lose our proper understanding of marriage, the family, the dignity of the child and of women and even a proper appreciation of our bodies and the gift of male and female. The Holy Father warned that governments would begin to utilise coercive methods to control what is most private and intimate.
At the time of the publication of Humanae Vitaemany rejected its message and its warnings. Many found the teaching that the use of contraception was in all cases ‘absolutely excluded’ and ‘intrinsically wrong’ difficult to accept and challenging to proclaim. Fifty years later so much has unfolded in our society that has been to the detriment of human life and love. Many have come to appreciate again the wisdom of the Church’s teaching.
As priests we desire to affirm on this 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae the noble vision of procreative love as the Catholic Church has always taught and understood it. We believe a proper ‘human ecology’, a rediscovery of the way of nature and respect for human dignity is essential for the future of our people, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. We propose discovering anew the message of Humanae Vitae, not only in fidelity to the Gospel, but as a key to the healing and true development of our society.
The full list of signatories:
Rev Sixtus Adejo CSSp
Rev Felix Adiele
Rev Robert Afayori
Rev Daniel Agber
Rev John Ahimbisibwe
Fr Emmanuel Ahua CSSp
Rev Richard Aladics
Canon Grzegorz Aleksandrowicz
Rev N S F Alldrit
Rev Rupert Allen
Rev Jim Allen
Mgr John Allen
Rev Andrew Allman
Rev Thomas Amungwa
Canon John Angus Macdonald
Canon David Annear
Rev Oliver Antao
Rev Mark Anwyll
Rev Ivan Aquilina
Rev Thevakingsley Arulananthem OAR
Rev Mario-Benedict Ashuikeka
Rt Rev Anselm Atkinson OSB
Rev Cyril Axelrod
Rev Peter Babangida
Rev David Baker
Fr Walter Bance
Mgr Keith Barltrop
Rev David Barnes
Rev John Barnes
Rev Christopher Basden
Rev Jeremy Bath
Canon John Batthula
Rev Miceál Beatty
Rev Matthew Bemand-Qureshi
Rev George Bennett
Rev Stanley Bennie
Rev Robert Beresford
Rev Tadeusz Bialas
Rev Pawel Bielak
Rev Jonathan Bielawski
Rev Steven Billington
Rev Martin Birrell OSB
Rev Raymond Blake
Fr Simon Blakesley
Rev John Bosco Bukomba
Rev Bernard Boylan
Rev Liam Bradley
Rev Jonathan Brandon
Rev John Brennan
Rev Tom Breslin
Rev Neil Brett
Rev Declan Brett
Rev Paul Broadbent
Dom Cuthbert Brogan OSB
Mgr Christopher Brooks
Rev Paul Brophy
Rev Scott Brossart SOLT
Rev Jonathan Brown
Rev Stephen Brown Cong Orat
Rev Michael Brown
Rev Andrew Browne
Rev John Brucciani SSPX
Rev Dominic Bucci
Rev John Buckley
Rev Ciprian Budah
Rev Timothy Bugby
Mgr Patrick Burke
Rev Jim Burns
Rev David Burns
Rev Peter Burns
Rev John Butters
Rev Gerard Byrne
Rev John Cahill
Rev Malcolm Cairns
Rev Xavier Calduch
Rev Ross Campbell
Rev Michael Campbell-Johnson SJ
Rev Francis Capener
Br Prins Casinader OFMCap
Rev Bernard Caszo MSFS
Rev Louis Catterall SMM
Very Rev Leo Chamberlain OSB
Rev Neil Chatfield
Fr Paul Chavasse Cong Orat
Rev Simon Chinery
Rev Anthony Cho
Rev Anthony Chundelikkat James
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