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
Rev Peter Clarke
Rev James Clarkson
Dom Michael Clothier OSB
Rev Frank Cole
Rev Pius Collins O Praem
Mgr Anthony Conlon
Rev Philip Conner
Rev Thomas Connolly
Fr John Cooke
Rev John Cooper
Rev John Corbyn
Rev Eamon Corduff
Rev Gordon Cordy
Rev Francis Courtney
Rev Francis Coveney
Rev Vincent Coyne OSM
Canon William Crawford
Rev Ross Crichton
Rev Vincent Curtis
Rev Harry Curtis
Rev Anthony Cussen SMA
Rev Victor Dakwan
Rev James Daley MHM
Fr Jeremy Davies
Rev Ivan Dawson
Rev Philip de Freitas
Rev Guy de Gaynesford
Rev Armand de Malleray
Rev Agnelo de Souza
Rev Scott Deeley
Rev John Deighan
Canon Bernard Devine
Rev Gabriel Diaz-Patri
Rev Stephen Dingley
Rev Anthony Doe
Rev Daniel Donohue
Rev Michael Doody
Rev Kevin Douglas
Rev Kevin Dow
Canon Francis Doyle
Rev Thomas Doyle
Rev Marcin Drabik
Rev Richard Duffield Cong Orat
Rev Michael Dunn OP
Rev Philip Dyson
Rev James Earley
Rev Cyril Edamana
Rev Joseph Edattu
Rev Michael Edem CM
Canon Martin Edwards
Rev Ekpedeme Ekpe MSP
Rev Celestine Ekwueme
Rev Mark Eliot-Smith
Rev Simon Ellis
Rev Canon Michael English
Rev John-Paul Evans
Fr John Eze MSP
Rev Erico Falcao
Rev Marcel Fangoo CSSp
Fr Robert Farrell
Fr Ian Farrell
Rev Robin Farrow
Rev Eduard Fartan
Rev Stephen Fawcett
Rev Vincent Fedigan
Rev Anthony Fernandes SDB
Rev Patrick Feyisetan
Rev Christopher Findlay-Wilson
Fr Timothy Finigan
Rev Sean Finnegan
Rev Simon Firth
Rev Kieran Fitzharris SVD
Rev Patrick Flanagan
Rev Brendan Flaxman
Rev Kieran Fletcher
Rev Gerald Flood
Rev Frank Flynn
Rev John Fordham Cong Orat
Rev Andrew Forrest
Rev Stewart Foster
Rev Peter Fox
Very Rev William Fraser
Rev Oliver Freney
Rev Lorenzo Frosio
Mgr Canon John Furnival
Rev Michael Galbraith
Rev Michael Gamble
Rev John Gaul SCJ
Rev Paul Gibbons
Rev David Gibbons
Rev Stanislaw Gibzinski
Rev John Gildea
Rev Simon Gillespie
Canon Leo Glancey
Rev Peter Glas
Fr David Goddard
Fr Matthew Goddard FSSP
Rev Nixon Gomes
Rev Timothy Gorham OSB
Rev Nicholas Grace
Rev John Greatbatch
Fr Julian Green
Rev Peter Groody
Canon John Gunn
Rev Mariusz Gutowski SChr
Rev Bernard Hahesy
Rev John Hai Pham
Rev Michael Hall
Rev John Hancock
Rev Neil Hannigan
Rev Andrew Harding
Rev Benedict Hardy OSB
Rt Rev Mark Hargreaves OSB
Mgr Eugene Harkness
Rev Philip Harris
Rev John Harris
Rev Michael Harrison
Rev Peter Harvey
Rev William Hattie SX
Rev Padraig Hawkins
Rev Simon Heans
Rev Ian Hellyer
Rev Simon Henry
Rev Keith Herrera
Rev Stuart Hill
Rev Jonathan Hill
Rev Alex Hill
Rev Marcus Holden
Rev Daniel Horgan SSC
Rev Peter Houghton
Rev James Houghton
Rev David Howell
Rev Damian Humphries
Rev John Hunwicke
Rev George Hutcheon
Rev Patrick Hutton
Bro. Raymond Hynes OFM
Rev Alvan Ibeh SMMM
Rev C Ingle
Rev Jude Iroh MSP
Dom Raymond Jaconelli OCR
Rev Matthew Jakes
Rev Dylan James
Rev Pat Jeary
Rev Slawomir Jedrych MS
Rev John Johnson
Rev Michael Johnstone
Fr Michael Johonnet
Rev Sebastian Jones
Rev Bryan Jones
Rev Darryll Jordan
Rev Sony Joseph
Rev Euloge Kasine AA
Rev Daniel Kelly
Dom Brian Kelly OSB
Rev Joseph Kendall
Rev Lee Kenton
Rev Ian Ker
Rev Josemarie Kiganda
Br. Gerard Kinder SSS
Rev James Kirby
Rev Peter Kirkham
Fr Leszek Klos
Rev Vitalis Kondo
Br Jaroslaw Konopko OFMCap
Rev Tadeusz Kordys
Br Miroslaw Kosiec SDB
Rev Andrzej Kuklinski
Rev Douglas Lamb
Rev Stephen Langridge
Rev Serafino Lanzetta
Rev Joseph Lappin
Rev Julian Large Cong Orat
Rev Francis Leeder
Rev Marian Lekawa
Rev Paul Lester Cong Orat
Canon Michael Lewis
Rev Jacob Lewis
Rev Christopher Lindlar
Rev Paul Lippok
Rev Denys Lloyd
Rev Paul Lloyd
Rev Laurie Locke
Rev Canon Daniel Bernard Lordan
Rev Michael Lovell
Rev Alexander Lucie-Smith
Rev Jimmy Lutwana
Rev Thomas Lynch
Rev Francis Lynch
Canon Brendan MacCarthy
Mgr Peter Magee
Rev Louis Maggiore OFMCap
Rev Jerry Manomey
Rev Francis Maple OFMCap
Rev Geoffrey Marlor
Dom Cenydd Marrison OSB
Fr David Marsden
Fr Francis Marsden
Rev George Marsden
Rev Bernard Marsh
Rev Terry Martin
Rev William Massie
Rev David Frank Mawson
Rev Laurence Mayne
Rev Joseph McAuley
Mgr Kenneth McBride
Rev John McCann
Rev Michael McCormick
Rev Terry McGrath MSFS
Rev Brendan McGuinness
Rev Rupert McHardy Cong Orat
Rev John McInnes
Rev Michael McLaughlin
Rev Anthony McLaughlin
Rev Alan McMahon
Fr Bernard McNally
Rev Thomas McNulty
Fr John Menonkari
Rev Robert Mercer
Rev Anthony Meredith SJ
Rev Philip Miller
Rev Joseph Mills
Rev Donald Minchew
Rt Rev Mgr Thomas Monaghan
Rev Augustine Monaghan MHM
Rev Paul Moore
Rev Stephen Morgan
Mgr Vaughan Morgan
Rev John Moriarty
Rev John Morrill
Rev Stephen Morrison Opraem
Rev Frankie Mulgrew
Rev Kieran Mullarkey
Rev James Mulligan
Fr Peter Murphy
Rev Kevin Murphy
Rev John Brendan Murphy
Rev Philip Nathaniel
Rev Stephen Naughton
Rev Roger Nesbitt
Rev Guy Nicholls Cong Orat
Rev Emile Nkumu
Rev Leonard Norman OCR
Rev Peter Norris
Rev John Nwadike
Rev Robbie O’Callaghan
Rev Patrick O’Connell
Rev Liam O’Connor
Rev Joseph O’Connor
Rev Kevin O’Connor
Rev Dominic O’Connor
Rev Patrick O’Doherty
Fr Patrick O’Donohue
Rev Flavian Ohayerenwa CSSp
Rev Cyriacus Okafor
Rev Onyema Okorie
Canon John O’Leary
Rev Soji Mathew Olikkal
Rev Brien O’Mahony CSSp
Canon Brian O’Shea
Rev John Osman
Rev Wiktor Ostrowski
Fr David Palmer
Rev George Panackal
Rev Roy Pannell
Fr Anthony Parankimalil
Rev W A Parker
Rev Eoin Patten
Rev Christopher Pearson
Rev Dom Xavier Perrin OSB
Rev Christopher Perry
Rev John Peyton
Rev Angelo Phillips
Rev David Phillips
Canon Terry Phipps
Rev Stephen Pimlott
Fr Andrew Pinsent
Fr Martin Pletts
Rev David Potter
Rev Philip Price
Rev Michael Puljic
Rev Eamon Rafferty CM
Rev Jon Ravensdale
Mgr Gordon Read
Rev Marek Reczek
Rev Paul Redmond
Rev Jonathan Redvers-Harris
Rev Francis Reid
Rev Mark Reilly
Rev Stephen Reynolds
Rev Neil Reynolds
Fr John Rice
Rev Graham Ricketts
Rev Sean Riley
Canon Peter Rollings
Dom Jonathan Rollinson OSB
Rev George Roth FI
Canon Luiz Ruscillo
Rev Jakub Ruszniak SDB
Rev Canon Vincent Ryan
Rev John Ryan
Rev Brian Sandeman
Rev Martin Sanderson
Rev Denis Sarsfield
Rev Francis Sasinowski
Rev Allan Satur OSM
Fr John Saward
Rev Guy Sawyer
Rev Philip Scanlan IC
Rev Tony Schmitz
Rev John Seddon OSB
Rev Jean-Claude Selvini
Mgr Desmond Sexton
Rev John Sharp
Rev James Vincent Sheil CM
Rev Romany Shenouda Fathy
Canon Alexander Sherbrooke
Rev Christopher Silva
Rev Bernard Sixtus
Rev James Smale
Rev Malcolm Smeaton
Rev John Smethurst
Rev Roger Spencer
Rev Kevin St Aubyn
Rev David Stafford
Rev Conor Stainton-Polland
Rev Thomas Stapleford OSB
Fr Andrew Starkie
Rev Jeffrey Steel
Dom Paul Stonham OSB
Rev Bryan Storey
Rev Shaun Swales
Rev Pawel Szatlewski
Rev Romuald Szczodrowski
Rev Roman Szczypa
Rev Roy Tablizo
Rev Patrick Tansey
Rev Brian Taylor
Rev William Taylor
Canon Colin Taylor
Rev Tom Thomas
Rev Christopher Thomas
Rev Philip Thomas
Rev James Tolhurst
Rev Edward Tomlinson
Rev Adrian Tomlinson
Rev Dennis Touw
Canon Adrian Towers
Rev Edward Tredota
Rev Simon Treloar
Rev Thomas Trench
Rev Aidan Turner
Mgr Canon Richard Twomey
Rev Gregory Umunna
Rev John Urquhart
Fr Edward van den Bergh Cong Orat
Rev Victor Vella
Rev Peter Vellacott
Rev Gregory Verissimo
Rev Mark Vickers
Rev John Victor
Rev David Waller
Fr Patrick Walsh
Rev John Walsh
Rev Peter Walters
Rev Dr Michael Ward
Rev Christopher Warren
Rev Gerald Watkins
Rev Daniel Weatherly
Rev Nick Welsh
Rev Joseph Weston
Rev Ivan Weston
Rev Michael Wheaton
Rev Richard Whinder
Fr Henry Whisenant
Rev Joseph Whisstock
Rev Tony White
Rev Robert White
Canon Peter Wilkie
Rev Bruno Witchalls
Rev Jan Wojcynski
Fr Sebastian Wolff OSB
Rev Anthony Wolstenholme MCCJ
Fr Michael Woodgate
Rev Jeffrey Woolnough
Rev William Young
Rev Paul Zielinski
