VATICAN RULES AGAINST PRIESTS

The papal encyclical “Humanae Vitae,” issued in 1968, reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s ban on the use of contraceptives in birth control. Among the many priests who disagreed were about fifty who were disciplined by Cardinal O’Boyle of Washington, D.C. Nineteen of these priests took their case to the pope. They lost. The Vatican has now issued its ruling in the matter: the priests must uphold the ban.

CHURCH CHALLENGED IN IRELAND

For centuries Ireland has been one of the most conservative bastions of the Catholic Church in the world. But now, the Church in that country is coming under increasing attack from within and from without. It is being challenged on a variety of issues, such as church-state relations, priestly dissent, the alienation of young people, birth control and social morality. When Archbishop John McQuaid of Dublin issued a pastoral letter supporting the official ban on contraceptives, parishioners at two churches walked out when the letter was read. The primate of all Ireland, William Cardinal Conway, admitted: “There’s a storm in Western civilization and the church is involved in it. Things are not all calm and peaceful.”

Toronto sociologist Martin Goldfarb states: “It is clear that some aspects of Catholic dogma are breaking down.” When Catholics were asked if they would follow the pope’s decrees or their own conscience in regard to birth control, 78 percent said they would follow their own conscience.