Pope Paul VI Predicted the HHS Mandates in 1968!

I was re-reading Humanae Vitae today and came across a section where Pope Paul the 6th basically predicted what we are now seeing with the new Health and Human Services Mandate regarding employer- paid contraception. Basically, he warned that governments may eventually dictate the use of contraceptives. Currently we are not forced to use them (yet), but we are now forced to pay for them! China by the way, forces contraception on its people and this is exactly what Pope Paul envisioned occurring as a by product of a society that takes on the contraceptive mentality.


"Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife."

Pope Paul, God rest his soul, knew what he was talking about. Methinks he had quite a bit of help from the third person of the Trinity when he wrote Humane Vitae in 1968. I would encourage everyone to read HV just to get a sense of the mind of the Church on contraception. Keep in mind that as he wrote this, some American Catholics were wrongly predicting the Pope would soon change his mind about the prohibition of contraception. Because of the wide availability of hormonal contraception in the 1960's many thought the Church would have to cave to the culture. Thankfully, for the charism of infallibility, the Popes cannot and will not reverse an issue of faith or morals.