The Pill made headlines last week when researchers from the University of Oxford concluded that the use of progesterone-only contraceptive pills is associated with a small increase in the risk of breast cancer.
The debate about the potential health risks associated with the Pill is far from over, but for Catholics, whatever the risks, the Church’s position on contraception is well-known.
Pope John Paul II said in 1994 during an audience at Castel Gondolfo, “when there is a reason not to procreate, this choice is permissible and may even be necessary”. But he was quick to qualify that “there remains the duty of carrying it out with criteria and methods that respect the total truth of the marital act in its unitive and procreative dimension, as wisely regulated by nature itself in its biological rhythms. One can comply with them and use them to advantage, but they cannot be 'violated' by artificial interference."
