Issues such as homosexuality, cohabitation, divorce and remarriage are expected to take center stage at the Ordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family under way at the Vatican. Natural Family Planning (NFP) was briefly, and paradoxically, referenced as a burdensome blessing at last fall’s synod.

And at the just-concluded World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, Church-approved NFP was discussed as crucial in sustaining healthy marriages and families. 

The Church teaches that NFP is permissible for the spacing of pregnancies. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry” states, “These methods are based on observation according to the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. … NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife.”

Sue Ek, executive director of the Billings Ovulation Method Association (USA), based in St. Cloud, Minn., describes the Billings ovulation method of NFP as a “gift of God.”

But Ek sees challenges of accessibility and availability: “We need more teachers across the U.S. If someone came to our site, we do online learning. They can find a teacher.”

She is pleased with support in the Church: “Younger clergy are very supportive. They preach this message and are confident in Church teaching. Dioceses are beginning to require NFP instruction in marriage preparation.”

NFP brings couples together, according to Ek. “A woman’s body will tell her everything she needs to know. It (NFP) goes hand in hand with theology of the body [as taught by St. John Paul II] and total gift of self. When a couple comes together to learn about fertility, they bond.” Ek also acknowledges that there are challenges in following this method.

Professor emeritus Richard Fehring, of the Marquette University Department of Nursing, also champions NFP — especially online.

As Fehring said, “Most couples use our online site videos. We have an online charting system, forums for discussion, medical consultation, private messages and Skype. We are getting over a thousand new couples. We have a specialized protocol for postpartum breastfeeding. Engaged couples go online.”

Fehring acknowledged the blessings: “With NFP, there is increased communication, self-control and intimacy. It’s about living with one’s fertility and being within Church teaching; 90% of couples are happy. It’s a pleasure to work with them.” He added that there are struggles and sacrifice, using the example of Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York pointing to the cross when he discusses marriage.

Mike Manhart is the executive director of the Couple to Couple League in Cincinnati.

Manhart said that NFP helps the overall marital relationship, saying, “We witness to the impact of NFP on the marriage. It helps couples to live lives as God planned for us.”

He said CCL’s online series is popular. There are plans to launch online classes, too.

Manhart is also finding support among younger clergy. In the Diocese of Covington, Ky., for example, couples are required to take CCL classes as part of marriage preparation.

One supportive clergyman is Father Blaise Berg, with the Diocese of Sacramento, Calif. He is the chaplain for the California Association of Natural Family Planning (CANFP), the only statewide organization devoted to NFP; he has been with CANFP since 2003.

CANFP was founded in 1993 in Santa Clara to promote NFP awareness, with NFP champion and namesake Dr. John Billings as a keynote speaker.

Father Berg studied at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, with an interest in marriage and family life, including NFP.

One of the challenges is presentation.

As Father Berg said, “When it’s presented as goodness, truth and beauty, people are attracted.  We are made in the image and likeness of God; he created our souls and bodies. NFP is a tool for married life, for physical and spiritual life.  For a healthy Church and society, NFP is a key. It’s about the relationship of the sexes and the gift of marriage. It’s about working towards a healthier culture and society.”

At the CANFP August conference, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco gave the keynote, teaching that NFP promotes a spirituality of openness, communion, perseverance, confidence and generosity. Cordileone ended his keynote by saying, “Responsible parenthood helps us to shape a world of mutual attention that is made up of countless little acts of kindness, a multitude of small sacrifices that make for a healthy environment in a couple’s marriage. It makes of their family a school of ecology — physical, human and spiritual — that has an incalculable power to bring the family members to their human perfection and to bring healing to our troubled world.”

Overall, Father Berg has seen firsthand the challenge of accessibility with NFP and hopes that will change.

“Some dioceses don’t have enough instructors. It’s a vicious circle. Couples aren’t going to go if NFP isn’t required. We need to get out of the mindset that NFP is only for marriage prep.”

 

Anna Abbott writes from Napa, California.