Excerpts from Church documents on select topics* Chastity •  Children as gift •  Conjugal love •  Contraception/ sterilization & abortion •  Family •  Human sexuality •  Life as a gift from God •  Marriage •  Natural Family Planning •  Openness to life •  Responsible Parenthood •  Reproductive technologies •  Rights and Duties of Parents •  Role of the conscience •  Unitive & procreative nature of intercourse •

Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan - NEW This is the newly approved Pastoral Letter on marriage from the U.S. Conference Catholic Bishops. Married Love and the Gift of Life     |     En Español This document of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops summarizes Church teaching on marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood in an easy to read question and answer format. English Audio; MP3 | Spanish Audio; MP3 Parish Bulletin Insert Parish Bulletin Insert En Español Second Vatican Council Documents Gaudium et spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) 1965 Papal Documents Pope Benedict XVI on Marriage: A Compendium 2008 Deus caritas est (God is Love) 2005, Pope Benedict XVI Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life) 1995, Pope John Paul II "Theology of the Body" 1979-1984, Pope John Paul II Familiaris consortio (The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World) 1980, Pope John Paul II Humanae vitae (Of Human Life) 1968, Pope Paul VI Casti connubii (On Christian Marriage) 1930, Pope Pius XI Documents of the Holy See Catechism of the Catholic Church 1997 Dignitas personae (On Certain Bioethical Questions) 2008, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Vademecum for Confessors Concerning Some Aspects of the Morality of Conjugal Life 1997, Pontifical Council for the Family, Donum vitae (Instruction on Respect for Human Life) 1987, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith USCCB Documents Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology 2009, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Ethical Directives for Catholic Hospitals (Fifth Edition) 2009, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Human Sexuality from God's Perspective, Humanae Vitae 25 Years Later 1993, Committee for Pro-Life Activities *Abbreviations Unless otherwise noted, the following abbreviations are used in the "Excerpts from Church Documents" AA Apostolicam actuositatem (Degree on the Apostolate of the Laity) CC Casti Connubii (On Christian Marriage) CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church CIC Codex Iuris Canonici (Code of Canon Law) DP Dignitas Personae (On Certain Bioethical Questions) DV Donum vitae (Instruction on Respect for Human Life in its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation) EV Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life) FC Familiaris consortio (On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World) GE Gravissimum educationis (Declaration on Christian Education) GS Gaudium et spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) HV Humanae vitae (Of Human Life) IL Instrumentum laboris (In the Service of Life) LG Lumen gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) MM Mater et magistra (On Christianity and Social Progress) PP Populorum progressio (On the Progression of Peoples) The following abbreviations are also used CCE Congregation for Catholic Education CDF Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith NCCB National Conference of Catholic Bishops (Now USCCB) PCF Pontifical Council for the Family USCCB United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

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