Catholic Students Discuss Pope’s Humanae Vitae (1968)

Duration: 2:41

Year Published: 1968

Sound: sound

Description: With the introduction of oral contraceptives—commonly known as “the Pill”—in 1960, faith communities began to reconsider religious policy surrounding sex and marriage. On July 29, 1968, Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical letter relating the position of the Roman Catholic Church on birth control. Entitled Humanae Vitae: On the Regulation of Birth, the letter reaffirmed Church policy banning the use of most artificial contraceptives. The edict thus rejected the 1966 recommendation made by the Pontifical Commission of Birth Control, a majority of whom believed the Church should allow Catholic couples to decide for themselves. In this news segment for Houston’s KPRC-TV, Catholic students discuss what the encyclical means and how the Catholic community will respond. The conversation takes place at the University of Houston’s Catholic Newman Center.