Natural family planning helps couples identify the fertile and infertile times of a woman’s cycle with a high degree of accuracy, said Nancy Schulte, family and laity outreach coordinator at the archdiocese’s Office of Marriage, Family and Life. Couples can use that knowledge to plan or postpone having a baby, Schulte said.
“And it teaches shared responsibility by both the husband and wife, and using all aspects of their sexuality: physically, spiritually, intellectually and emotionally, she said. “If the couple wishes to avoid a pregnancy during their fertile time, NFP encourages non-genital ways of expressing that love and affection for one another,” Schulte said.
With Natural Family Planning Week July 24-30, Schulte recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley to discuss its benefits. The week’s dates highlight the anniversary of the issuance of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical “Humane Vitae” (“Of Human Life,” subtitled “On the Regulation of Birth”) issued July 25, 1968, she said.
NFP supports the plan “God has designed for us,” Schulte said. “Male and female artificial birth control inhibits intimacy with God because we’re blocking him out of the equation.”
Citing natural family planning’s benefits, Schulte said it is medically safe with no harmful side effects. It’s reliable and easy to learn, and when properly taught, and correctly and consistently used, it is 98%, 99% accurate, which provides a great way to plan one’s family, she said. If a woman is having difficulty becoming pregnant, an NFP teacher or a medical practitioner trained in NFP could review the woman’s charting and perhaps identify what is going on hormonally, Schulte said.
And in the daily charting of fertility signs, couples quickly appreciate their shared responsibility for family planning, Schulte said.
To learn more about natural family planning, including information about NFP classes and resources, adoption and supporting the right to life, visit archspm.org. Schulte also referenced resources on the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops website, usccb.org.
During the interview, Schulte suggested several related Church documents listeners might want to review. To hear what those are and to listen to the full interview, tune in to the 9 p.m. July 22 “Practicing Catholic” show, which repeats at 1 p.m. July 23 and 2 p.m. July 24 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who describes the nature and goals of the worldwide Vatican Synod called for by Pope Francis; and Maggee Becker from the Minnesota Catholic Conference who discusses the pro-life situation in Minnesota and how practicing Catholics can get involved.
Listen to their interviews after they have aired at:
