The Catholic bishops of Canada remain guilty of a tremendous scandal, it is sad to say.
They have yet to rescind their infamous “Winnipeg Statement,” which was published on September 27, 1968.
This publication by the bishops of Canada was made in response to Pope Paul VI’s landmark encyclical, Humanae Vitae (HV), published July 25, 1968.
HUMANAE VITAE
Within HV, Pope Paul VI affirmed the Catholic Church’s condemnation of contraception and sterilization. This encyclical was not well received by many in the Church, even among the clergy.
The Vicar of Christ states in section 14 of HV:
“Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children. Equally to be condemned, as the magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary.
“Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation—whether as an end or as a means” (emphasis added).
Straight forward. Clear.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church cites HV, concurring with this moral condemnation of contraception use: “every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible” is intrinsically evil” (n. 2370).
THE BISHOPS OF CANADA ISSUED “THE WINNIPEG STATEMENT” TO MAKE OFFICIAL THEIR DISSENT FROM CHURCH TEACHING
The bishops of Canada, especially, took exception to this moral condemnation of birth control made by Pope Paul VI.
On September 27, 1968 the bishops of Canada released their official statement on the encyclical, Humanae Vitae. This has become known as “the Winnipeg Statement.”
The Bishops of Canada have yet, to this day, to rescind the Winnipeg Statement. The official stance of the Catholic bishops of Canada is dissent on the question of contraception use.
The most troubling portion of their dissent comes in paragraph 26:
“In accord with the accepted principles of moral theology, if these persons have tried sincerely but without success to pursue a line of conduct in keeping with the given directives, they may be safely assured that, whoever honestly chooses that course which seems right to him does so in good conscience.”
The bishops of Canada allow their flock to dissent from the authority of the Divine Law and the Natural Law, in the name of keeping a “good conscience.”
Any sheep in their fold that follow their terrible advice are told by their bishops they “should not be considered or consider themselves, shut off from the body of the faithful” (n. 17). God, have mercy.
THE BISHOPS OF CANADA ARE PERMITTING THEIR PEOPLE TO COMMIT GRAVE SIN
The Bishops of Canada have yet, to this day, to rescind the Winnipeg Statement. The official stance of the Catholic bishops of Canada is dissent on the question of contraception use.
Yet, Pope Paul VI rightly called contraceptive sex “intrinsically wrong” (n. 14).
How can something be intrinsically evil, and yet be permitted?
The scandal this causes must be enormous. To Catholics weak or naïve in their faith, this can prove spiritually deadly, not to mention physically and emotionally detrimental.
Let us pray this current generation of bishops will retract their erroneous position, much like the Catholic bishops of the Philippines did in 1990.
The Philippino bishops admitted, “Afflicted with doubts about alternatives to contraceptive technology, we abandoned you to your confused and lonely consciences with a lame excuse: ‘follow what your conscience tells you.’ How little we realized that it was our consciences that needed to be formed first.”
YOUR TURN
Were you aware the bishops of Canada were in official dissent to this day of Humanae Vitae?
Please leave your thoughts below.
