SIR,—Catholic- Parent's experience of the 'safe period' has been unfortunate.
But this is not to be wondered at.
The happy and successful use of the safe period method of birth regulation depends, primarily, on a real understanding and a complete acceptance by the husband and wife of the moral principles involved. The Catholic Church does not forbid the spacing of families : indeed, enlightened opinion within the Church (led, in this matter, by Pope John XXIII and still more by his predecessor, Pius XII) positively encourages such spacing for the good of individual families and of societies that are burdened by a population problem.
The Catholic Church, however, is deeply con- cerned with the methods used to secure this spacing. Of these methods, the only one she considers to be completely natural—that is, completely in accord with the divine design—is the rhythm method, also called the safe period, which involves the fully de- liberate co-operation by the couple with the move- ments of the woman's reproduction cycle, but does not interfere with it. The 'pill,' on the other hand, is an interference, on the biological level, with the cycle. The various mechanical devices interfere, in one way or another, with the full expression of the sexual act. Both these methods the Church con- siders to be yet another repetition of the tragedy of man's Fall, where men set themselves up to be as gods, remaking God's world to their own design, and their own detriment.
But 'natural' is not the same as 'spontaneous.' Very rarely can intercourse in any case be com- pletely spontaneous. Moments of tenderness and desire on the part of one may be met by tiredness, ill-health, or simply disinclination on the part of the other. It may be the wrong time of day. The children may have a prior claim. We are not simply animals, at the mercy of every inclination, every movement of our bodies.
Innumerable Catholic couples, deferring at times to things other than their own immediate desires, to their conscience, the voice of their Church, their family's good, are finding their marriage actually enriched and strengthened by the use of the safe period method of birth regulation. We can only set our experience beside Catholic Parent's.
But the successful use of the safe period depends, of course, on a correct understanding of the method. Regularity of the menstrual cycle is not necessary. The woman's temperature will indicate to her with certainty, however irregular she is, that ovulation has occurred and her safe period has, therefore, begun. Her menstrual cycle can also, possibly, be regularised, and the length of her safe. period in- creased, by the use of hormones.
Finally, may I suggest to readers. who would like to know more about the safe period method that the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council (15 Lans- downe Road, London, W11; PARk 0141) will give them sound and scientific advice. The month m Period, by John Marshall, published last onth by Darton, Longman and Todd, is the best and most up-to-date book on the subject.
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