In the Saturday, July 12, 2008 edition of the National Post, Charles Lewis published a full-page article entitled “A Hard Pill To Swallow”. He sees Humanae Vitae as “a giant flop”, a ban on contraception that is “universally ignored by the Catholic faithful”. The encyclical, according to Lewis, is “devastating to the Church’s credibility” because “it makes for dishonesty at the heart of the system” in the sense that ordinary Catholics do not believe contraception is a mortal sin, and they don’t even believe their leaders honestly think it is a mortal sin. It accuses HV of “inadvertently equating contraception and abortion,” and putting “emphasis on sexuality out of proportion to the whole of the Catholic moral life”.

Near the end, Lewis does not forget to mention Father Charles Curran, a renowned Church dissident, whose statements against HV “earned him the ire of the Church, and eventually his job at Catholic University in Washington.” Father Curran believes the Pope can’t change this constant teaching of the Church because he can’t admit that “the Holy Spirit allowed the bishops and the pope to make a mistake.” Here’s the link to the article:

http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=649220

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I read the article because the comments Lewis made are essentially how I had seen the issue of contraception some years ago when my heart was still in dire need of the circumcision of the Holy Spirit. It is either that in a matter of 10 to 15 years I have been completely brainwashed by Church teachings generally considered out-dated, repressive, and unrealistic by the world; or that the overpowering touch of the Spirit is such that my pride-swollen heart is now completely transformed, and its surgically dead muscles revived with good reason and spiritual sensitivity. Reading the article makes me realize I have come a long way since my “cafeteria Catholic” days.

For the benefit of the cafeteria Catholics in our midst and the many Father Currans still lurking around in the Church, ready to do spiritual violence to the unsuspecting Church faithful with their seemingly convincing theological half-truths, I will endeavor to pick apart Lewis’ criticism of HV and bring to light its fallacy through a special series of 3 to 4 emails (including this one) that will be released separately over the next few days. With all due respect and humility, I know there are many people who are better qualified to do this work, especially the clergy and a number of very insightful and scholarly members on the ECCCLC and the Family Spiritual Window. I humbly ask for their assistance and corrections where my refutation is weak. I will incorporate their input into the final version of my refutation, which will then be sent to Charles Lewis.

How many battles do we have to fight to counter the culture of death? For this one, let’s seek the intercession and guidance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who always stands behind family and the sanctity of life.

Edmond Lo