Paul Suski –
The celebration of Pentecost Sunday is also the perfect time to contemplate our life and review its history, a good opportunity to review our imperfections, ask God for his forgiveness. “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name – he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.” (J 14:26). Thus, we should pray for the Holy Spirit, the Helper, to guide us and give us a cleared understanding.
I approach this sensitive topic with anxiety and trepidation hoping my article will not be putting the cat among the pigeons.
To appreciate the work of the Spirit in the virgin birth of Christ, let’s follow the Scripture context as the Spirit inspired it in Mt 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel”. It was rightly said, that the One who was full of grace, full of the Holy Spirit, will conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit, without a man`s involvement.
Jesus came as a baby. Presumably, bearing the Son of God for the salvation of humankind, only exacerbated the devil`s animosity towards children. Hence, the archfiend burned with even more hatred for the unborn, the effects of which are so much evident today.
Contraception
Many individuals are imbued with a contraceptive mindset. Across all developed nations, nearly all Christians who partake in conjugal intimate activity contemplate, to varying degrees, whether the prospect of conceiving a child would hinder the achievement of their personal aspirations and goals. There exists apprehension regarding financial capabilities such as purchasing a vehicle or a property, ambitions for career advancement as well as concerns that the arrival of a newborn might restrict opportunities for overseas travel. Consequently, there is a prevailing inclination towards having one child, occasionally two, and exceedingly infrequently, three.
Consistently avoiding conception of a child, even if spouses reject immoral methods of contraception, by strictly adhering to the principles of Natural Family Planning, is a stance that is rather difficult to reconcile with true marital love and with the principles outlined in the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 50.
Those who choose to delay or forego parenthood without just cause are incurring the disapproval of the Divine; such action elevates personal desires above God`s Will.
Losing one’s own life is the fundamental principle of Christianity. Beyond doubt, in many cases, such attitude requires heroism, often a blind trust in God that He will provide the necessary means for the living, a roof over one’s head, clothing, if we accept the gift of a new life. All in all, the more children we have, the more opportunities we must give up ourselves for others. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mat 16:25)
Contraception goes in precisely the opposite direction; it is a way of boosting one’s ego. In antiquity, people fashioned idols from materials like wood, bronze, or gold. In contemporary times, individuals erect idols constructed from self-centeredness—anything that holds greater significance to them than the Divine.
To atheist and non-religious couples, one might think any form of contraception is acceptable unless they find human life at least as valuable as “the lower animals” which they so staunchly defend. “Certainly, sons are a gift from the LORD, “the fruit of the womb, a reward.” (Ps 127:3)
As stated by Fr. Dr. Krzysztof Bielawny, for a morally healthy family, completely trusting in God, is the only attitude capable of accepting offspring as His gift. Hundreds of such families existed after Marian apparitions in Gietrzwałd in 1877.
Fr. Bielawny, a widely known scholar, specialising in demography, in his monograph “Saving Independence,” argues that if Poles had maintained the demographic dynamism of the end of the 19th century, with over thirty children born per thousand inhabitants on average, Poland would currently have 208 million citizens, then Brussels, Berlin and Moscow would be reluctant to interfere in Polish affairs.
‘In independent and Catholic Poland, in the years of 1922, 1923, and 1925, the birth rate of live children per 1000 people was 35.’ Various socialist and feminist movements disseminating anti-human, neo-Malthusian ideas, and very recently advocated by climate change zealots, have prevented this beautiful perspective to come true, he remarks with regret.
“For example, in the case of Poland, over 120 years, approximately 33.5 million children lost their lives due to abortion, while contraception prevented or destroyed human life to the extent of another 113.5 million,” wrote Rev. Bielawny.
To add insult to injury, in 2023, the crude birth rate in Poland plunged to 6.1 (sic!). This alarming trend can only be reversed by Our Lady`s supernatural intervention.
Paul Suski, based in Poland, has a BA in English Language Teaching, an MA in Political Science, three adolescent children, and wears a Carmelite scapular.
Much too judgmental and moralistic. Poles apart from reality.