RP CHURCH CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF HUMANAE VITAE

Humanae Vitae, the landmark encyclical issued by Pope Paul VI of happy memory, will mark its 40th anniversary on Friday, July 25, 2008.

This day will be celebrated by the Catholic Church in the Philippines with a gathering of thousands of people organized by the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and the Archdiocese of Manila at the parade ground of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila beginning at 3 p.m.

The three hour celebration on the theme "Humanae Vitae 40: Biyaya ng Buhay, Biyaya ng Pamilya" will have two parts. The first part will feature testimonies and talks from lay couples and Church experts on the values and message of the encyclical. The second part will be a Eucharistic Celebration (Holy Mass) with Jaro Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, CBCP president, as main celebrant with the cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests of the Philippines as co-celebrants. Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Apostolic Nuncio in the Philippines Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, and San Fernando (Pampanga) Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, ECFL chairman, will deliver messages.

Members of more than 45 lay and religious Church groups such as the El Shaddai, Couples for Christ, Christian Family Movement, Ligaya ng Panginoon, congregations of men and women, schools and parishes will attend the celebration.

Pope Paul VI dubbed the Humanae Vitae as the Encyclical on the Regulation of Birth Its first two paragraphs lays the basis for the need for guidance on this specific concern of the Church and the faithful, which Church leaders say, remains true to this day as it was in the late 60s when it was released.

Humanae Vitae's introduction states:

"The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties and hardships.

"The fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of married people, but the recent course of human society and the concomitant changes have provoked new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human beings."

Although the encyclical has become controversial, it has also be deemed as prophetic as it foresaw the problems that would be brought forth by the modern response to the problem.