To the Editor:

There is another point to be added to John L. Allen Jr.’s survey of the debate about Catholics and birth control: the modest but growing enthusiasm for “Humanae Vitae” among younger grass-roots Christians.

I teach theology, marriage and sex at Villanova University. Generally speaking, once my students actually read “Humanae Vitae,” they find it to be persuasive and beautiful.

Speaking personally, there are people in my family who were once liberal Catholics and dissented from the birth control prohibition. But as we read the theology, and as we thought more about the environmental movement, slow food and organics, it just seemed to make more and more sense to consider the rhythms of our own bodies and learn more about the actual science behind natural family planning.

To our surprise and delight, the science holds up, and we’ve seen how the pope’s “natural family” approach engenders more family communication, patience and generosity—virtues that are also not bad qualities for enhancing your sex life.

Christopher C. Roberts
Philadelphia, July 27, 2008

Note from KBJ: After you read “Humanae Vitae,” you may want to read this.