Sign the letter in support of Humanae Vitae and urge Father Charles Curran to do the same!

Sign the letter in support of Humanae Vitae

and urge Father Charles Curran to do the same!

In 1968, Father Charles Curran, a priest of the Diocese of Rochester (New York), was a professor of theology at the Catholic University of America.  Father Curran is best known for the dissent which he orchestrated to the prophetic encyclical Humanae Vitae of 7/25/68.  He misled countless clergy, religious, and lay people into also rejecting Humanae Vitae, despite its being seamlessly connected to constant Church teaching.  Yet, it was not until the pontificate of Saint Pope John Paul II that Father Curran's right to teach Catholic theology was finally removed.  As per the future Pope Benedict XVI:

"The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Congregation has confirmed its position that one who dissents from the Magisterium as you do is not suitable nor eligible to teach Catholic theology....


"[regarding] a right to public dissent from the ordinary Magisterium, the indissolubility of consummated sacramental marriage, abortion, euthanasia, masturbation, artificial contraception, premarital intercourse and homosexual acts....There is no point in entering into any detail concerning the fact that you do indeed dissent on these issues....


"the infallible Magisterium [is not limited] purely to matters of faith nor to solemn definitions.... Besides this, the church does not build its life upon its infallible Magisterium alone but on the teaching of its authentic, ordinary Magisterium as well.... [The faithful] are to give the religious submission of intellect and will to the teaching which the supreme pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate on faith or morals when they exercise the authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim it with a definitive act....

"May I finally express the sincere hope that this regrettable, but necessary, outcome to the Congregation’s study might move you to reconsider your dissenting positions and to accept in its fullness the teaching of the Catholic Church" (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, 7/25/86)

Seven years later, Saint Pope John Paul II still undoubtedly had Father Curran (and others) in mind:

"The specific purpose of the present Encyclical is this: to set forth, with regard to the problems being discussed, the principles of a moral teaching based upon Sacred Scripture and the living Apostolic Tradition, and at the same time to shed light on the presuppositions and consequences of the dissent which that teaching has met....

"We have the duty, as Bishops, to be vigilant that the word of God is faithfully taught....A particular responsibility is incumbent upon Bishops with regard to Catholic institutions....It falls to them, in communion with the Holy See, both to grant the title `Catholic' to Church-related schools, universities, health-care facilities and counselling services, and, in cases of a serious failure to live up to that title, to take it away" (Veritatis Splendor, 1993).

A half century after Humanae Vitae, Father Charles Curran, still a priest of the Diocese of Rochester, New York, is a professor at Southern Methodist University in Texas.  Orchestrating rejection of Humanae Vitae is the sad legacy of Father Curran. Yet thanks to God's mercy, it need not be this 84 year old's fate. Click to email Father Curran, asking him to now embrace Humanae Vitae.