The Legacy of ‘Humanae Vitae’

On July 25, 1968, Pope Paul VI promulgated “Humanae Vitae,” an encyclical on married love and the regulation of births. The document affirmed the Catholic Church’s prohibition on artificial birth control and emphasized the “inseparable connection” between the “unitive and the procreative” qualities of married love.

The encyclical inspired dissent in certain corners of the church at the time of its publication, and today Catholic teaching on contraception is rejected or ignored by the majority of Catholics in the Western world. “Humanae Vitae,” however, was about more than “The Pill.” In the 50 years since its publication, America’s editors and contributors have considered the legacy of the document in the realms of not only reproduction but economics, women’s rights and papal authority.