The Saints on Marriage, Contraception, and Abortion
"The procreation of children is the first and principal end of marriage. Hence, no may ever lawfully depart from the due order that that end requires."
~ St. Frances de Sales
"As for those who are married, chastity is very necessary for them, because in their case it does not consist in abstaining altogether, but in exercising self-control.
~ St. Frances de Sales
"Even with a lawful wife, the marriage act is unlawful and shameful if the conception of offspring is prevented."
~ St. Augustine
"Some go so far as to take potions, that they may insure barrenness, and thus murder human beings almost before their conception. Some, when they find themselves with child through their sin, use drugs to procure abortion, and when (as often happens) they die with their offspring, they enter the lower world laden with the guilt not only of adultery against Christ but also of suicide and child murder."
~St. Jerome, Letter XXII:13. To Eustochium
"Why sow where the ground makes it its care to destroy the fruit? where there are many efforts at abortion? where there is murder before the birth? for even the harlot thou dost not let continue a mere harlot, but makest her a murderess also. You see how drunkenness leads to whoredom, whoredom to adultery, adultery to murder; or rather to a something even worse than murder. For I have no name to give it, since it does not take off the thing born, but prevent its being born. Why then dost thou abuse the gift of God, and fight with His laws, and follow after what is a curse as if a blessing, and make the chamber of procreation a chamber for murder, and arm the woman that was given for childbearing unto slaughter?"
St. John Chrysostom, Homily 24 on the Epistle to the Romans
"I am supposing, then, although you are not lying [with your wife] for the sake of procreating offspring, you are not for the sake of lust obstructing their procreation by an evil prayer or an evil deed. Those who do this, although they are called husband and wife, are not; nor do they retain any reality of marriage, but with a respectable name cover a shame. Sometimes this lustful cruelty, or cruel lust, comes to this, that they even procure poisons of sterility [oral contraceptives]"
~St. Augustine in Marriage and Concupiscence 1:15:17
~ St. Frances de Sales
"As for those who are married, chastity is very necessary for them, because in their case it does not consist in abstaining altogether, but in exercising self-control.
~ St. Frances de Sales
"Even with a lawful wife, the marriage act is unlawful and shameful if the conception of offspring is prevented."
~ St. Augustine
"Some go so far as to take potions, that they may insure barrenness, and thus murder human beings almost before their conception. Some, when they find themselves with child through their sin, use drugs to procure abortion, and when (as often happens) they die with their offspring, they enter the lower world laden with the guilt not only of adultery against Christ but also of suicide and child murder."
~St. Jerome, Letter XXII:13. To Eustochium
"Why sow where the ground makes it its care to destroy the fruit? where there are many efforts at abortion? where there is murder before the birth? for even the harlot thou dost not let continue a mere harlot, but makest her a murderess also. You see how drunkenness leads to whoredom, whoredom to adultery, adultery to murder; or rather to a something even worse than murder. For I have no name to give it, since it does not take off the thing born, but prevent its being born. Why then dost thou abuse the gift of God, and fight with His laws, and follow after what is a curse as if a blessing, and make the chamber of procreation a chamber for murder, and arm the woman that was given for childbearing unto slaughter?"
St. John Chrysostom, Homily 24 on the Epistle to the Romans
"I am supposing, then, although you are not lying [with your wife] for the sake of procreating offspring, you are not for the sake of lust obstructing their procreation by an evil prayer or an evil deed. Those who do this, although they are called husband and wife, are not; nor do they retain any reality of marriage, but with a respectable name cover a shame. Sometimes this lustful cruelty, or cruel lust, comes to this, that they even procure poisons of sterility [oral contraceptives]"
~St. Augustine in Marriage and Concupiscence 1:15:17
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