Humanae Vitae, the most debated encyclical in modern history
Paul VI published seven encyclicals in his 15-year pontificate. The last one was Humanae Vitae, perhaps one of the most debated documents in the recent history of the Church. FR. ROBERTO REGOLI Pontifical Gregorian University "For him, the intense debate over this document was so shocking that from 1968 until his death, he never published another encyclical. He wrote other documents, apostolic exhortations, letters, constitutions, but never an encyclical.” In 1968, the United States and much of the Western World were undergoing dramatic changes in their cultural and social landscape. The newer generations of students from the late 1960's rebelled against their parents' values, especially in the areas of morality and sexuality. FR. ROBERTO REGOLI Pontifical Gregorian University "Paul VI had to implement the changes of the Second Vatican Council in the middle of a wider crisis. It went beyond the Church, it was a social, political and cultural crisis.”...