Most Surreal Headline of the Month Award (TM)
"Judge Orders Couple Not to Have Children" (CNN).
Now, skimming over the story, it's clear that these are hardly model parents, and this is probably one of those situations in which a certain 'prudence' might be called for, and 'well-grounded reasons' may be present (HV 16) with regard to the procreation of children (CCC 2368-2370). But government coercion is hardly the solution, as Church teaching has always held sacrosanct the family's freedom to make its own choices regarding procreation (barring, of course, the use of gravely immoral means). Paul VI's prophetic words in 1968 are worth recalling:
Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife (HV 17).
P.S. This link was blatantly stolen from the indomitable Jimmy Akin. Props.
# posted by Jamie : 8:18 AM
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