Pope Francis recently endorsed the Billings method of natural family planning, describing it as “a valuable tool” for married couples. In a letter to a conference on the method, he emphasized the importance of understanding “the inseparable connection between the unitive and procreative meanings of the conjugal act.”
The pope called for a new way of thinking about human sexuality. He said, “We need to discover the beauty of human sexuality by once again turning to the great book of nature, learning to respect the value of the body and the generation of life, with a view to authentic experiences of conjugal love.”
Pope Francis also discussed the significance of proper sexual education, emphasizing that “the use of methods based on the natural rhythms of fertility should be encouraged.” He warned against the reliance on artificial processes, stating that it is “wrong to create test tube embryos and then suppress them, to trade in gametes and to resort to the practice of surrogate parenthood.”
The pontiff urged society to help young people prepare for a great and generous love, quoting his 2016 apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia: “Who is capable of taking young people seriously? Who helps them to prepare seriously for a great and generous love?”
