Pope Paul VI - a prophetic encyclical on the dangers of birth control, the problems it causes in society and the possible moral uses of natural family planning. Pope Paul VI saw clearly the problems inherent in the rising cultures of death.

When it became known in 1968 that Pope Paul VI intended to issue an encyclical on birth control, many people thought that they saw the writing on the wall. A commission initially appointed by Pope John XXIII in 1963 and expanded by Paul VI had suggested in a 1966 report to the Holy Father that artificial contraception might not be intrinsically evil, and copies of the report had been leaked to the press.

When Humanae Vitae was released, however, Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the traditional Catholic teaching on birth control and abortion. Today, the encyclical is regarded by many as prophetic.

The papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (On Human Life) made headlines worldwide. Many talked about the encyclical when it was issued in 1968, but few actually read it. Why is it perhaps the most controversial document in modern Church history?

Humanae Vitae is Pope Paul VI's explanation of why the Catholic Church rejects contraception. The pope referred to two aspects, or meanings, of human sexuality-the unitive and the procreative.

He also warned of the consequences if contraception became widely practiced-consequences that have since come to pass: greater infidelity in marriage, confusion regarding the nature of human sexuality and its role in society, the objectification of women for sexual pleasure, compulsory government birth control policies, and the reduction of the human body to an instrument of human manipulation. The separation of sexuality from its dual purpose has also resulted in artificial reproduction technologies, including cloning, that threaten the dignity of the human person.

Although greeted by controversy and opposition, Humanae Vitae has continued to influence Catholic moral teaching. St. John Paul II's popular "theology of the body" drew deeply on the insights of Paul VI. Pope Benedict and now Pope Francis have upheld the long-standing teaching, and a new generation of Catholics, as well as non-Catholics, is embracing the truths of the encyclical.