In the present crisis over Humanae Vitae, Catholic opinion may be roughly divided into three groups: those who believe that the Pope’s pronouncement ought to be treated as definitive; those who already agreed with or have come to accept the Pope’s decision, but deplore the process of disciplinary enforcement of it on the clergy now under way in some countries, including this one; and those who think that the decision was wrong and must be reversed. Presumably, however, there are few Catholics who would deny that the fact that the Pope chose to take this stance, and to promulgate his decision in so weighty a manner, ought to be weighed carefully by anyone concerned to have a true opinion on the matter. It is therefore of great importance to come to understand what may have led the Pope to his decision; and this can best be done by enquiring into the cogency of the three documents submitted to him by the Papal Commission.

The first of these documents, generally known as the ‘majority report’, presents arguments of a general moral and theological nature in favour of the view that the use of contraceptives is not in all cases morally impermissible. The second, the ‘minority report’, offers arguments to show that it would be impossible for the Church to reverse her traditional position and adopt that of the majority report. The third document, without advancing any position of its own on the substantive question, attempts to controvert the arguments of the minority report and show that it would be in principle possible for the Church to change the official line on contraception.