MAY URGE APPROVAL OF PILL

Press, Issue 31095, 25 June 1966, Page 15

MAY URGE APPROVAL OF PILL

(N.Z. Press Assn.— Copyright) VATICAN CITY, June 24. Pope Paul’s birth control commission appeared likely to recommend approval for limited use of oral contraceptive pills, Vatican sources said today. The sources said the commission believed that accept-

ance of qualified use of the

pill would not contradict past church teachings that both mechanical and chemical contraception was impermissible and against the law of God. It thought that the pill should be used in special

cases as a device to postpone conception rather than to prevent it, the sources said, and its use would be governed by much the same considerations that now controlled use of the rhythm method of birth control. Since the pill regulates a woman’s body chemistry, it would make the rhythm system safer. ' The church’s present position, laid down by Pope Pius XII in 1951, is that all artificial forms of contraception are illicit The only permissible means of family planning are either abstinence or —in special cases where there is good reason—the rhythm method. Good reason, as defined by Pope Pius, applied mainly to cases where pregnancy would pose a danger to health, j Roman Catholic theologians, however, lately have

tended to interpret the clause, more liberally to cover* couples too short of money to I properly care for children. [ “In any event, the purpose* of the rhythm system and of the pill should not be to pre-[ vent conception, but simply to [ postpone it until a more proper time,” one reliable sources said. The birth control commission’s “inner cabinet” of 16 cardinals and bishops has met this week and Vatican sources said it probably would complete its work today or on Saturday and make its report next week to the Pope. [ The Pope has the final decision. Sources said he probably would make no pronouncements until the autumn. The sources said that white 'Concensus in the “inner cabinet" and 60-member commission on use of the oral pill

was very wide, views on other I contraceptive methods were [varied and a majority and [ minority report probably ■ would be presented to the Pope. ! The decision to review the [church’s stand on birth control was first made by Pope John XXIII, who established a six-man panel to study the issue. Its existence became known only the next year when Pope Paul expanded its membership to about 60 theologians, doctors, sociologists and population experts. Disagreements in the commission led the Pope to appoint the special inner cabinet to co-ordinate and guide the work of the larger group. [ The cabinet is headed by Alfredo Cardinal Ottaviani, a leader of the church conservatives, but its membership is balanced between conservatives, liberals, and moderates.