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What does the Church say? Part 4: Family size

  • Writer: Karoline Heldt, CFCP
    Karoline Heldt, CFCP
  • Mar 31
  • 2 min read

“The question of how many children should be born belongs to the honest judgment of the parents.” (Gaudium et Spes) It is a decision that cannot be made by anyone outside the marriage. The Church is very consistent and explicit in that the responsibility lies with the parents, within the sacrament of marriage, to discern family size. 


St. Paul VI explains further in his encyclical Populorum Progressio: “Finally, it is for parents to decide, with full knowledge of the matter, on the number of their children, taking into account their responsibilities toward: 

  • God, 

  • themselves, 

  • the children they have already brought into the world, 

  • the community to which they belong. 


In all this, they must follow the demands of their own conscience, enlightened by God’s law authentically interpreted and sustained by confidence in Him.” 

In the encyclical Humanae Vitae, St. Paul VI describes this decision-making as “responsible parenthood,” which is exercised by “looking at physical, economic, psychological and social conditions” and guided by 

  • prudent considerations, 

  • generosity, 

  • due respect for moral principles. 


Dr. Janet Smith expands upon responsible parenthood in her book Humana Vitae: A Generation Later when she reminds us that family size considerations include: 

  • the health of the spouses and other family members, 

  • the financial situation of the family, 

  • the emotional stability of all involved, 

  • conditions in the society in which one lives. 

family walking

The most incredible part of having complete knowledge of your fertility through NFP as a couple is the ability to make a conscious, deliberate, and free-will choice to be co-creators with God in the marital act, bringing a new human life—body and soul—into existence. Children truly are “the supreme gift of marriage.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2378) 


One of the major advantages of this Creighton Model FertilityCare System is the availability of NaProTechnology (NaPro). This is a new area of women’s health that addresses reproductive health issues through a “root cause” approach. Every diagnostic and treatment protocol in NaPro is totally in line with Church teaching and geared toward wholeness and healing for the woman and couple. It has up to an 80% effectiveness rate for treating infertility (a huge issue many couples are facing today), while avoiding the destructiveness of artificial reproductive technologies (IVF, IUI, etc), respecting the dignity of women and marriage, and all at a fraction of the cost. 


If this 4 part series on marriage, contraception, NFP and family size was helpful to you and you want to learn, here are some additional resources:


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