20th July 2014: Circular for Natural Family Planning Propagation Day Celebration in Parishes

Dear Fr.,

Cordial greetings from the Diocesan Family Service Centre, Goa!

Keeping in mind the Pastoral theme of this year, we at the DFSC have thought of celebrating Natural Family Planning Propagation Day on the 20^th of July 2014 for the 4^th consecutive year in succession and the week following it (20^th to the 26^th July), taking advantage of the 46^rd anniversary of the encyclical of the Holy Father of Blessed memories, Paul VI’s encyclical, Humanae Vitae. The points to help you celebrate the same are uploaded on our website. Do put up the enclosed poster right away so that awareness is created on the same.

We have in our Parishes, a number of spousal couples and others too, who have been using contraception left and right, thereby not only harming their bodies but also putting their bodies at risk of serious side effects, unknowingly.

As you also know, the use of any form of contraception is goes against the marital vows administered by the spouses to each other at the sacrament of matrimony. Many of our spousal couples receive The Holy Eucharist in this state, not knowing the gravity of the sin.

We would like to you to celebrate this day, along with us, stressing that there is also a wonderful, God given perfectly moral way of regulating births, called Modern Natural Family Planning (NFP). Unlike the earlier one, this is 99% effective, if practiced properly. Besides incorporating the liturgy as in ‘Amcho Sevadhorm’, we would also be glad if you could arrange to train at least 2 teachers in NFP by the year end so that the spousal couples have the resource at hand. Just get in contact with our office, we will train them with our experts.

We also would appreciate if you could bring to the notice of the parishioners the demographic decline world over and specially in India. The total fertility rate (TFR: average number of children that will be born to a woman in that particular geographical area) and the Growth rate (GR) in most parts of the world have plummeted down to such an extent that from now on it seems near to impossible to even maintain the existing population.  To replace our population we require a TFR of at least 2.1. In India it is 2.4 (2012) while in Goa it is 1.6 (2013). In the recent past we had our H’ble CM lamenting on this fact on the floor of the Legislative Assembly.

The TFR of some villages (2013) are as follows: Khorjuem=1.0 (2013); Aldona= 0.85 (2013); Saligao=1.35 (2012); Pilerne=1.47 (2012).  Even if our married couples, from now on, bring forth 5 children per family, it won’t be just enough. It is said that we require at least 7 children per family to reach a TFR of 2.1. And this seems near to impossible. Besides the infertility rate is also climbing, estimated to be around 20% in Goa. Hence the world population theme this year is also inclined the same way, “A time to reflect on population trends and related issues”. Please motivate your parishioners and the schools/higher secondaries/colleges under your care, if any to discuss the issue, hold poster presentations on the reality of the demographic decline wardwise/somudai wise, helping spousal couples to be open at least for the third child.

Attaching along with is matter for Parish Bulletin inserts and points for the celebration of the NFP week. Do plan with your PPC. For any further details contact us or visit our website and go to section on articles. Do send us a report (preferably email) for publication on Renevacao/ uploading on our/diocesan website.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Kennet B. Teles

Director, DFSC.