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Fr. Tad Pacholczyk gives keynote at Alexandria conference on ‘Humanae Vitae’

Elizabeth A. Elliott | Catholic Herald Staff Writer

Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk (right), of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, waits to speak on the topic “Sex, Love and Gender” at St. Mary School in Alexandria June 30. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, speaks on the topic “Sex, Love and Gender,” as part of the first Saints Peter and Paul Conference at St. Mary School in Alexandria June 30. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC HERALD

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The Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria hosted its first Saints
Peter and Paul Conference June 30. National author, speaker and writer, Father
Tadeusz Pacholczyk of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia,
presented the topic “Sex, Love and Gender.”

The conference, held near the feast of Saints Peter and Paul,
highlighted the teaching authority of the church and why the teaching contained
in “Humanae Vitae,” Pope Paul VI’s encyclical on
marriage and human life, is still relevant 50 years after it was first
published. The event was sponsored by the Office of Marriage, Family and
Respect Life.

Father Edward C. Hathaway, rector of the basilica, chose to bring
Father Pacholczyk after hearing him speak at the annual priest convocation in
early May.

Father Pacholczyk is director of education at the National
Catholic Bioethics Center and directs the center’s National Catholic Certification
Program in Health Care Ethics. He has taught bioethics classes at St. John’s
Seminary in Boston, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., The
Catholic University of America in Washington, and Holy Apostles College and
Seminary in Connecticut.

“Father Pacholczyk is an expert from the scientific area and also
a wonderful teacher of the Catholic faith,” said Father Hathaway. “We hear that
many people don’t fully understand “Humanae Vitae
and set it aside. We wanted to, rather than be embarrassed about it, to
celebrate it and (learn) some of the ramifications of what happens when you
separate the unitive and procreative dimensions.”

Father Pacholczyk gave three talks during the day: Overview of “Humanae Vitae”; The Gift of Human Life — Begotten Not
Made; and Thinking Through the Transgender Question. Each talk was followed
with time for questions. Father Pacholczyk said it was important to reflect on
the church’s teaching against contraception because the culture says there is
an absolute need for it to be universally available.

“Sometimes showing people what really happens makes them able to
understand it,” said Father Pacholczyk. “Society doesn’t see in vitro
fertilization is wrong because it doesn’t see contraception is wrong.”

Many of the 150 attendees came because of the timeliness of the
topic, with the anniversary of the document July 25.  

Brad Sickles was interested in the event because of the extensive
background of Father Pacholczyk and the topic of contraception. “The topic is
becoming more and more relevant looking at ethics,” he said.

Richard Ferrante said the context has a lot of meaning. “It is good
to hear from someone like Father Pacholczyk to get a foundation to build on
when you go into the cultural world so you have references to share with
others,” Ferrante said.

Kelly McKeague said the topics discussed are important social
issues that transcend our culture. “They are seminal from the standpoint that
this is also creating a dysfunction and dissonance in our culture,” he said. “Unless
the church speaks strongly or has a part in social discourse, it’s going to
continue on the slippery slope.”

His wife, Nancy, a specialist in the marriage preparation and enrichment
program for the Diocese of Arlington, said they help young couples preparing
for marriage.

“We tell them how important Natural Family Planning is to practice within your
marriage and how it bonded us through 34 years of marriage,” she said. “It is
necessary for your relationship as a couple to share in that fertility
awareness.” 

 

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