Detroit — The U.S. Bishops are using the anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitea to help bolster awareness of Natural Family Planning (NFP), a natural and effective means by which couples can achieve or avoid pregnancy.

Although the Church has been one of the main promoters of NFP for decades, large numbers of Catholic still don’t know much about it, often confusing it for the old-fashioned and unreliable “rhythm method.”

Hence July 24-30 has been named Natural Family Planning Awareness Week by the U.S. Bishops, who have put together a number of resources on their website at www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/.

But while many Catholics use contraception – some such as the pill, which could actually lead to the loss of human life – those charged with promoting NFP in the Church are optimistic about spreading the word.

Locally, the NFP message is reaching a greater number of people, though much still remains to be done, in the view of Dorothy Stapel, NFP coordinator for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

“In the last five years, NFP classes have been attracting six to 10 couples, up from one or two couples before that,” Stapel said.

She said there was a time when it was common for nobody to show up, so the situation is much improved, but she realizes the message is still reaching only a small fraction of Catholics.

While most Catholic couples use the same contraceptive methods common in the general society, Stapel said the facts about the Church-approved NFP are more readily available than ever before, thanks to the Internet, with a wealth of information to be found both at the bishops’ site and at the Archdiocese of Detroit’s website at www.nfponline.org.

She said those who make the effort to learn more will find there is a vast difference between the “rhythm method” and today’s more sophisticated ovulation and symptom-thermal methods, which have been proved 97 to 99 percent effective.

Of the couples who are practicing NFP these days, some are doing it in order to have a better chance of conceiving a child instead of trying to avoid pregnancy, Stapel continued.

“One in four couples experience difficulty conceiving a child now; it used to be one in 16,” she said, saying the change in fertility is due to a variety of causes, including environmental factors.

Along with resources for instructors – such as prayers and posters, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has included on its website a summary of why the Church teaches Natural family Planning:

“The Church teaches that the sacrament of marriage symbolizes Christ’s relationship with His Church,” the website reads. “What is this relationship but one of generous, self-sacrificing passion-filled and fruitful love! When couples live their vocation according to Church teachings, especially with regard to the transmission of life, many benefits can be reaped. Indeed, married couples who use Natural Family Planning (NFP) report that the benefits include: better communication between spouses; deeper understanding of each other’s bodies and consequent growth in respect and awe of God’s gift of fertility; growth in patience and emotional maturity; growth in understanding of the supreme gift of children; and growth in holiness as they seek to place God as the head of the household.”