History of NFP in Brazil

Many of the people involved in the pro-life movement against abortion are also involved in spreading NFP. When I came to Brazil in 1984, I was in a parish of the diocese of Jundiai (about 60 miles from Sao Paulo). The diocese had been newly created and its first bishop, a Carmelite, died in the odor of sanctity. His cause is up for canonization. He opposed abortion and contraceptives in his diocese. I remember working with the NFP couples around the parishes and nearby cities. At the end of 1984, I was sent to work in the city of Curitiba. The archbishop, a very holy and wise cleric, also spread NFP throughout the archdiocese and opposed abortion. The classes to learn the natural methods of family planning were filled to the brim. Many couples attended. In 1990, I was sent to the Amazons. Though the archbishop of Manaus also spread NFP and opposed abortion, several of the priests were uncooperative and refused to go along with their bishop. This stalled the progress of natural methods in the region. One surprising thing was that some anthropologists discovered a tribe in the Amazons that was already practicing the natural methods of family planning. They asked the members if someone had come there and taught them. They responded “no”. They learned the method observing the cows. At certain periods, the cows refrained from having sex with the bulls and did not conceive any calves. The Indians did the same thing and were able to control their population size!

In the city of Sao Paulo, Cardinal Arns invited the Billings couple from Australia to give a talk on NFP to the more than thousand priests gathered at the annual diocesan meeting. I was present and was extremely impressed with the speech given by the founders of the natural Billings method. Cardinal Arns was an enthusiastic promoter of the natural methods and established a center in Sao Paulo for couples to go and learn about them. To this day, the center is filled with participants. At present, we have a good Cardinal, Don Odilo, who is vigorously opposed to abortion and against contraceptives. The Bishop of Guarulhos goes around giving talks to priests to try to convince them on the evil of contraceptives and to adopt programs of NFP in their parishes. He has had little success though. I invite myself to many parishes to speak on the evil of contraceptives, but my invitation is ignored.

Though the pharmacies plan strong campaigns in favor of the pill (backed by IPP), many women refuse to take them for health reasons. The socialist government inspires many campaigns in favor of condoms and the youth and couples employ them. Many of the clergy also promote them. The majority of women, due to their gross ignorance, end up having tubal ligation after their second or third child. They repent, though, when realizing how wrong it was. The pharmacies and doctors along with the government also persistently promote the DIU. Many of the younger generation women who are married employ it. This is where I see a lack of providing information in regard to this abortificient and a certain cowardice and omission on the part of clergy and enlightened laity to warn every one of the dangers of such a deadly instrument. I plan to spend this year dedicating my time to fighting these contraceptives rampant amongst the population and I believe that once the truth is out, things will turn in the direction of life and human dignity.

Father Anthony Mellace