Natural Family Planning International

For my closing comment in this week-long celebration of the 45th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, I want to promote our NFP manual, Natural Family Planning: The complete Approach.  In a way, this manual summarizes what we have learned and taught to support the encyclical.

Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach
• This is the only American NFP text that teaches ecological breastfeeding as a form of natural baby spacing. NFPI instruction does not force anyone to breastfeed for any specific duration, but it does empower a couple to make a well informed choice.
• It is the only American NFP text that uses the simple-to-grasp covenant statement of sexuality to explain and support the teaching of Humanae Vitae.
• It is the only American NFP text that teaches the cross-checking signs in such a way that couples can determine the earliest start of postovulation infertility consistent with all the evidence. Thus the start of Phase 3 may be recognized one or two days earlier than with other rules.

(Excerpts from Battle-Scarred, page 238)  Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive by John F. Kippley is available at a 50% discount at lulu.com during NFP Week.  Discount offer ends July 31 at 11:59 pm.

Sex and the Marriage Covenant
In the late 1990s, I prepared a slightly revised edition, but some of the staff members objected to the section on marital rape, thus leading to an extended out-of-print status. This was the book whose copyright had always been registered in my name but which CCL transferred to itself without my knowledge. When I learned of this at a Board meeting in mid-2003, I was so upset that I thought it prudent to leave the room for a bit. One employee who was involved with the copyright transfer of Sex and the Marriage Covenant to CCL later apologized, telling me he felt he had betrayed me. He was correct, but it was more than just saying something snide behind my back. The “transfer” of the copyright from the author—me—to the publisher—CCL—completely without my permission constituted the theft of the copyright, something so clearly unlawful that I still wonder why they did it. Certainly they had to realize that when I found out they would either have to reverse their action or find themselves in court. But that was management at the time. In addition, [the ED] contacted the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and had the Imprimatur lifted from the book. Without going into the details, I eventually regained my copyright of the book and was allowed to seek another publisher. I also regained the Imprimatur for my book and was very pleased with the comments by the priest who did the ecclesiastical review.

This is the book, then titled Birth Control and the Marriage Covenant, that helped Kimberly and Scott Hahn to accept Catholic teaching against birth control when they were still Protestants. Ignatius Press published the revised version in September 2005. We are forever grateful to Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ, for his interest in this book that had been out of print for more than three years.
(Excerpts from Battle-Scarred, page 204-205 Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive by John F. Kippley is available at a 50% discount at lulu.com during NFP Week.

My husband worked hard to spread our NFP apostolate.  Some of the biggest obstacles were right within the diocesan structure.

“Rejections”
That fall [1995] the couple invited me to meet with the bishop, so up to Benton Harbor I went, and then to the chancery office in Kalamazoo. Around the table were the bishop, the priest, the couple, and myself. When I could see that all was lost, I thought I might as well go for broke. So I said to the bishop something like this: “Your Excellency, when your NFP priest and I talked down in Cincinnati, he spoke as if he did not believe the teaching of Humanae Vitae, and I wonder about the feasibility of having a non-believer as head of your NFP program.” Then I turned to the priest and said, “Father, if I have in any way misinterpreted your remarks, please correct me here and now.” There was a very long silence. Everyone in the room knew I had not misinterpreted the NFP director. Finally, the bishop rather awkwardly cleared his throat and said something to this effect: “Mr. Kippley, you have made some serious statements. Father and I will have to discuss this matter.” Some days later the NFP priest wrote me. A dissenter would remain in charge of the diocesan NFP program.

Another early rejection was based on our advocacy of ecological breastfeeding. We recruited an enthusiastic couple in Columbus, Ohio and early in their teacher training they contacted the diocesan NFP-related person. He was opposed to our advocacy of ecological breastfeeding and told them that if they wanted any cooperation from his office they would have to become certified in his diocesan program. Wanting to teach and not engage in fruitless fights, they went with his program.
(Excerpts from Battle-Scarred, pages 122-123) Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive by John F. Kippley is available at a 50% discount at lulu.com during NFP Week.