By the fall of 2004 it was becoming clear to us that the NFP organization we founded in 1971 was making changes or dropping the three main teachings we brought to that organization that had served people so well for the 32 years of our leadership.
These three main teachings are called the Triple Strand. We think the Triple Strand is so good that it needs to be kept alive and spread– we think that everybody in the world has the right to know these things. Further, we think that our two specific charisms (the eco-breastfeeding and the covenant theology) are special gifts from God and have been confirmed by the actions and words of St. John Paul II. In addition, Dr. Konald Prem’s teaching of the sympto-thermal method is superior to other NFP methods and should continue to be taught. Thus this was the main reason, among others, as to why we started NFP International.
Regarding ecological breastfeeding—
In 1995 St. John Paul II co-hosted with the Royal Society of England a conference on breastfeeding at the Vatican. In his talk, he endorsed the recommendations of UNICEF and the WHO for mothers to breastfeed for two years and beyond. Frequent suckling is the only way that a mother will have a milk supply at 12, 18, and 24 months. And the Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding are a mother’s best assurance of frequent suckling. Some couples use only eco-bf to space their babies apart. We know of two mothers who have written a series of blogs about the Seven Standards. One’s website was called something like “Crunchy Lutheran Mom.” The other wrote for her diocesan paper in Ireland.
Regarding the Covenant theology—
In 1994, ten years after he completed his opus magnum of the Theology of the Body, the Pope wrote a short document titled “Letter to Families from John Paul II.” In it he specifically endorsed the covenant theology. “In the conjugal act, husband and wife are called to confirm in a responsible way the mutual gift of self which they have made to each other in the marriage covenant.” This may be the first time a Pope has used such terminology. Scott Hahn, a rather famous convert, told me that I am the first person (of whom he is aware) to put that concept into writing. I can’t prove or disprove his opinion, but I take it seriously because he is the best-read person I know. My book, Birth Control and the Marriage Covenant, was the occasion for him and his wife to learn this when they were married students in a Protestant seminary. At the time, Scott considered himself the most anti-Catholic member of the student body. I consider it divine Providence that another couple in their married student housing complex lent that book to his wife, Kimberly, whose father was the fairly well known pastor of a Presbyterian church in North College Hill.
Regarding the Prem STM—
In 1976-1978 the US Bishops NFP organization persuaded NIH to conduct a study to compare the Billings mucus-only system with the cross-checking sympto-thermal system. The results were so much in favor of the STM that the investigators stopped the study. The difference was something like twice as many unplanned pregnancies in the mucus-only section. It was a randomized study, and the investigators could no longer pretend that they didn’t know which half of the study was more effective in avoiding pregnancy. Yet two of the principal mucus-only advocates put up such a fuss that these results are by and large ignored. All too many mucus-only advocates have the diocesan NFP jobs.
Soooooo, in a nutshell, that’s why we feel obliged to do what we can to keep these ideas alive.
John and Sheila Kippley
Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach
From July 19th to the evening of August 7th (NFP Awareness Week through World Breastfeeding Week) anyone can purchase the following printed books at a 40% discount at lulu:
Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor
Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive
Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing