Responsible Parenthood What is it? and its importance

This article deals with a topic that has been addressed both by the UN and by the Catholic Church itself, we will talk about responsible parenthood, its importance and what it is. We invite you to learn more.

We can start by defining the concept of responsible parenthood . And as such we can say that it is a current reality of great importance, it is named in the constitution itself.

As for her, the Catholic Church and the United Nations Organization (UN), have touched on this issue in relation to the family issue in 1994.

What is responsible parenthood ?

About her we can say these must be duly planned pregnancies, with the purpose that they occur at the right time and desired by the couple.

This measure, as we mentioned, must be the sole decision of the couple involved, it must be a decision made with prior knowledge and the teaching of everything that it implies, in order to avoid decisions that affect even in the political area.

In this sense, it is necessary for both parents to be aware, responsible for making the decision to procreate a human being. This entails a bond and duty of the couple, as well as with their child and their own family and society.

Such a decision encompasses the entire family nucleus, it may influence society in a positive or negative way, since the family is the fundamental basis of society.

Another point to keep in mind is that parents must by all means provide their child with adequate housing, education, health, food and clothing, apart from that they must have responsibility in terms of giving them friendship, love, time, attention and protection.

This last point, which is protection, is of the utmost importance in responsible parenthood, especially in our country, since the majority of the inhabitants live in conditions of poverty and spend their time obtaining economic resources for their subsistence, housing, education etc

In another order of ideas, responsible parenthood tries to give life to the full; have children who are desired, in order to transmit life “in fullness”.

In this case, the parents, not the other relatives, will teach the children on a daily basis, with examples, words, so that they are good people, with good wishes and attitudes in the future life; All of this requires proper teaching.

Marriage

In responsible parenthood there must be a stable union of the couple, to this end what is sought is that the children themselves are raised in a stable environment that allows their development as future and good human beings.

A marriage that has a stable union fully guarantees responsible parenthood correctly. Since responsible parenthood is considered par excellence a basic and fundamental part of society.

Marriage deals with the union of a person with his free intention to develop the measure of dignity that he has. Individuals carry with them characterized this peculiarity in terms of the social, political and economic system.

The decision to establish a family is a duty of both parties involved in it. Responsible parenthood conveys an obligation to fulfill such duty, which presents new particularities.

As we said before, responsible parenthood is the moment in which the couple (man and woman) decide to undertake the stage of parents. It is a moment that becomes very significant, at the level of mutual relationship and service to life.

As is known, both parents give life to a new being. As for the service that responsible parenthood requires, science, medicine, and art at the service of life work together with them so that this role is carried out correctly.

The couple will learn by their own means and experiences what is responsible motherhood and fatherhood , they will also learn from the experiences of other parents who will help in this regard.

Church opinions

In relation to responsible parenthood, the Church determines several aspects in relation to this important role that both parents must develop, which we will determine as follows:

Responsible parenthood is about the thought process and decision of the couple, which will be of mutual agreement and generosity before God.

Responsible parenthood refers to the intelligent way of giving life to a human being. This must lead to thoughts that this is an act that is not simply biological but that the parents must be aware and reason in terms of will and spiritual aspect.

It is also the way to consciously and generously seek the will of God in relation to the family and how to create it.

We must understand Christian thought and in this regard we must have a fundamental principle: the magisterium of the Church, which ensures that feeling the desire to have a child is a good thing, it is not an issue that should be avoided, and a gift or right .

Responsible parenthood, as we have mentioned so many times, is the attitude of the couple in relation to their child, the issue here is whether they become owners or administrators of that obligation of being parents.

In relation to the above, feeling the desire for a child or avoiding having one is a physical, economic, social and psychological condition that must be valued.

As soon as they are clear about how to make such a decision, they will know and respect biological laws, excluding contraception or refusal to give life. This is the opinion of Carlo Caffarra in the Lexicon of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

Regarding the term responsible parenthood, we must say that it is not the same as planned parenthood. Since the causes that determine a birth must be serious or weighted.

The love between spouses in terms of the responsibility of transmitting life, implies that they recognize their duties before God himself, they should not act on a whim but through conscience.

The married couple may make the decision to space the births of their children, however they must bear in mind that the desire is not due to selfishness, but rather due to the generosity of responsible parenthood.

Another important aspect is that they sincerely cultivate the chastity of both, and respect the important elements of the sexual relationship. Regarding this topic, the procedure or methods to control fertility must be taken into account, with the limit of sexual relations in infertile periods.

Each one should accept voluntarily and freely that having sexual relations may be father or mother or if conception occurs unexpectedly. In relation to this, Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II) determines in his book Love and Responsibility the following: “if there is an absence of this disposition, they should renounce conjugal life relations”.

The thought regarding having a child or not should be given in relation to moral limits. Any method or form of birth limitation should not be used.

The use of intelligence regarding the transmission of life fulfills the obligation of paternity, as long as there is full will and there is respect for the natural laws determined by God as Creator.

This is totally contrary to the contraceptives that can be used, which is why it is about avoiding the possibility of procreation in terms of human attitude.

In this aspect, the use of artificial forms such as the IUD or the pill is totally different from the good of the creation of life and mutual dedication of both spouses; this damages true love and affects the great attitude of God.

In relation to this topic, natural methods, although they are ethically accepted, are carried out in a selfish way and without respect for the ethical elements of responsible parenthood, this is totally contrary to the will of God.

The magnitude in the decision to have a child or not becomes essential, because without it there is no longer much distinction between natural and artificial methods. In this case, the natural regulation of fertility would be interpreted only as one more form of contraception.

Aspects of responsible parenthood

The issue of responsible parenthood in terms of certain conditions such as economic, psychological, social, physical, puts in practice the determination or number of the family. In the stage before the conception where the previously determined topic is touched upon.

Responsible parenthood encompasses everything, both the linking of the right conscience of both parents, as well as that of professionals who teach, and this requires the preparation of both parents, all within the framework of mutual respect, adequate conscience, which determines the attitude under ethical and moral elements.

To conclude, we must determine that the decision to have the responsibility of responsible parenthood must be well analyzed and clear, since it is the responsibility of both parents in raising their child.

This becomes an obligation to God himself, to make of it a good work of love, education, that allows the child to grow up in decent human conditions and to be a good human being in the future. We must ask God himself for his help to be able to exercise our obligation, as the term responsible parenthood says.