(June 29, 2009) A subject that might draw snickers at a cocktail party is now likely to be taken seriously when it is explained more fully, according to the results of a recent survey.

Couples in the Chicago area can learn NFP with the Couple to Couple League in 15 locations.

Seventy-two percent of Catholic engaged couples who took part in an online marriage preparation program agreed to use Natural Family Planning (NFP), an astounding percentage considering that 80% of Catholic couples typically use contraception, according to statistics.

“It’s a pleasant surprise, but when Catholic teaching is clearly presented, couples come to appreciate the beauty of maintaining a respect for one another’s fertility and sexuality,” says Monica Cassidy, of the Chicago chapter of the Couple to Couple League (CCL), which teaches NFP. “An understanding of the reasons behind the natural methods is key to a couple’s motivation here. People come to realize that the Church’s teaching on birth control is much more than just a set of do’s and don’t’s.”

The survey was a part of an online NFP course and was reported by LifeSite News. Over the years, NFP has grown in acceptance by many Catholic diocesan and parish-level marriage preparation programs.

Theology of the Body

CCL, based in Cincinnati, teaches the Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP, which can be used to both achieve and to avoid or postpone pregnancy. CCL teaches NFP within the moral constructs of the Catholic Church, with an emphasis on the teachings of Pope John Paul II and the Theology of the Body. Couples learn of God’s vision and plan for marriage and the family, and how to live out their sexuality while upholding and respecting the dignity of each other and their union.

Classes in the Sympto-Thermal Method of Natural Family Planning are offered in 15 locations in the Chicago Archdiocese and in southeast Wisconsin and northwest Indiana. The next class will begin Sun., Aug. 9, at Holy Trinity Church in Westmont. Email Chris & Debbie Lillig, or call 630-428-3046. Go to Classes by Location.