“Terry Polakovic has long been one of our most respected teachers on the nature and dignity of women. In her new book, Life and Love, she offers an insightful reading of more than a century of papal teachings on marriage and family. As we approach the fiftieth anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, Polakovic provides a timely reminder that the Church’s teachings are not about rules and regulations, but about opening our hearts to God and trusting his beautiful plan for our lives.”
— Archbishop José H. Gomez, archbishop of Los Angeles
“Terry Polakovic’s work on behalf of the dignity of women, deeply rooted in her Catholic faith, has been extraordinary for many years. In Life and Love, she gives us an insightful, beautifully written guide to the Christian meaning of sexuality, marriage, family, and love grounded in a century of Church teaching. It’s a joy to read, and essential for anyone eager for an engaging introduction to Catholic thought on these vital matters.”
— Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M.Cap., archbishop of Philadelphia
“As our married and family life emerges within the plan of God, we know and experience the blessings and fruitfulness of God. In Life and Love, Terry Polakovic re-proposes the most important wisdom on marriage and the family in modern times. If you desire to know the blessings and fruitfulness of God in your marriage and family, you would do well to engage with this important work.”
— Dan Burke, executive director of the National Catholic Register and president of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
“This excellent little book unfolds the Church’s teachings on life and love in a fresh, creative way. Author Terry Polakovic sets Humanae Vitae within a rich historical context: she links it to seven other pivotal Church documents, offering fascinating details about the popes who wrote them and the societal challenges they addressed. A delightful read, it includes questions for personal reflection or group discussion at the end of each chapter. Highly recommended!”
— Mary Rice Hasson, director, Catholic Women’s Forum, and Kate O’Beirne Fellow, Catholic Studies Program, Ethics and Public Policy Center
“Life and Love so beautifully roots Humanae Vitae in the Church’s rich historical tradition, reminding us that the Church has never abandoned us but has reoriented and guided the world throughout the centuries. It points us to this fact today: that we, too, must reorient our hearts to receive truth and carry that truth of Christ to the culture in new ways.”
— Katherine Meeks, executive director of Endow (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women)
“Terry Polakovic has done the Church a great service by writing a book that invites us to delve deeper into the truth and beauty of human sexuality through the teaching documents of the Church. This book is an excellent resource for individuals, parish groups, married couples, and families. It deserves a place in every Catholic home.”
— Steve Weidenkopf, lecturer in Church History at the Christendom College Graduate School
“Never fear a papal encyclical again. After you read this book, you will possess a genuine understanding and even a personal affection for the popes, the teachings, and the courage that comprise centuries of Catholic teaching about sex, marriage, and parenting. Never dry, complicated, cold, or antiquated, this historical tour is current, essential, and intrinsically interesting, especially in light of the dramatic questions that confront us today.”
— Helen Alvaré, professor of law, Scalia Law School at George Mason University
Life and Love
Life
and
Love
Opening Your Heart to God’s Design
Terry Polakovic
Our Sunday Visitor
Our Sunday Visitor Publishing
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Huntington, Indiana 46750
Nihil Obstat:
Msgr. Michael Heintz, Ph.D.
Censor Librorum
Imprimatur:
Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend
May 7, 2018
The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book is free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
Except where noted, the Scripture citations used in this work are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible — Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition), copyright © 1965, 1966, 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America copyright © 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. — Libreria Editrice Vaticana. English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright © 1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. — Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Quotations from papal and other Vatican-generated documents available on vatican.va are copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Every reasonable effort has been made to determine copyright holders of excerpted materials and to secure permissions as needed. If any copyrighted materials have been inadvertently used in this work without proper credit being given in one form or another, please notify Our Sunday Visitor in writing so that future printings of this work may be corrected accordingly.
Copyright © 2018 by Terry Polakovic. Published 2018.
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All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts for critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without permission from the publisher. For more information, visit: www.osv.com/permissions. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750; 1-800-348-2440
ISBN: 978-1-68192-249-2 (Inventory No. T1945)
eISBN: 978-1-68192-250-8
LCCN: 2018942052
Cover design: Chelsea Alt
Cover art: Shutterstock
Interior design: Amanda Falk
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
About the Author
Terry Polakovic lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, Mike. They have two adult children. Terry is one of the cofounders of Endow (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) and served as president of the organization from 2003 to 2015. She worked in nonprofit leadership for more than 30 years and is now retired. In 2010, she received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross award (“For the Church and Pontiff”) from Pope Benedict XVI. In 2011, Terry was recognized as an “Outstanding Catholic Leader” by the Catholic Leadership Institute.
To my husband, Mike,
with much love and appreciation
Contents