052 - Before the Pill: What Christians Really Believed About Contraception (Humanae Vitae, pt 1)

Every cultural revolution has a beginning. In Part One of our series on contraception, the Fathers Andy uncover the events, people, and pressure points that set the stage for one of the most defining moral debates of the last century. From the Anglican Lambeth Conference to the invention of the pill, from Casti Connubii to Humanae Vitae, and from Fr. Charles Curran to the modern dissent movement, this episode unpacks how the Christian world split; and why Catholics held their ground. This historical deep dive prepares the way for the next episodes, where we’ll examine what contraception is, why it matters, and how the Church calls us to understand the human person.