America, sexuality, and the Catholic Church in the 1960s: the role of the Crowleys and the Potvins within the Pontifical Commission for the Study of Population, Family and Births (1963-1966)

The Pontifical Commission for the Study of Population, Family and Births was established by Pope John XXIII in March 1963. Originally, it comprised six members, whose number increased gradually with time. In June 1966, 33 representatives of the laity and 41 of the clergy attended the fifth and final meeting. The group’s primary purpose was to discuss population growth in relation to Catholic teaching on fertility. Eventually, other aspects were taken into consideration, such as moral principles behind marital doctrine, sexuality, and birth control. In the 1960s, these subjects became a matter of debate within Catholicism, especially in the Unites States. The moral dilemma over birth control can be considered as a turning point in the history of the Catholic faith in North America. This research is based on a comparative analysis of the reports produced by the Commission and of the studies submitted by the two married couples the American Crowleys and the Canadian Potvins. All documents have been consulted at the University of Notre Dame Archives. The analysis of these documents shed light on the Catholic attitude towards sexuality and the possibility of some forms of birth control such as the rhythm method and artificial contraception. If in 1963 procreation was considered as the most important end of marriage, by 1966, closely associated with the increase in lay participation, the Commission’s majority advised Pope Paul VI to overturn the hierarchy of marital ends, to place conjugal love at the top. Furthermore, it demanded a lift of the long-standing ban on contraception. Similarly, in the two studies produced by the couples based on the personal experiences of North American Catholics, a considerable number of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the rhythm method and with Catholic doctrine on marriage. In particular, they resented Church attitudes towards the role of conjugal love, responsible parenthood, and sexuality in marriage. Although the dilemmas that the Commission experienced are mirrored in its reports, the conclusions were in favour of a doctrinal change of the traditional vision of marriage and sexuality, mostly thanks to the North American couples’ participation.