What is Natural Family Planning?

(Image courtesy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is the general name given to the scientific, natural, and moral methods of family planning that can help married couples achieve or postpone pregnancy. It celebrates and reverences the vision of human sexuality.

Approved Methods

There are several scientific methods that have been developed to track a couple’s fertility for natural family planning purposes. In the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, the following methods and providers have been approved. Other methods and providers may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Marriage & Family Life office for more information.

The Sympto-Thermal Method taught by The Couple to Couple League

Website: ccli.org.
In-person and online instruction; Spanish instruction online.
Includes instruction for irregular situations, postpartum and perimenopause, and a charting “app” for mobile users. Offers Mother-Daughter program to begin discussing fertility awareness with adolescent young women (English only).

The Creighton Model FertilityCare System (CrMS) taught by local Creighton practitioners

Website for Creighton practitioners: www.fertilitycare.org.
Website for NaPro Technology: popepaulvi.com.
In-person and online instruction; Spanish instruction local and online.
Some Creighton practitioners have a NaPro (Natural Procreative) Technology specialization to treat infertility issues and other complications.

The Marquette Method (Sympto-Hormonal) taught by Whole Mission or a regional instructor

Website for Marquette Method: cutt.ly/MarquetteMethod.
Website for Whole Mission instructors: www.mmnfp.com.
Regional providers in Louisville and Evansville provide in-person training. All other training is online, also in Spanish.
Includes online charting tools, one year of follow-up consultations as needed, and consultation for irregular situations, postpartum and perimenopause.

For a list of local instructors and NFP resources, visit www.archindy.org/nfp.

NFP Awareness Week

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis is participating in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ NFP Awareness Week, which occurs this year on July 25-31. It coincides with the anniversary of the papal encyclical “Humanae Vitae” (July 25), which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, conjugal love and responsible parenthood.

The dates also mark the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), parents of the Blessed Mother. Pope Francis has designated the Sunday closest to their feast day—July 25—as the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly.

To learn more, go to cutt.ly/NFPWeek (case sensitive). †

The Criterion

July 23, 2021