MANILA, Philippines?In the 1960s, media was rife with attacks on the controversial encyclical, ?Humanae Vitae,? issued by Pope Paul VI, not realizing that the contraceptive culture could lead to a collapse of marriages and families and a general breakdown of morality.

A prolife document released by American bishops two years ago said that the predictions of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II have come true: ?Today, we see a pandemic of sexually transmitted diseases, and an enormous rise in cohabitation, where one in three children is born outside of marriage, and abortion is used by many when contraception fails.?

Vanishing institution

It?s widely known that, in the United States, 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. ?Marriage is a vanishing institution among vulnerable segments of the population,? shares Leslie Woodcock Tentler, a history professor at the Catholic University of America.

At the time, the encyclical, which endorses the natural family planning method and condemns artificial contraception, made headlines around the world. In effect, Paul VI rejected the findings of a Papal Commission set up by his predecessor, Pope John XXIII, and tasked ?to examine views and opinions concerning married life?especially on the regulation of births??

A ?hypersexualized? culture that has emerged in the last three decades has reduced the sanctity of marriage?no thanks to the power and influence of media. TV shows and movies often glorify themes like infidelity and vengeance.

Decisions

Pope Benedict XVI has decried the fact that ?adolescents today are not receiving the kind of sexual formation they need in order to make proper decisions to avoid the ?risky implications? of their behavior.?

In a conference on the encyclical at the recent World Youth Day in Sydney, the pontiff said, ?It does no honor to free and democratic societies when they offer their young people ?false illusions? about their own sexuality . . . freedom must be tied to truth and responsibility.? The encyclical also appealed to the secular media to promote marital chastity.

We take our hats off to the pro-life movement and to our clergy, who are zealous in protecting the life of the unborn. But, we need to see more media people heeding the call to decency.