A 36-year-old mother of two from Australia is seeking advice after her husband became a devout Catholic and forbade her from using contraception. The woman, who is not religious, says her husband's conversion has caused significant strain in their marriage.
The husband, who was baptised into the Catholic Church two years ago, now believes contraception is sinful and has banned his wife from taking the pill or using other hormonal birth control. The woman, who suffered health complications during her last pregnancy, does not want more children.
In an anonymous Facebook post to an Australian parenting group, the wife wrote: 'Telling him this led to disagreement, then argument, then resentment. We've been at odds for over a year now and there is still no resolve.' She described her husband as a 'good man, wonderful father' but feels his religious views are jeopardising their marriage.
The Catholic Church teaches that artificial contraception is 'intrinsically evil' and only permits natural family planning methods, such as cycle tracking. The wife noted that cycle tracking does not work for her.
Responses to her post were mixed, with some advising her to secretly use contraception, while others suggested seeking guidance from a priest or marriage counsellor. One commenter wrote: 'Take the pill hidden from him,' while another said: 'He can still be an amazing father to your children. Don't ever live your life in unhappiness.'
