In 1968, a commission built to advise Pope Pius VI recommended that the Catholic Church officially change its stance on contraception. But the Pope, refusing to bow to public pressure, instead released his encyclical "Humanae Vitae" ("On Human Life") reaffirming the Church's opposition to abortion, contraception, and euthanasia.

In part one of our series on "Humanae Vitae", Bishop Wall examines the prophetic vision of Pope Paul VI and the negative consequences he foresaw for any society that rejects the value of human life in all its stages.