The media reports widely about Cardinal Safford's Nov. 13 lecture at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C. in connection with the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae (1). 

The title of the lecture, 'Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II: “Being True with Body and Soul”' - expression taken from Francois Mauriac- indicates the thematic of it, which is of viewing the human body and soul in the truth of the person, as inseparably one.

Maybe it is due to the sharp rhetoric used by the Cardinal or to the exact time of delivery shortly after the elections in the US that almost all the commentators speak only one aspect of the lecture, namely the remarks made of the future President Obama. (2)

The speech touches a much wider thematic, and it contains a sharp critic of the entire technological culture on one side as contrary to the dignity of the human life. On the other side Card. Stafford delivers in it a historical critic of the American society that for a long time accepted slavery for the black and extinction for the Natives in taking over their lands.

There are some parts (as the rejection prophylactic use of condoms) that I would not agree with but

I think it is better if the reader tries to make his/her own judgment on this seemingly controversial lecture.

(1) Here is the full text of Cardinal Stafford’s lecture:  http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=780

(2) Illustrating some of the reactions here is first the student newspaper of Catholic University of American (there are follow-ups, too, from the Cardinal and from Doug Kmiecz among others): http://www.cuatower.com/2008/11/14/cardinal-at-cua-obama-is-‘aggressive-disruptive-and-apocalyptic’/#comment-7532 

“The context of Cardinal Stafford’s stark language” in NCR’s ‘All Things Catholic’ by John L. Allen, Jr.: http://ncrcafe.org/node/2293

and finally opinions from the Blog of the Commmonweal Magazine: http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/?p=2529  (David Gibson)

http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/?p=2532 (“Prophetic Rhetoric in Cyberspace–A Question”

by Cathleen Kaveny)