Returning Catholics FAQs: About Birth Control

O n Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

Tell me why if I come back, I’m in trouble if I use artificial birth control.

We are asked to be open to God’s plan for us, whether or not it includes children. Birth control rem...