But how many of us were prepared to understand what it was to be parent, by the time you find out the baby has arrived.

To be honest, what I said was from what I was told by people I dealt with in British Embassies in South American countries a few years ago when I worked for the FCO up to 2008.

If that is wrong I stand corrected, but these people were "on the ground" in Buenos Aires, Sucre, Brasília, Santiago, Bogotá, Quito, Georgetown, Asunción, Lima, Montevideo and so on. stevmk2

Back in the 50's Catholics did produce more children than other religions. Every Catholic couple in our neighbourhood had far more children that the protestants and were proud of the fact. Of course over the decades the Roman Catholic Church lost a number of worshippers, probably because of the stories and bad press that criticized the church...... but mainly because people stopped believing. There are some who still believe and attend church regularly but I suspect that the church's frown on contraceptives is now ignored... because the church can't know what goes on in the privacy of the worshipper's home.
The battle with the Muslims will be a much more difficult and take longer.
The real problem now is people who think a baby will bring joy, but never consider how that bundle of joy will be provided for.

I went to catholic schools in the and none of my friends came from large families .Most were two or three .
I came from a family of three myself .
My grandmother only had two children as did my uncle all were devote Catholics .
Maybe they didn't have much sex?

I went to catholic schools in the and none of my friends came from large families .Most were two or three .
I came from a family of three myself .
My grandmother only had two children as did my uncle all were devote Catholics .
Maybe they didn't have much sex?

Catholics believe it is a duty to produce offspring in order to provide continuance of the faith.