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treat it as a deadly sin merely resulted in driving the penitent away from confession. After mature consideration, the Curia Sacra Poenitentiaria replied by pointing out, as regards the common method of withdrawal before emission, that since it was due to the wrong act of the man, the woman who has been forced by her husband to consent to it, has committed no sin. Further, the Bishop was reminded of the wise dictum of Liguori, 'the most learned and experienced man in these matters,' that the confessor is not usually called upon to make inquiry upon so delicate a matter as the debitum conjugale, and, if his opinion is not asked, he should be silent (Bouvier, Dissertatio in sextum Decalogi praeceptum; supplementum ad Tractatum de Matrimonio, 1849, pp. 179-182; quoted by Hans Ferdy, Sexual-Probleme, Aug. 1908, p. 498). We see therefore, that among Catholic as well as among non-Catholic populations, the adoption of preventive methods of conception follows progress and civilization, and that the general practice of such methods by Roman Catholics (with the tacit consent of the Church) is merely a matter of time."

Already, by 1917 (or earlier) the Romish Church completely capitulated over the principle of birth control, and in his Evi-