PHILADELPIA — Generation Life, the Pro-Life Union of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute are sponsoring a 40th anniversary celebration of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae with the philosopher, author and speaker Peter Kreeft.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, July 25 at the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute where Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College and King’s College in New York City, will give a talk about the relevance of Humanae Vitae today.

Kreeft will provide “an insightful and original look at the issues surrounding the phenomenon of contraception, especially in light of the encyclical,” according to Matthew Chominski, parish outreach coordinator for Generation Life.

The celebration will cap a week-long prayer vigil outside the Planned Parenthood facility at 12th and Locust streets in Center City. Each day from July 19-25 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., members of almost 50 of the city’s Catholic parishes, members of Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, and the Chester County and Bucks County pro-life coalitions will spend time in prayer and fasting.

Generation Life, an organization of young people that spreads the message of pro-chastity and pro-life to peers, believes that chastity is the solution to the problems of contraception and abortion.

That is why the organization is commemorating the anniversary of the encyclical, issued on July 25, 1968, which affirmed the dignity of every human person from conception to natural death and offered insights into spousal love and sexuality.

“Paul VI made a courageous stand in upholding the Church’s teaching on sexual morality and the dignity of the human person. He warned us of the dangers of sexual promiscuity, contraception, the objectification of women and the general lowering, or abolishing, of moral standards,” Chominski said.

After Kreeft’s presentation, participants will have birthday cake and other treats to celebrate “the beauty of the truth in that document and the courage it took for Pope Paul VI to promulgate it at that time,” said Edel Finnegan, the Pro-Life Union’s executive director.

“Planned Parenthood is the biggest provider of abortion and contraception in the world, but we believe that prayer and fasting can change minds and hearts,” Finnegan said of the week-long prayer vigil. “We will be praying, witnessing and fasting for the acceptance of Humanae Vitae by Catholics and all Americans, the closing of Planned Parenthood and the conversion of those who provide the evils of contraception and abortion.”

Finnegan hopes Catholics working in Center City or employees of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia willspend a lunch hour during the week praying with those at the vigil.

“Whether it is the fish that are being affected by the estrogen that is in the water because of the pill, or the increase in abortions and sexually transmitted diseases, we are seeing now more than ever that people are realizing the dangers of contraception,” Finnegan said.

CS&T staff writer Nadia Maria Smith may be reached at npozo@adphila.org or (215) 965-4614.