Am I required to have a large family?
The short answer
No. Family size itself is not a moral issue; openness to children and responsible family planning are. Large families are a sign of blessing and generosity, but couples may space births for just reasons, provided their motive is not selfish.
God said, "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28), and the Catechism says Scripture and Church tradition see large families as a sign of God's blessing and the parents' generosity (CCC 2373). That does not make a large family every couple's moral duty. Family size is not a moral question, but openness to children and responsible planning are.
Having and raising children is one of the primary purposes of marriage. The marriage covenant is ordered to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children (CCC 1601). Fruitfulness is a gift and an end of marriage; a child is not added from outside but springs from the spouses' mutual self-giving as its fruit and fulfillment (CCC 2366).
Couples also have a duty to plan their families responsibly. For just reasons spouses may wish to space their children's births, but they must make sure the desire comes from the generosity proper to responsible parenthood, not selfishness (CCC 2368). In the end, family size should be decided by responsible procreation in cooperation with the love of God the Creator (cf. CCC 2367).
Continue exploring
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