Because of the publication in July 1968 of the encyclical Humanae Vitae a significant number of Roman Catholics are now at variance with the Pope on a matter of importance: not on birth control, for the encyclical affirms its legitimacy, but on the means that may be used; not on the right of the Pope to express the mind of the Church, but on how he should exercise this function and whether or not he has done so adequately in this case. This an important matter. It is regarded by many as a subject of debate only in the interests of changing the present ruling quickly and of establishing greater clarity about the role of the papacy and the nature of authority within the Church. Others maintain with equal sincerity that the Pope must be obeyed and that he has acted rightly and wisely, we therefore face a situation unique in the Roman Catholic Church since the Reformation, though this time there is hardly a question of schism.