text: Nor is it a mortal sin to practice birth control. In Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI told couples practicing artificial birth control to pray to understand what the Church was saying, and to CONTINUE GOING TO CONFESSION AND COMMUNION. If he considered the practice mortally sinful, he would have told them they would have to stop contracepting before confession and communion. He did not. He told confessors to ask contracepting couples to pray and receive the sacraments. He did not tell priest to refuse confession and communion to such couples. And so, if there is any sin, a big if, there is no mortal sin. I say this as an old confessor. By the way, most Catholics have made up their minds. I rarely hear anyone confess birth control.