▁Second ▁V at ican ▁Council . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁as ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Vitt orio ▁Ven eto , ▁he ▁submitted ▁a ▁confident ial ▁report ▁to ▁his ▁prede cess or ▁as ▁Patri arch ▁of ▁Ven ice ▁arg uing ▁that ▁the ▁recently ▁developed ▁contra cept ive ▁pill ▁should ▁be ▁permitted ▁by ▁the ▁church . ▁The ▁report ▁was ▁agreed ▁to ▁by ▁fellow ▁Ven eto ▁b ish ops ▁and ▁submitted ▁to ▁Paul ▁VI . ▁ ▁After ▁Paul ▁VI ▁issued ▁the ▁en cyc lic al ▁Hum ana e ▁V ita e , ▁Luci ani ▁def ended ▁it ▁public ly . ▁But ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁his ▁dioc ese ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁shortly ▁after ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁en cyc lic al , ▁he ▁wrote , ▁" I ▁must ▁conf ess ▁that ▁I ▁hoped ▁in ▁my ▁heart , ▁even ▁though ▁I ▁didn ' t ▁let ▁it ▁out ▁in ▁writing , ▁that ▁the ▁very ▁serious ▁difficulties ▁could ▁be ▁overcome ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁reply ▁of ▁the ▁Te acher , ▁who ▁speak s ▁with ▁a ▁special ▁char ism ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁Lord , ▁might ▁co inci de ▁with ▁the ▁hopes ▁raised ▁in ▁so ▁many ▁cou ples , ▁especially ▁after ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁special ▁pont ific al ▁commission ▁to ▁examine ▁the ▁issue ." ▁Nevertheless , ▁he ▁added , ▁" I ▁am ▁confident ▁that ▁I ▁have ▁everyone ▁with ▁me ▁in ▁a ▁s inc ere ▁ad her ence ▁to ▁the ▁pap al ▁teaching ." ▁ ▁Investig ative ▁writer ▁David ▁Y