As a Little Sister of the Poor my life is devoted to the care of the needy elderly. As such I may seem like an odd person to comment on any aspect of Humanae Vitae, and yet that is just what the Napa Institute has asked me to do! I have been invited to reflect on no. 23 of the document, which takes the form of an appeal to public authorities to safeguard the common good by respecting the family as the primary unit in the state and enacting laws that will assist families. I am