Childfree dalam Perspektif Ajaran Gereja Katolik: Suatu Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Childfree is a conscious decision not to have children. The choice to be childfree is becoming increasingly popular in modern society and has sparked theological and pastoral debates within the Catholic Church. The Church’s teaching views procreation as one of the essential purposes of marriage. However, the childfree choice often arises from complex life dynamics such as personal freedom, past trauma, economic pressure, and mental health concerns. This reality calls the Church to develop a deeper and more contextual pastoral understanding. This study aims to systematically examine literature that discusses the childfree phenomenon in light of the teachings and official documents of the Catholic Church, as well as relevant pastoral approaches. The research employs the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method using the PRISMA approach, encompassing the stages of identification, screening, and selection—from a total of 99 articles to 14 relevant and high-quality studies.  The findings indicate that the childfree decision contradicts the Church’s teaching on procreation, leading the Church to reject this choice. Nevertheless, the Church needs to develop a more empathetic and contextual pastoral approach, emphasizing the understanding of core motivations, dialogue, education, and intensive accompaniment. This review also identifies gaps in pastoral approaches and contextual theological reflection in addressing this phenomenon.