Online Catholic Natural Family Planning Course and Certificate

This Catholic Natural Family Planning (NFP) Preparation Course explains the Church’s teaching on marriage, responsible parenthood, openness to life, Natural Family Planning, and artificial contraception. Through clear Catholic instruction, couples will learn not only how NFP differs from contraception, but also why that moral distinction matters.

The course includes readings and video content addressing important questions concerning marriage, sexuality, contraception, abortion, and the sanctity of human life. It also provides introductory information and practical resources for exploring the Marquette Method and the Billings Ovulation Method.

If you are completing NFP preparation for an upcoming Catholic marriage, this self-paced course provides clear instruction and a Certificate of Completion that may be shared with your parish.

Do You Also Need Catholic Marriage Preparation?

If you need a certificate covering both Pre-Cana Marriage Preparation and Natural Family Planning, enroll in our Marriage Preparation Program. It includes these NFP lessons together with dedicated instruction on the Sacrament of Matrimony, the duties of husbands and wives, the Catholic wedding rite, communication, conflict resolution, finances, and preparation for married life.

Who Is This Course For?

  • Engaged couples completing Natural Family Planning preparation before a Catholic marriage.
  • Couples preparing for convalidation who need formation concerning marriage, sexuality, and responsible parenthood.
  • Married couples seeking to understand and live the Church’s teaching on openness to life.
  • Catholics with questions about NFP and contraception who want a clear explanation of the moral difference between them.
  • Parishes and marriage coordinators seeking a faithful, affordable, and flexible online NFP preparation resource.

Time Commitment

Plan to spend approximately 2–3 hours completing the readings, videos, and quizzes. The course is self-paced and includes lifetime access, allowing you to return to the material later for continued study and reference.

Course Highlights

  1. Faithful Catholic teaching: Learn what the Church teaches about marriage, Natural Family Planning, artificial contraception, responsible parenthood, and the dignity of human life.
  2. A clear moral foundation: Understand why contraception deliberately frustrates the marital act while NFP relies upon periodic continence without altering the act itself.
  3. The proper use of NFP: Learn why Natural Family Planning must be approached with prayer, openness to life, and just or serious reasons—not with a contraceptive mentality.
  4. Introductory method resources: Receive information and practical resources to help you begin exploring the Marquette Method and Billings Ovulation Method.
  5. Comprehensive pro-life formation: Examine the connection between contraception, abortion, marriage, and a consistent Catholic defense of human life.
  6. Written from an experienced pro-life perspective: The course incorporates material prepared by an experienced Catholic pro-life advocate with extensive work in education and public policy.
  7. Self-paced with lifetime access: Complete the program on your own schedule and return to the material for future reference.

What You Will Learn

  1. What Natural Family Planning is and how it differs morally from artificial contraception.
  2. Why the Catholic Church teaches that artificial contraception is gravely wrong.
  3. Why every marital act must remain open to the transmission of life.
  4. How periodic continence differs from deliberately frustrating or altering the marital act.
  5. Why the morality of using NFP also depends upon the spouses’ intentions and reasons.
  6. When spouses may practice periodic continence for just or serious reasons consistent with their duties before God.
  7. Why NFP must never be treated as “contraception under another name” or used simply to reject the procreative purpose of marriage.
  8. How contraception and abortion are connected within a consistent Catholic understanding of marriage and human life.
  9. How couples can approach family planning with prayer, mutual sacrifice, responsible parenthood, and openness to God’s will.
  10. Where to begin exploring the Marquette Method and Billings Ovulation Method through practical introductory resources.

About the NFP Method Resources

This course provides Catholic moral and theological formation concerning Natural Family Planning together with introductory resources for the Marquette Method and Billings Ovulation Method. These resources will help couples understand the available approaches and identify appropriate next steps for learning and practicing a particular method. Couples who intend to use a particular method are encouraged to continue with the applicable method resources and obtain personalized instruction when needed.

Certificate of Completion

Students who successfully complete the course may request a Certificate of Completion in Natural Family Planning Preparation. This certificate documents completion of the program and may be shared with the parish overseeing an upcoming Catholic marriage or convalidation.


Completing the course, paying the applicable certificate fee, and submitting the official Certificate Request Form are separate required steps. Standard electronic certificates are generally prepared within 2–3 business days. Expedited certificate processing is available for an additional fee when needed.


Each person who needs a certificate must register individually, purchase and complete a separate copy of the course, and submit an individual certificate request.

Catholic Natural Family Planning Preparation Course contains all of these lessons:

Catholic Natural Family Planning Preparation Course is part of the following Package(s):

Purchase this Course in a package with other Courses and save even more!