| A SHORT COURSE ON SEXUALITY IV. “Marriage - Does Everything Go?” "Sexuality, by means of which man and woman give themselves to one another through the acts which are proper and exclusive to spouses, is not something simply biological, but concerns the innermost being of the human person as such. It is realized in a truly human way only if it is an integral part of the love by which a man and woman commit themselves totally to one another until death." (Familiaris Consortio 11) Spouses freely given conjugal rights to each other – however, rape is possible within marriage. Tobias: “I now am taking this kinswoman of mine (Sarah), not because of lust, but with sincerity." (Tob 8:4-9) - Lust can exist within marriage. St. John Chrysostom (349-407): Young husbands should say to their wives: I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself…I place your love above all things, and nothing would be more bitter or painful to me than to be of a different mind than you. CCC "The acts in marriage by which the intimate and chaste union of the spouses takes place are noble and honourable” (Gaudium et Spes 49) – Sexuality is a source of joy and pleasure. “Spouses do nothing evil in seeking this pleasure and enjoyment. They accept what the Creator has intended for them. At the same time, spouses should know how to keep themselves within the limits of just moderation.” (Pope Pius XII, 1951) Twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses (fidelity) themselves and the transmission of life (fecundity), which cannot be separated. Spouses share in the creative power and fatherhood of God. Humanae Vitae 11: "It is necessary that each and every marriage act remain ordered per se to the procreation of human life." Oral sex within marriage may be licit (i.e., it is not evil per se) provided that it culminates in the complete marital act (thereby acting as foreplay), and that neither party finds it offensive. (Phone conversation with Msgr. Michael Jacobs, CDF, 26 Sept., 2003) The regulation of procreation – CCC: “For just reasons (HV: for grave motives), spouses may wish to space the births of their children (in relation to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions). It is their duty to make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood. The Sharp family photo of 17 children. Natural Family Planning: “These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favour the education of an authentic freedom. NFP can and too often is used with a contraceptive mentality. Contraception = not giving oneself totally to the other. Article: “Seasonal Contraception” – (Herald Sun, 4/1/04) Article: “Mum Starting Later” (Herald Sun). My Initial Marriage Interview, No. 15: Have you discussed having children, the size of your family, and the issue of birth control? The gift of a child - Sacred Scripture and the Church's traditional practice see in large families a sign of God's blessing and the parents' generosity. Sterile couples suffer greatly IVF - Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other than the couple (donation of sperm or ovum, surrogate uterus), are gravely immoral. These techniques infringe the child's right to be born of a father and mother known to him and bound to each other by marriage. Article: “Pick-a-baby” (Herald Sun) & newspaper photos. A child is not something owed to one, but is a gift. The "supreme gift of marriage" is a human person. A child may not be considered a piece of property, an idea to which an alleged "right to a child" would lead. ____________________________________________ CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (2360-79) The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality by the Pontifical Council for the Family Good News about Sex & Marriage by Christopher West The Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II Covenanted Happiness by Cormac Burke Life-Giving Love by Kimberly Hahn Real Love by Mary Beth Bonacci |
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