A Way of Life: Introduction Introduction Universal Truths about Human Sexuality for People of All Ages With extensive references to the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church
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Introduction The Father s Plan: Rebuild My Domestic Church Papal Directive and our Commission 1 In 1981, Pope John Paul II instituted the Pontifical Council for the Family with the full authority and commission to promote and apply Church teaching in the areas of sexuality, marriage, and family life in order to help parents fulfill their God-given mission in the procreation and education of their children. In 1995, Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo, President of the Council, published the most authoritative Vatican document for parents on teaching children about sexuality entitled The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, Guidelines for Education within the Family (TMHS). The title itself clearly asserts a fundamental Catholic truth, that education in sexuality is to take place within the family. Based on this essential truth, the document establishes definitive pastoral guidelines that all bishops, priests, educators, and parents are to observe. Perhaps anticipating attempts to question its authority or ignore its teaching, the introduction says: In offering this truth, we are aware that every one who is of the truth (John 18:37) hears the word of the One who is the Truth in Person. 1 2 The Church acknowledged that parents are often overwhelmed, lacking in confidence, and feeling unprepared to provide appropriate information on sexuality to their children at the various stages of development. To remedy this situation, Cardinal Trujillo commissioned parents who are competent and convinced of the truth of Catholic teaching on sexuality to produce material to help other parents teach their children within the safe environment of the family home. 2 Theology of the Body for Families & Single People aims to support parents in their mission in the midst of a society which is sick 3 because of the breakdown of marriage, family life, and traditional moral values; distortions of the truth about sexuality by the mass media and sex education programs in public and private schools; and disregard for the competency and usurpation of the authority of parents as the primary educators of their children. 3 This book is a collaborative effort by parents based upon practical experience, sound wisdom, Sacred Scripture, and official Catholic 1 Pontifical Council for the Family, The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, Guidelines for Education within the Family, (TMHS) (December 8, 1995), 2. 2 Ibid., TMHS, 147. 3 Ibid., 6.
xvi Theology of the Body for Families & Single People teachings on sexuality, virtue, purity of heart, chastity, marriage, family life, education, and the God-given rights of parents and children. This comprehensive guide was produced in the same missionary spirit of the Church which holds that it is her duty to give parents back confidence in their own capabilities and help them carry out their task. 4 Family Chastity Formation: An Urgent Need 4 The first paragraph of The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality explains why chastity formation in families is such an urgent and universal need: In the past, even when the family did not provide specific sexual education, the general culture was permeated by respect for fundamental values and hence served to protect and maintain them. In the greater part of society, both in developed and developing countries, the decline of traditional models has left children deprived of consistent and positive guidance, while parents find themselves unprepared to provide adequate answers. This new context is made worse by what we observe: an eclipse of the truth about man which, among other things, exerts pressure to reduce sex to something commonplace. In this area, society and the mass media most of the time provide depersonalized, recreational and often pessimistic information. Moreover, this information does not take into account the different stages of formation and development of children and young people, and it is influenced by a distorted individualistic concept of freedom, in an ambience lacking the basic values of life, human love and the family. 5 5 This situation is the result of a deliberate and universal attack on the family that can be attributed to the evil one himself. The family has been targeted for destruction, and, aware of this fact or not, every family finds itself on the front line of the universal battle between good and evil. In his 1994 Letter to Families, Pope John Paul II repeated what he said at the beginning of his pontificate: The history of mankind, the history of salvation, passes by way of the family...the family is placed at the centre of the great struggle between good and evil, between life and death, between love and all that is opposed to love. To the family is entrusted the task of striving, first and foremost, to unleash the forces of good, the source of which is found in Christ the Redeemer of man. 6 6 In this great struggle between good and evil, the heart and soul of the family is being weakened by a moral decline that is escalating worldwide, is permeating societies and cultures, and seems unrestrained in imposing a culture of immorality and death upon humanity. The year 1917 marked a significant escalation of the war against the family when St. Maximilian Kolbe witnessed in Rome a public declaration of the highly organized global battle plan of freemasonry which, he wrote, intended to: Destroy all teaching about God, especially the Catholic teaching... by promoting... neglect of Divine things and the breakdown of 4 Ibid., 47. 5 Ibid., 1. 6 John Paul II, Letter to Families, Gratissimam sane (February 2, 1994), 23.
Introduction xvii morality since Catholicism can be overcome not by logical arguments but by corrupted morals. And so they overwhelm the souls of men with the kind of literature and arts that will most easily destroy a sense of chaste morals, and foster sordid lifestyles in all phases of human life... 7 It is clear now why Our Lady of Fatima appeared that same year with her battle plan to save the family and warned of the loss of souls to the devil because of sins of impurity, telling the children that more souls go to hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason. 7 It is clear that chastity is at the very heart of the battle for souls in our times, since sexuality is not something purely biological, rather it concerns the intimate nucleus of the person. 8 The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states: Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. 9 In attacking chastity, the enemy aims its deadliest arrows into the most intimate part of the soul knowing that, if it can split the very nucleus of the person, this can initiate a chain reaction leading to a disintegration of the personality at the deepest possible level. The wounds are especially grievous when the innocence of a child or young person is violated. Attacks against chastity are designed to crush the spirit, weaken the will, break down the personality, and cause a dependence of the body and soul to sinful and self-destructive behaviors. This leads to a breakdown in relationships with God, in friendships, within marriages and families, and flows out to the entire society. Helping parents to provide true Catholic-based chastity formation within the family home is clearly the most urgent priority of the Church in our time. 8 Making family chastity formation a priority has been made difficult because the very teachings of the Catholic Church on sexuality have been attacked not just outside but from within the Church. This battle became apparent in the mid-1960s with the introduction of sex education in schools, along with the open rejection and marginalization of Pope Paul VI s Encyclical Humanae Vitae 10 by some influential pastors, theologians, and laity within the Church who thought artificial birth control should be permitted. Rejection of Church teaching allowed the sanctuary of the family home and the hearts and minds of a generation of children to be violated by a flood of impurity in the form of false teachings and deviant behaviors. The open revolt against the truth of God s plan for sexuality, marriage, and the family has shaken the very foundations of the faith, weakened Catholic institutions, and caused a deterioration of the moral values of society. The evidence of this is clear in the proliferation and justification of artificial birth control, sterilization, abortion, adultery, divorce, fornication, sex education in classrooms, surrogate motherhood, designer babies, in-vitro fertilization, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and other violations against God s plan for the transmission of human life. 7 Miles Immaculatae, (July-Sept., 1939, No. 3 (7), 66-72, trans. Fr. Bernard M. Geiger, OFM Conv. 8 TMHS, 3. 9 CCC, 2337. 10 Pope Paul VI, Encyclial Humanae Vitae, On the Regulation of Birth, published July 25, 1968.
xviii Theology of the Body for Families & Single People 9 The sanctity of marriage and family life is being further undermined by the radical feminist movement, the sexual revolution, cohabitation, and the homosexual agenda including so called gay marriages and adoptions. In addition, the family is under attack by the dictatorship of relativism, secularism, communism, materialism, hedonism, 11 and many other false philosophical systems causing a breakdown of laws, morality, and governmental protections respecting the dignity of children, marriage, and family life. The flood of impurity and pornography promoted through the mass media and the internet has entered into hearts and minds through the eyes, the gateway of the soul, resulting in an epidemic of immodest attire and deviant behavior which could lead to the domination of souls through sexual, drug, alcohol, and other addictions. 10 Sadly, the devastating consequences to the institution of marriage and family life, to the Church, and society are many. In one generation, families and nations once Christian have fallen away from the Faith in a generalized apostasy, and vocations to the priesthood and religious life are declining in these areas. Families are disintegrating because of spousal conflict, marital infidelity, divorce, and fathers and mothers abandoning their marriage and family or neglecting or giving up their teaching responsibilities. The primary victims are the children who are exposed to harmful teachings and ways of living. They suffer violations of their innocence, sexual abuse; and violence and learn to disrespect authority and elders while gangs, peer groups, governments, and schools step in to usurp and replace the family. 11 The institutions of marriage and family life, as we know them, are being progressively weakened every day by this onslaught of moral decay which is at the very heart of the great struggle between good and evil, between life and death, between love and all that is opposed to love. Much of this great struggle can be attributed to man s rejection of God the Father s plan for human sexuality, sanctity in marriage, holiness in family life, and right order in creation. Theology of the Body for Families & Single People plus Family Chastity Formation in Virtue and Purity of Heart is urgently needed for every family, not just to survive in a culture of death, but moreover to grow in the fullness of God s love in a culture of life, purity, and love. A New Springtime and a New Pentecost in Families 12 Despite the universal breakdown in morality, Jesus Christ has already achieved once and for all the final victory over evil, sin, and death through the holy sacrifice of His life upon the altar of the cross. But this victory of good over evil, love over all that is opposed to love, and life over death must take place individually and daily in the heart and soul of every person and family. The means to obtain this victory are the graces and fruits of Christ s sacrifice given freely to all through the liturgical 11 Relativism: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger from a homily delivered on April 18, 2005. Does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one s own ego and desires. Secularism: The rejection of religion and religious considerations. Materialism: The desire for wealth and material possessions. Hedonism: The pursuit of pleasure.
Introduction xix and sacramental life of the Catholic Church, together with prayer, penance, and fasting. 13 We are convinced that an authentic understanding of human sexuality, together with daily family prayer in the home and parish, are the keys to winning the great struggle for love and to ushering in the new springtime within the universal Church. Through family prayer and by living a virtuous life, the bonds of love between husbands, wives, parents, and children will be strengthened and fortified; through an integrated lifetime approach to purity, families will rediscover the beauty of life, love, happiness, and peaceful communion with one another and with God. 14 Theology of the Body for Families & Single People plus Family Chastity Formation in Virtue and Purity of Heart is a practical blueprint for all husbands and wives, as spouses and parents, to recapture the heart and soul of their marriage, children, and family in order to bring healing and restoration into the domestic church, one family at a time. Building or rebuilding a home and family, according to God s plan for life and love, is a lifetime mission from the earliest years of life through old age. This book takes a family-centered, lifetime approach to chastity formation which begins with the family and home being firmly established on the rock foundation of Catholic truth. It continues in the work of building up the home and forming the family in chaste and holy love, as the parents cooperate with God in the procreation and education of their children. To fulfill their mission, every parent needs the divine assistance offered by the Catholic Church. The battle for purity lasts a lifetime and every member of the family needs to be vigilant in their commitment to daily formation in virtue and purity of heart. Every parent, and all those who assist them, such as grandparents, pastors, educators, doctors, and other members of the parish family, can benefit from a continual education and application of the principles in this book. They can feel confident that they are firmly rooted in the authoritative teaching of Jesus Christ found in the Roman Catholic Church. 15 This book particularly emphasizes the vocation of fatherhood. Fathers are especially being called to follow the example of St. Joseph in fulfilling their duties as head of the family, leading by example and working at building up their home, family, and community as a culture of life, love, and holiness. This is done by teaching and guiding family members to embrace chastity, family prayer, and sacrificial love. Like Joshua, who led the families of Israel from the desert into the promised land, fathers are being called to stand up in the midst of the battle and move forward with the conviction of a warrior saying, As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord! 12 16 Pope John Paul II foresaw a new springtime on the horizon which would begin with a new Pentecost within families and bring to fruition the authentic renewal of the Church envisioned by the Fathers of the Second 12 Joshua 24:15.
xx Theology of the Body for Families & Single People Vatican Council. On October 4, 1961, Blessed Pope John XXIII made an historic pilgrimage to Assisi and Loreto in order to entrust the Council to St. Francis and the Holy Family. Then, on Christmas Day 1961, he officially convoked the Council with his vision and prayer for a new Pentecost in Christian families. 13 The Holy Spirit s desire for renewal in the Church will be fulfilled through a spiritual renewal within the family. Just as Christ asked St. Francis to Rebuild My Church, for it is falling into ruins, so too at this hour of history Jesus calling each of us by name to Rebuild My Domestic Church, the family, for it is falling into ruins. In communion with our Holy Father, and together with the Holy Family of Nazareth, let us all pray and work together as one family to bring about a new Pentecost, with healing, renewal, and restoration within all families. May we receive an outpouring of the Holy Spirit of Love and witness a new springtime of holy and chaste love within every family and nation on earth! 13 Cf. Pope John XXIII, Apostolic Constitution, Humanae Salutis (December 25, 1961), 23. Full Prayer: May there be repeated thus in Christian families the spectacle of the Apostles gathered together in Jerusalem after the Ascension of Christ to heaven, when the newborn Church was completely united in communion of thought and prayer with Peter and around Peter, the Shepherd of the lambs and the sheep. And may the Divine Spirit deign to answer in most comforting manner the prayer that rises daily to him from every corner of the earth: Renew your wonders in our time, as though for a new Pentecost, and grant that the Holy Church, preserving unanimous and continuous prayer, together with Mary the Mother of Jesus, and also under the guidance of St. Peter, may increase the reign of the Divine Savior, the reign of truth and justice, the reign of love and peace. Amen.
Part I: A Way of Life Holy Marriages Happy Children Healthy Families