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This page is dedicated to the discussion of human sexuality
and the Roman Catholic Church in the light of these two
observations:
"It always has been the conviction of the church
that God gave man the ability to arrive, with the light of his
reason, at an understanding of the fundamental truths
about his life and his destiny and, concretely,
at the norms of correct action."
--
Pope John Paul II
Theologians have not yet faced the daunting task of elaborating a substantive
theology of human sexuality as a creation of God who willed
this to be such a strong, dominant, and
constitutive element of human nature. --
Robert Vitillo, S.J.
I accept these statements as a working basis for a productive dialogue about
human sexuality at a juncture in history when the challenge of
understanding sex and making rational decisions faces us with epic
consequences in terms of human well being and spiritual growth.
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Human Sexuality
& the Catholic Church
We begin with the
questions, not the answers.
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Years ago a
theologian at St. Louis University identified the tangle of issues
that clog the agenda of the Catholic Church and keep it from
productive leadership and credible action. They all have to do
with sex: abortion, contraception, masturbation, sex before
marriage or after divorce, homosexuality, artificial insemination,
the requirement of celibacy for ordination, the ordination of
women to the priesthood, and a married priesthood. All of these
issues are open for debate and discussion.
On
October 28,2006 Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Bishops of
Ireland:
"In your continuing efforts to deal
effectively with this problem [the sexual abuse of minors by clergy],
it is important to establish the truth of what happened in the past,
to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring
again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected
and, above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those
affected by these egregious crimes"
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