Catholic Church Teaching on Sexuality

1. Catholic Church Teaching on Sexuality • Sex is relegated to those in a valid marriage only: • Marriage: Between a Man and a Woman • Sex within a valid marriage has 2 aspects: 1. Procreative meaning to produce children 2. Unitive meaning to bring the couple closer together. • Every act of sexual intercourse between a man and a woman in a valid marriage MUST be open to the possibility of procreation. Meaning: • No artificial forms of birth control may be used. (Condoms, IUDs, Sponges, Diaphragms, Birth control pills, etc.)

2. Only place for the man to ejaculate is inside the vagina. • All Church teaching on sexuality is based on Natural Law • Babies are conceived by the sperm fertilizing the egg • Divinely ordered process • Sperm + Egg = Baby • 1+1= 2 • Any ARTIFICIAL interruption of this divinely ordered process is considered disordered and therefore SINFUL.

3. Artificial interruption of this divinely ordered process includes: • Artificial forms of birth control • Medical procedures undergone for the express purpose of preventing conception (i.e.Hysterectomy or Vasectomy.) (Accidents or birth defects do not apply) • Deliberate interruption of the divinely ordered process is also considered disordered or sinful: • Masturbation: • Because the ejaculation does not occur in such a way as nature intended it, for fertilization of the egg • It is for sexual pleasure outside of marriage and not in the context of mutual self-giving between the man and woman in a marriage and not open to procreation.

4. Homosexuality (Gay or Lesbian): (homosexual acts, not the person’s orientation. • Because it is contrary to natural law. It is sexual pleasure sought outside a valid marriage and is not open to the possibility of procreation. Therefore it is considered disordered or sinful. • [Person’s of homosexual orientation] “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided…” CCC 2358

5. The 3 States of Life:(According to the Church) 1. Married Life 2. Single Life 3. Religious Life/Priesthood • Whatever state of life we are in we are called to be CHASTE(sexual purity) according to that particular state of life: • Married life: Chastity means being true to your spouse and having sex only with your spouse and no one else. • Single life: Chastity means no sexual activity at all until you get married. • Religious life/priesthood: Chastity means Celibacy(unmarried) which means no sexual activity at all ever. (Vows made for God and one’s relationship to God)

6. Offenses against chastity include: • Lust • A disordered desire for enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Disordered because it is sought for itself, separate from its procreative and unitive purposes. • Masturbation • Is an intrinsically (in itself) and gravely disordered action. The deliberate use of one’s sexual faculty outside of marriage is contrary to its purpose. It is removed from the mutual self-giving and procreative context of a loving marriage relationship. • Fornication • Sex between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. Contrary to the naturally ordered good of spouses in a marriage and the procreation and education of children.

7. Pornography • Because it removes the real intimacy of the marriage partnership, displays and sells the image of sex to third parties (other people). It perverts the goodness of the sexual act, it hurts the dignity of the actors, people who sell it, and the people who buy it and the community. It falsifies what sex really is and creates a fantasy world and objectifies the people involved rendering them less than human and reduces them to objects to be used. • Prostitution Because it reduces a person to an object of sexual pleasure and the person who pays for this violates chastity and damages his or her own human dignity. Removes sex from it proper context and reduces it to a selfish physical experience devoid of its emotional and spiritual context.