Sexual morality is a good example of the effect that the modernist, empiricist view of the body has in terms of understanding Catholic sexual morality. For the modernist, the sexual urge is "only the sum of functions…directed toward a biological end…reproduction." For the Catholic Moralist, "the sexual urge owes its objective importance to its connection with the divine work of creation." (Theology of the Body, p. 98)
Where do these conflicting views of the body lead in terms of our sexuality example?
In Wojtyla's view the order of person and of nature are strictly united. In the order of love a man can remain true to the person only in so far as he is true to nature. If he does "violence to nature" he also "violates" the person by making it an object of enjoyment rather than of love.
In the modernist view, the empiricist view, the "biological order" as a product of the human intellect, has man for its immediate author so man has power over nature as his scientific – technological knowledge dictates. To this way of thinking, contraception and its mirror image, in vitro fertilization seems to be the most "natural things in the world." (Theology of the Body, pp. 98-99)
For the orthodox Bible believing Christian, the theology of the body which spells out the meaning and purpose of human sexuality begins in the first two books of Genesis, the creation stories of man, as male and female persons with spiritualized bodies that were meant to be free spousal gifts to each other.
While the Fall, called Original Sin, made it more difficult to achieve the spousal meaning of love, it did not remove it as the goal of human sexuality. Redemption was needed and promised. The promise was kept in Jesus.
For human living in the twenty-first century, the theology of the body is nothing but an extended commentary of this fundamental truth: Christ fully reveals man to himself through the revelation in his body of the mystery of divine love – the love that exists between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three divine persons – a trinity who is one God.
This mystery of divine love is made visible through the gift of sexual difference, man as male and female and the call of the two to become one flesh – the male – female communion of persons – a sharing in the trinitarian communion through Christ's spousal relationship with the church. (Theology of the Body, xviii) The sacrament of Marriage is the essential public action and sign of the language of the body in its true spousal meaning.
The increasing phenomenon of couples living together before marriage diminishes and all but erases the conjugal act as the consummation of the sacramental act. Sexual intercourse in these unions is nothing but concupiscence of the flesh, not the conjugal act. The sign of the verbal commitment to each other before a priest, deacon, or minister and at least two official witnesses followed later by the consummation of the verbal commitment by sexual intercourse constitutes the full sacrament of marriage experiencing the language of the body and its spousal meaning in the free and complete self gift of each to the other as persons.
Bibliography
"In order to avoid difficulties of this sort, the English Scripture quotes have been conformed to the CEI translation, always with an eye on the original Greek or Hebrew."
7. Torode, Sam. Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body in Simple Language Lexington, Ky, Philokalia Books, 2008.
Where do these conflicting views of the body lead in terms of our sexuality example?
In Wojtyla's view the order of person and of nature are strictly united. In the order of love a man can remain true to the person only in so far as he is true to nature. If he does "violence to nature" he also "violates" the person by making it an object of enjoyment rather than of love.
In the modernist view, the empiricist view, the "biological order" as a product of the human intellect, has man for its immediate author so man has power over nature as his scientific – technological knowledge dictates. To this way of thinking, contraception and its mirror image, in vitro fertilization seems to be the most "natural things in the world." (Theology of the Body, pp. 98-99)
For the orthodox Bible believing Christian, the theology of the body which spells out the meaning and purpose of human sexuality begins in the first two books of Genesis, the creation stories of man, as male and female persons with spiritualized bodies that were meant to be free spousal gifts to each other.
While the Fall, called Original Sin, made it more difficult to achieve the spousal meaning of love, it did not remove it as the goal of human sexuality. Redemption was needed and promised. The promise was kept in Jesus.
For human living in the twenty-first century, the theology of the body is nothing but an extended commentary of this fundamental truth: Christ fully reveals man to himself through the revelation in his body of the mystery of divine love – the love that exists between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three divine persons – a trinity who is one God.
This mystery of divine love is made visible through the gift of sexual difference, man as male and female and the call of the two to become one flesh – the male – female communion of persons – a sharing in the trinitarian communion through Christ's spousal relationship with the church. (Theology of the Body, xviii) The sacrament of Marriage is the essential public action and sign of the language of the body in its true spousal meaning.
The increasing phenomenon of couples living together before marriage diminishes and all but erases the conjugal act as the consummation of the sacramental act. Sexual intercourse in these unions is nothing but concupiscence of the flesh, not the conjugal act. The sign of the verbal commitment to each other before a priest, deacon, or minister and at least two official witnesses followed later by the consummation of the verbal commitment by sexual intercourse constitutes the full sacrament of marriage experiencing the language of the body and its spousal meaning in the free and complete self gift of each to the other as persons.
Bibliography
- Catechism of the Catholic Church. English translation, United States Catholic Conference, Liguori, Mo., Liguori Publications, 1994.
- Deacon Bernard J. Fleury, Ed.D. Twenty-eight years of preparing couples for marriage, processing many difficult annulments, participation in Marriage Encounter and fifty-six years as a husband, father and grandfather.
- Dr. Richard A. Spinello. "The Rehabilitation of Charity," Homiletic and Pastoral Review. Ignatius Press, 1348 10th Avenue, San Francisco, Ca., Volume CXI, No. 5, February, 2011.
- John Paul II. Man and Woman He Created Them, A Theology of the Body. Translation, Introduction, and Index by Michael Waldstein. Boston, Mass., St. Paul's Avenue, 2006.
- St. Joseph Edition of The New American Bible. The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., l970. Author uses this edition for endnotes in text.
- Revised Standard Version most frequently used by English Translators and at times TheNew American Bible which differ at many points from the version used by John Paul II, namely, the official translation published by the Conference of Italian Bishops (CEI). Eg. of differences is Mt.5:28 RSV: "Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." CEI version: "Whoever looks at a woman todesire her instead of lustfully 21 times but uses lustfully 343 times.
"In order to avoid difficulties of this sort, the English Scripture quotes have been conformed to the CEI translation, always with an eye on the original Greek or Hebrew."
7. Torode, Sam. Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body in Simple Language Lexington, Ky, Philokalia Books, 2008.
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