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Home , Human sexuality, Marriage

Formation in Sexuality, , and Life By John S. Grabowski, PhD Associate Professor, School of Theology and Religious Studies The Catholic University of America

An effective catechesis on the mystery that men and women resemble God in of requires an some way, but rather that they enjoy a appreciation of its diverse facets as a unique dignity in their to gift inscribed within the very being of relate to their Creator, that they humanity, a visible manifestation of exercise dominion over the rest of the human and Christian call to , creation, and that they share the and a treasure to be lived and blessing of fertility through their life- developed. giving union (see Gn 1:28). This potential to conceive new human life Human Sexuality as a Gift of and its ability to unite a man and Creation in the “one flesh” unity of the marriage (see Gn 2:24-25) Unlike the view of many of its have come to be seen as the two basic neighbors, ancient was very meanings of sexual activity within the clear in its understanding that Christian tradition. sexuality is a human—not divine— . God created the universe not But prior to this blessing’s enactment through sexual but in sexual union, sexuality is clearly through his all-powerful Word, which first about something that human the New Testament would later beings are before it is something that identify with the Second Person of the they do. , maleness and femaleness, Trinity (see Jn 1:1-14, Heb 1:1-5, and is part of the human person’s very Col 1:15-20). Still, although not divine, being. As creatures composed of both within the panorama of created body and soul, are affected by reality, the human person has a sex not only physically but privileged place, being made in the psychologically and spiritually as well, “image” and “likeness” of God (see Gn and this leaves its imprint on the way 1:26). Integral to this image is in which we love others. As Pope John sexuality, because it is “male and Paul II frequently insisted in his ” together that are the image of catecheses on the theology of the God (Gn 1:27). This does not mean body, the body is the outward expression and revelation of the in life build on rather than erase the person’s interior thought and gift of our sexuality. We receive and freedom. Within this interior of the respond to God’s call to us in the human being echoes the voice of the and in the faith Creator, which declares that “it is not commitments we undertake as good for the man to be alone” (Gn Christians. In Baptism, we become 2:18b). This declaration applies adopted and of God equally to both (the Hebrew and and of Christ, word “adam” or “the man” can also be who is of God by nature (see Rom translated “humankind”). The human 8:15, 29). In marriage, we are person is fulfilled not in isolation but covenanted to another person as a only in communion with others. or . In profession to Sexuality is a visible sign of the call to religious life, we take on a new communion inscribed within our very identity as a or within a flesh. religious . The of Holy Orders confers a type of Sexuality and spiritual fatherhood on those who receive it. The sex-specific nature of Every human being is created by the these graced relations, which build on God who is love and is called to and transform many of our natural respond to this love and in turn share blood relations, is not accidental. Even it with others. The of the Christian between mature calls this “the single Christians exists between men fundamental and innate vocation of and women who are brothers and every human being.”1 St. Augustine sisters in Christ by virtue of their wrote famously at the beginning of his Baptism.4 Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are Sexuality as a Task to Be restless till they rest in You.”2 Yet this restless heart beats within persons Undertaken who are inescapably male and female. Like any gift of God entrusted to And so our response to the love of God humanity, sexuality requires or the love of others is expressed in cultivation or development. This is and through our sexuality. We learn to where formation in human sexuality relate to others in love as sexual plays its most important role. persons composed of body and soul.3 Catechesis in human sexuality not It is for this reason that the basic only aims to create an appreciation of forms of Christian vocation or states the gift of sexuality and the way in which it is a fundamental part of a 1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. person’s Christian vocation; it also (Washington, DC: Libreria Editrice Vaticana– Conference of Catholic [USCCB], 2000), no. 1604. 4 This is not to suggest that the single life is a 2 Confessions 1, 1. vocation in the same sense that marriage, 3 On the unity of body and soul in love between consecrated religious life, or priesthood are the sexes, see Pope Benedict XVI, God Is Love , but it is a in which a larger (Deus Caritas Est) (Washington, DC: USCCB, number of Christians spend a significant 2006), nos. 2 and 5. portion of their lives. helps prepare a person to take up and development as part of their overall live this vocation. However, such physical , and must also catechesis must take different forms give them the means to protect depending on the maturity and state themselves from sexual by in life of those receiving it and must others. aim to form not just the intellect, but As they into and also the whole person. further into the sacramental life of the When discussing preparation for the Church, young people enter the stage vocation of marriage, Pope John Paul of proximate formation in sexuality. II divided this preparation into Adolescents need a clearer remote, proximate, and immediate.5 presentation of Christian vocations Formation in human sexuality follows (marriage, consecrated religious life, a similar trajectory, although to this and the priesthood) and the role of we might add the additional category sexuality within each. In particular, of ongoing formation. they need a clearer presentation of Christian sexual , the reasons Remote formation in human sexuality why sex is ordered to the union of begins in childhood through the in marriage and the gift of teaching and example of parents. Both children, and the challenges posed to because they know their children best this understanding by the culture that and because of the surrounds them. Many parents seek provided by their own witness of love help from persons outside their as men and women, parents make a family, such as pastors, religious unique and irreplaceable contribution educators, and trusted teachers, to in this regard.6 In their children’s meet the challenges of forming their early years, parents express this role children in an authentic vision of by, for example, teaching their human sexuality during this crucial children their irreplaceable value and period. However, in doing so, they do uniqueness as created in the image of not relinquish their role as the God and the ways in which their primary educators of their children in bodies reflect this goodness. It is also the faith or in the gift of their helpful to teach children the correct sexuality. names of their body parts and gently discourage autoerotic activity as they As young people pass into adulthood, grow. When children move into school they begin the stage of immediate age, they need a more complete formation in human sexuality. In this understanding of sexual growth and stage, they need not only a mature grasp of sexuality and its place within 5 See Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation the states of life in which they live and On the Family (Familiaris Consortio) the vocations they discern, but also a (Washington, DC: USCCB, 1982), no. 66. 6 For a more detailed overview of the stages of comprehensive understanding of the age-appropriate formation in sexuality and the way this gift ought to be lived in these role of parents within it, see the helpful vocations. That is, they need a clear document of the Pontifical Council for the understanding of the shape that Family, The and Meaning of Human takes for single, celibate, and Sexuality (1995), nos. 77-111, at www.vatican.va. married Christians and a detailed understanding of the nature of Sometimes it is wrongly assumed that obstacles to chastity in the forms of the task of formation ends with the , , , choice of a vocation such as marriage. , or This is not the case. It is here that we violence, contraception, and the might introduce the concept of challenges faced by Christians called ongoing formation in sexuality. This to chastity who have a homosexual can take the form of ongoing orientation. However, here and educational opportunities, ministries, throughout this process, it is or support groups aimed at those important to remember that forming persons who are already married. The persons in chastity (the task of an focus of such outreach could be authentic catechesis in sexuality) particular challenges faced by couples involves more than imparting during the course of a marriage— . It means providing a ways to deepen intimacy through vision that can challenge shallow improved communication and conflict cultural views of sex as a commodity resolution; the challenges facing or a mere outlet for undirected couples dealing with , freedom for pleasure.7 It also means substance abuse, or a failing marriage; creating a church community graced or the impact of aging on a couple’s by specific practices that shape the sexual relationship. This is perhaps character of its members to make one of the most underdeveloped areas them capable of giving themselves in of formation in human sexuality in the love through practices such as Church at the present moment. Just as personal and liturgical , the gift of sexuality embraces the outreach to the poor, and care for whole of a person’s life, so must the human life in its most vulnerable effort to appreciate, form, and live it. stages, for example, when it is unborn, disabled, or elderly.

7 On these shallow views of the body and sex, see Deus Caritas Est, no. 5.

Copyright © 2010, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All reserved. Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for non-commercial use.

Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, copyright © 2000, Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture texts used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, copyright © 1991, 1986, and 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC 20017 and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved.