Sep 21, 2024 Written by 

Duality from the beginning, and not trivialising

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

1. Today, too, I would like to continue my reflection on marriage, the family and natural law. At the basis of the family is the love between a man and a woman: a love understood as a gift of self, mutual and profound, expressed also in sexual, conjugal union.

The Church is sometimes reproached for making sex a 'taboo'. The truth is quite different! Throughout history, in contrast to Manichaean tendencies, Christian thought has developed a harmonious and positive vision of the human being, recognising the significant and valuable role that masculinity and femininity play in human life.

After all, the biblical message is unequivocal: 'God created man in his own image . Male and female he created them' (Gen 1:27). Carved into this statement is the dignity of every man and woman, in their equality of nature, but also in their sexual diversity. It is a fact that profoundly touches the constitution of the human being. "From sex, in fact, the human person derives the characteristics that on a biological, psychological and spiritual level make him or her man or woman" (Congr. pro Doctrina Fidei, Persona humana, 1).

I reiterated this recently in my Letter to Families: "Man is created 'from the beginning' as male and female: the life of the human community - of small communities as well as of the whole of society - bears the mark of this original duality. From it derive the 'masculinity' and 'femininity' of individuals, just as from it every community draws its own characteristic richness in the mutual completion of persons" (John Paul II, Letter to Families, n. 6).

2. Sexuality thus belongs to the Creator's original design, and the Church cannot help but hold it in high esteem. At the same time, neither can she fail to ask everyone to respect it in its profound nature.

As a dimension inscribed in the totality of the person, sexuality constitutes a 'language' at the service of love, and therefore cannot be experienced as pure instinctuality. It must be governed by man as an intelligent and free being.

This does not mean, however, that it can be manipulated at will. In fact, it possesses its own typical psychological and biological structure, aimed both at communion between man and woman and at the birth of new persons. Respecting this structure and this inseparable connection is not 'biologism' or 'moralism', it is attention to the truth of being a man, of being a person. It is by virtue of this truth, perceptible even in the light of reason, that so-called 'free love', homosexuality and contraception are morally unacceptable. These are behaviours that distort the profound meaning of sexuality, preventing it from being at the service of the person, communion and life.

3. May the Blessed Virgin, model of femininity, tenderness and self-mastery, help the men and women of our time not to trivialise sex, in the name of a false modernity. May young people, women and families look to her. May Mary, most chaste Mother, enlighten the representatives of nations so that at the next meeting in Cairo they may take decisions inspired by authentic human values, which are the basis of the desired civilisation of love.

[Pope John Paul II, Angelus 26 June 1994]

0 Last modified on Saturday, 21 September 2024 05:36
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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The family in the modern world, as much as and perhaps more than any other institution, has been beset by the many profound and rapid changes that have affected society and culture. Many families are living this situation in fidelity to those values that constitute the foundation of the institution of the family. Others have become uncertain and bewildered over their role or even doubtful and almost unaware of the ultimate meaning and truth of conjugal and family life. Finally, there are others who are hindered by various situations of injustice in the realization of their fundamental rights [Familiaris Consortio n.1]
La famiglia nei tempi odierni è stata, come e forse più di altre istituzioni, investita dalle ampie, profonde e rapide trasformazioni della società e della cultura. Molte famiglie vivono questa situazione nella fedeltà a quei valori che costituiscono il fondamento dell'istituto familiare. Altre sono divenute incerte e smarrite di fronte ai loro compiti o, addirittura, dubbiose e quasi ignare del significato ultimo e della verità della vita coniugale e familiare. Altre, infine, sono impedite da svariate situazioni di ingiustizia nella realizzazione dei loro fondamentali diritti [Familiaris Consortio n.1]
"His" in a very literal sense: the One whom only the Son knows as Father, and by whom alone He is mutually known. We are now on the same ground, from which the prologue of the Gospel of John will later arise (Pope John Paul II)
“Suo” in senso quanto mai letterale: Colui che solo il Figlio conosce come Padre, e dal quale soltanto è reciprocamente conosciuto. Ci troviamo ormai sullo stesso terreno, dal quale più tardi sorgerà il prologo del Vangelo di Giovanni (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
We come to bless him because of what he revealed, eight centuries ago, to a "Little", to the Poor Man of Assisi; - things in heaven and on earth, that philosophers "had not even dreamed"; - things hidden to those who are "wise" only humanly, and only humanly "intelligent"; - these "things" the Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, revealed to Francis and through Francis (Pope John Paul II)
Veniamo per benedirlo a motivo di ciò che egli ha rivelato, otto secoli fa, a un “Piccolo”, al Poverello d’Assisi; – le cose in cielo e sulla terra, che i filosofi “non avevano nemmeno sognato”; – le cose nascoste a coloro che sono “sapienti” soltanto umanamente, e soltanto umanamente “intelligenti”; – queste “cose” il Padre, il Signore del cielo e della terra, ha rivelato a Francesco e mediante Francesco (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
But what moves me even more strongly to proclaim the urgency of missionary evangelization is the fact that it is the primary service which the Church can render to every individual and to all humanity [Redemptoris Missio n.2]
Ma ciò che ancor più mi spinge a proclamare l'urgenza dell'evangelizzazione missionaria è che essa costituisce il primo servizio che la chiesa può rendere a ciascun uomo e all'intera umanità [Redemptoris Missio n.2]
That 'always seeing the face of the Father' is the highest manifestation of the worship of God. It can be said to constitute that 'heavenly liturgy', performed on behalf of the whole universe [John Paul II]
Quel “vedere sempre la faccia del Padre” è la manifestazione più alta dell’adorazione di Dio. Si può dire che essa costituisce quella “liturgia celeste”, compiuta a nome di tutto l’universo [Giovanni Paolo II]

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