Purify Your Bride

He certainly confirms the link between Humanae Vitae and Deus caritas est that Christopher West saw. I see Deus caritas est as starting at a place of “God is love” that all Catholics are agreed on. Then the pope shows us how reflecting on the relationship between eros and agape and the relationship between body and soul we naturally arrive as a Catholic sexual morality. He avoided explicitly stating the moral code because the media would make that the headline. Instead he led us most of the way down the path and hoped we would finish the journey on our own. I am not sure enough people did that because it seems he got a lot more explicit with his second encyclical. He is figuring out he needs to spoon feed us. So he took this opportunity to fill in some of the blanks he left. Yes, I did mean to imply that this line of reasoning would exclude artifical contraception as morally licit behavior.

He also refers to the “emergency in education” that he sees in the Catholic church as a whole being particularly bad when it comes to this doctrine. He says:

I hope that very special attention may be given to young people above all, so that they may learn the true sense of love and may be prepared through an adequate education in sexuality, without being distracted by ephemeral messages that prevent them from getting to the essence of truth which is in play.

To provide false illusions about love or to deceive them about the genuine responsibilities that they are called on to assume with the exercise of their own sexuality does not do honor to a society that claims to have principles of freedom and democracy.

These are strong words. When you accuse an education system of deceiving and providing false illusions that is a pretty massive failure. Suggesting we actually prevent young people from getting to the essence of the truth about sex. It seems pretty accurate. So many Catholic parishes and Catholic schools simply do not touch this subject. It gives the impression that nothing can be said in defense of this teaching. That is so far from the truth. There are very strong moral arguments. There is a ton of Christian tradition -both protestant and Catholic. Then there are the people who live it. So many real families that explode the myths about NFP.

From today’s gospel:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:16-17

Children are the most obvious fruit we can bear. They are fruit that will last. As a protestant I never read this chapter and thought: “What if I don’t want the fruit that God has chosen me to bear? Fruit that lasts might involve a big commitment. That could be scary.” I never thought that because the fruit God gives can only be a blessing and never a curse. But when you apply the verse to children people are not so sure.

Jesus even follows this with one of the most amazing promises in scripture. Of course, it is often quoted out of context without connecting it to fruit-bearing at all. He knows we will need extra grace to do the things he has called us to do. They are not easy things. They are God-sized tasks and we should ask God for help constantly.

Finally the last verse is so awesome in the context of procreation. We are commanded to love each other. Yes, that means sexually but with all the fullness that sex was intended to have. Then that love just overflows into love for your children. It grows as your family grows rather than declining as you bodies get old. Jesus wants us to be great lovers.

Update: Apparently one important Canadian Archbishop has already started teaching this and encouraging priests to teach it. Here is the story.