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Why does the Catholic Church say ...? |
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Please note: If you have questions about the Catholic perspective on these or any other subject, the best place to start is a search through the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The institution of marriage has been understood throughout or civilization as a union between one man and one woman, dedicated to their well-being and to the procreation adn education of children. Social scientists agree that marriage has a vital role to play in the health of society, since marriage is the best arrangement (emotionally, economically, and otherwise) for the well-being of adults and children. Among the reasons are:
These findings can be found, for example, in the writings of well-respected social scientists such as David Blankenhorn (see his book, The Future of Marriage, or this summary article). As a result, it is no surprise that our society has always recognized and protected marriage in its laws, since it is marriage is a natural part of human and social well-being. Every well-ordered society in history has made a special effort to protect, promote, and encourage marriage as an institution that fulfills spouses and protects their children. This is in keeping with the teachings of the Church as well:
Our faith teaches us that marriage is a central part of God's plan for human persons, that the Lord has ordained it as a special and privileged relationship, and has blessed it with many graces. As the Bishops of the United States have explained it in this way:
For more information about Catholic beliefs about marriage, please check out the U.S. Bishops' website. In modern times, unfortunately, there is a growing social acceptance of non-marital unions (cohabiting couples, "domestic partners", same-sex "marriages"), and they are being given the same legal status as marriage. This will undermine the privileged place of marriage as the foundation of society. It will also inevitably lead to greater social instability and will harm both adults and children. Check out our "Defend Marriage" page for recent public policy threats to marriage. Also, see below for more information about cohabitation.
We are all God’s children. And for those
people with same sex attraction, God has great
mercy and love. For many, it is a cross in which
they and their families carry with deep sorrow
and ambivalence. As Christians, we must seek and
uphold God’s truth, with love, for ourselves and
others, often in spite of the difficulty it
brings. For more information, check out:
In the aftermath of the tragic Terri Schiavo case, there has been a great deal of attention paid to end of life issues, including “living wills” and "extraordinary treatment". It is very important that we clearly understand the basic issues involved in this area, as well as the relevant teachings of the Church. Moral Principles Decisions regarding the medical care of
gravely ill person have great moral
significance. They require us to face the
reality of suffering and death, in the light of
faith, confident in the redemptive power of our
suffering united to the Cross of Christ, with
the sure hope of the resurrection. In 2007, the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith said "The administration of food and
water even by artificial means is, in principle,
an ordinary and proportionate means of
preserving life. It is therefore obligatory to
the extent to which, and for as long as, it is
shown to accomplish its proper finality, which
is the hydration and nourishment of the patient.
In this way suffering and death by starvation
and dehydration are prevented." (See also
the Congregation's
Commentary on this declaration for a fuller
discussion of nutrition and hydration,
particularly in the case of persons in a
so-called "vegetative state") Much is heard about “living wills” -- a
specific instruction on a particular course of
medical treatment, usually with regard to
life-sustaining treatment. They are also known
as “advance directives”. Under New York State law, a Health Care Proxy
allows you to choose someone you trust to make
medical decisions for you, if you can’t do it
for yourself. It only takes effect if you are
incapacitated and it lapses if you recover. A sample Health Care Proxy form, with instructions, is available here. A Spanish version is available here. For more information, contact us or download this information sheet. Public Policy Issues In many places, efforts are being made to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia. For more information about these issues, here are some helpful links: for more information on contraception please go to our NFP vs Contraception page
Conventional wisdom tells young couples that living together before marriage is a good idea -- a way to test the relationship and to determine if you're really ready for marriage. As with so many other popular myths, this one is absolutely wrong. Studies show very clearly that living together does not “work”. The divorce rate for couples who have lived together is much higher than for other couples (some studies report a 50% higher divorce rate); in the case of men who have lived with a series of women, the divorce rate is even higher; and the longer the couple lives together, the higher is the divorce rate. The conditional and temporary nature of the cohabitation arrangement typically leaves the couple with communication and conflict resolution problems, and often leads them to lack trust in each other. They also frequently have serious reservations about entering into the permanent bond of marriage. In reality, living together before marriage is not a good idea for a strong relationship. The problem with cohabitation goes much deeper than these pragmatic concerns. The gift of sexuality has profound meaning, written into our very nature by God. Our sexuality is intended by God to lead us to the life-long bond of marriage, in which we give ourselves to our spouse freely, fully, fruitfully, faithfully, and forever. When spouses make love, they proclaim this covenant with their bodies. Living together before marriage, and the sexual activity that goes along with it, fails to fulfill this beautiful purpose and meaning of our sexuality. It is not the full and unconditional giving of oneself for life, since by its very nature it is conditional and temporary. In effect, living together is a mirage. It resembles the real thing -- marriage -- but it leads us astray and deprives us of the true and full gift of self God wants for us. As a result, living together before marriage -- and any sexual activity outside of marriage -- undermines our ability to love one another and gravely wounds our relationship with God. What should you do if you’re living together before marriage? You should speak honestly and openly to your priest about the situation, and either separate or agree to be chaste until marriage. Also, go to Confession, and seek God’s forgiveness and healing. You should also take a serious look at your motivations and expectations about your relationship, and ask yourselves if you are truly ready to enter into a life-long marriage. For more information, see this interview with a nationally-respected expert on successful marriages. Also, please check out the statement by the Bishops of Pennsylvania, on "Living Together", and the report "Should We Live Together?", published by the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University.
Contrary to what many believe, pornography is not harmless. Many people, along with their families and children, are seriously harmed by the twisted messages that are contained in sexually explicit pictures, books, magazines, movies and websites. Pornographic images and writings distort the beautiful gift of sexuality by separating its expression from the covenant of marriage. Pornography also teach us to treat ourselves and others as mere objects to use for sexual pleasure -- which is the very opposite of authentic human love. The use of pornography gives support and money to a corrupt and profoundly unjust industry that is founded on the degradation and exploitation of men, women and children. There are many victims of pornography. For many people, both men and women, pornography is not just a question of a bad habit -- they have become burdened with a virtual addiction to pornography and compulsive sexual behavior, particularly due to the Internet. The good news is that there is help available for those who are attracted to pornography or who have sexual addictions. If someone you love has this problem, we would recommend that they check our our website, True Freedom.
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