Is the Church Hostile to Sex?

by Kilian SC · April 15, 2017

(CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Marie-Anne te Brake – ‘The Catholic Church is hostile to sex.” This comment comes up so often, and I can’t help wondering if people say this to justify society’s and their own immoral sexual behaviour.

What most of them don’t realise is that it is not the Church but they who are “hostile to sex”.

If we all understood the true, Christian meaning of sexual intercourse — simply put, as the physical expression of the marriage vows made at the altar—then we would realise that our worldly expression of sexual love is an expression of hostility towards its true meaning.

The sexual act (or marital act, as it used to be called) is an expression of Christian marital love. What is Christian love? Simply, concern for the other; placing the other first.

Sexual intercourse is the most complete way of expressing the total gift of one person to another.

What do we mean by total? Total means self-donation of one to the other in its entirety and until death. It can’t be total for a few hours or just a couple of years.

Sexual intercourse is the mystical expression of self-giving love, iconic of Christ’s love for the Church (Ephesians 5:25). How did Christ love his bride, the Church? By laying down his life (total), which he did of his own free will so that we might have life (fruitful) and have it in abundance.

Christian marriage reflects this free, total, faithful and fruitful love of Christ.

There is much we don’t know about sex and marriage. The world- renowned Catholic speakers Christopher West and Jason Clark from the COR Project USA will be in South Africa in September to address the youth, married couples, singles, clergy and religious on how the Church is anything but hostile towards sex, and similar topics.

Marie-Anne te Brake represents the Foundation for the Person and the Family. To find out more about the Christopher West conference contact 078 534-0389 for more info or go to www.tobsa.co.za to register.