SEXUALITY
AND
PARENTHOOD
sexuality & parenthood
In this presentation we
set out the Catholic
vision of sexuality and
parenthood, together
with some of the values,
attitudes and morality
that flow from this.
sexuality & parenthood
Some in the
media say that
the Church is
obsessed with sex
sexuality & parenthood
sexuality & parenthood
Not so! It’s society
that is obsessed with
sex
sexuality & parenthood
Sex used to be spoken about only
behind closed doors or as the
topic of suggestive remarks. Now
it’s something everyone must
know everything about, including
every form of sexual depravity.
But sex offences, especially
those involving children, need
to be dealt with by the police,
whoever the perpetrator.
It’s no excuse that sex is
used as a marketing tool for
selling just about anything.
sexuality & parenthood
The Church HAS to say something
because of distorted views and
practices conveyed through the media
by individuals and groups with financial
interest in things sexual…
sexuality & parenthood
*If there were no pleasure
attached to sex, who would
do it?
Pleasure there for a purpose – two purposes:
To strengthen the couple’s relationship
AND to give them the ability to share with
God in the creation of another human
being – That’s STUPENDOUS!
sexuality & parenthood
sexuality & parenthood
*SEX and SEXUALITY are GOD’S IDEA
not ours. One of God’s greatest gifts.
Because God seldom gets mentioned it’s
not surprising that ideas and attitudes
concerning sex & sexual behaviour have
become distorted.
sexuality & parenthood
The gift has become
separated from the giver.
There is even confusion
about the words used!
sexuality & parenthood
SEX = MALE…
sexuality & parenthood
…& FEMALE
and the two go together
sexuality & parenthood
SEXUALITY is all those things
that go with being male or
female – including physical and
emotional differences.
They are all part of being
human.
sexuality & parenthood
SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
involves genital and erotic
activity. We are all sexual
beings, but it isn’t necessary to
become involved in genital
sex to be fully human.
sexuality & parenthood
Priests and Religious Brothers
and Sisters freely choose to
remain celibate
to be free to serve wherever
they are needed.
Giving up marriage
voluntarily isn’t easy.
All of us have difficulty at
times managing our
sexuality.
sexuality & parenthood
Not everyone gets married, but
everyone is a sexual human
being to be loved and accepted
for who they are – and able
themselves to give and
receive love
The Book of Genesis says that God
made them male and female and
intended them to be ‘two becoming
one flesh’. He also said to them
‘increase and multiply and make it
(creation) yours’
sexuality & parenthood
‘Two becoming one flesh’
– that’s the UNITIVE purpose of
our sexuality
‘Increase and multiply’
– that’s the PRO-CREATIVE
purpose
‘Two becoming one flesh’
is part of the life-long
commitment that is marriage.
sexuality & parenthood
This is not the Church’s idea: it’s
God’s! All the Church does is to
tell us what Jesus said and what
follows from what he said.
sexuality & parenthood
This is what is behind
the Catholic Church’s
teaching about abortion,
contraception and divorce
sexuality & parenthood
SEXUAL INTERCOURSE is
about giving and receiving
love, in such a way that both
partners grow in their love
and respect for each other
and for themselves
It’s the most intimate
form of communication
– a bringing together
and celebrating of
all that is going on in
your relationship
sexuality & parenthood
*It’s a 24 hour relationship in
which you show your love in
countless ways, through
words and actions,
culminating in sexual
intercourse, which leaves
you with a feeling of
being loved and
cherished and
special to each other.
sexuality & parenthood
The media stress technique
and performance, but every
couple is different, every
day is different - with its
own pressures and
conflicts and each person
is continually changing.
Fulfilling love-making grows,
develops and changes as the
years go by. It is putting the
focus on
self-GIVING love
NOT
SELF-centred behaviour.
sexuality & parenthood
It’s about forgiving, healing and
beginning again…
sexuality & parenthood
…because there are times when
you will feel misunderstood!
sexuality & parenthood
It’s about a union of spirits as
well as a union of bodies so
that ‘two may become one’.
sexuality & parenthood
sexuality & parenthood
sexuality & parenthood
Three things have to be noted:
*At your wedding you will
be asked this question:
That children are a
gift from God
That you have to be
willing to accept children
That they need
to be brought
up as Christians
“Are you willing to accept
children lovingly from God
and to bring them up
according to the law of
Christ and his Church?”
sexuality & parenthood
*Parents are the first
religious educators of their
children. The church
community and Catholic
schools are there to support
parents in this task.
Parents have the first
responsibility to teach
their children about God,
about Jesus, and about
how to pray
sexuality & parenthood
Children are a gift from
God. They are not our
possession. We
cooperated with God in
their coming to life, but
they are unique individuals.
Just as your parents
nurtured you until you
began to make your own
decisions regarding the
future direction of your life,
you will do the same.
sexuality & parenthood
In these cases your ‘Yes’ to
accepting children may be
really tested, but often the
maternal instinct takes
over and the child is loved.
*That you be willing to
accept children may be
easy with regard to the first
child. But sometimes the
arrival of a child is
unexpected and parents
have to make massive
adjustments to their lives.
sexuality & parenthood
Sadly, in one in four cases
nowadays people are not
willing to accept the child
and it is removed by
surgical abortion.
sexuality & parenthood
If a couple decided before
they marry NEVER to have
any children, and intend to
take every means to prevent
conception this invalidates
their marriage in the eyes of
the Catholic Church. That’s
because being willing to
accept children is part of
God’s purpose for our
sexuality
sexuality & parenthood
Serious difficulties can
arise in this area so it
is important to talk
about it, and
pray about it.
You promise when you
marry to bring up your
children as Christians
This can present difficulties
if both are Christians but
belong to different
denominations, or if one is
not a Christian, or has
no religion.
sexuality & parenthood
*Research in many countries shows
that the well-being of a child is
best served by parents who are
committed to each other in the
stable, secure, loving relationship
which is marriage.
planning your family
planning your family
*It is reasonable to plan the arrival
of children. The only question is
the method used, and its morality,
which must take into account
God’s arrangement of things.
planning your family
God has already inserted a method
of conception control into His
planning for marriage and family
life. It is used by 83 million people
worldwide. Conception is only
possible for 3-5 days of the fertility
cycle.
planning your family
With knowledge of His
arrangement of things couples can
plan the arrival or delay the arrival
of another child.
planning your family
More and more couples are
concerned about the effect of
various forms of contraceptive
methods and are turning to
NATURAL family planning…
…which requires a
measure of
self-control…
…but has no
side-effects!
planning your family
*It requires a commitment to the
method by both husband and
wife, so both need to be
involved in the tuition but is
easy to learn.
NFP is now so accurate that
official statistics of the World
Health Organisation state that
when properly taught and properly
used it is as reliable as most forms
of contraceptive birth control.
planning your family
An increasing number of
couples have difficulty
conceiving a child. NFP can
be a help in determining the
onset of ovulation.
How would you feel if you were
unable to conceive a child?
planning your family
PLEASE DON’T DISMISS NFP
without first looking at the
research which proves its
reliability and lack of side effects.
You will find information about
NFP on the CD we will give you
before you leave.
sexuality & parenthood
sexuality & parenthood
bye bye!