Deeper Understanding of Marriage and Sexuality

　　　

Janet E. Smith, Ph.D.

　　　

(The Church's condemnation of contraception went unchallenged for centuries. In attempting to explain its condemnation, the Church has deepened its understanding of marriage and the meaning of the sexual act.)

　　　

The Church, however, does not condemn the use of contraception because it is an act that has badconsequences. Rather, it teaches that since contraception is an intrinsically evil action, it is predictable that it will have bad consequences. The Church teaches that contraception is evil because it violates the very purpose and nature of the human sexual act, and therefore violates the dignity of the human person. The　experience of the last several decades has simply served to reinforce the wisdom of the Church's teaching.

　　　

But it is not only on a practical level that we have a better understanding of the Church's teaching; our　theoretical understanding has also been much advanced. Often it happens that the Church does not know very fully the reasons for what it teaches until it is challenged. The Church's condemnation of contraception went unchallenged for centuries. In attempting to explain its condemnation, the Church has deepened its understanding of marriage and the meaning of the sexual act. Again, John Paul II, with his claim that the sexual act signifies total self-giving and his insight that contraception diminishes that self-giving, has made an enormous contribution to our understanding of the evil of contraception.