The note was published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) and is primarily concerned with monogamy.
The document, entitled Una Caro (one flesh) - In Praise of Monogamy, says that sexuality is not a mere impulse or outlet but “a marvellous gift of God”.
According to the Vatican, sex orients each person toward self-giving and the good of the other in the fullness of their person.
While this ‘conjugal charity’ can lead to children, “this does not mean that every sexual act must explicitly aim at procreation,” it says, stressing that marriage retains its essential character even when it is childless.
The document reiterates the Catholic Church’s position that marriage is exclusively a “union between one woman and one man”.
It also stresses that “marriage is not possession” and deplores “the many forms of unhealthy desire that lead to explicit or subtle violence, oppression, psychological pressure, control, and ultimately suffocation”.
Presenting the document at a press conference, Cardinal Prefect Víctor Manuel Fernández said it was no coincidence that it was published on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
ANSA
