Chapter 5

The Christian Family

“No one is without a family in this world: the Church is a home and a family for everyone”

Pope John Paul II

• Fr. Robert Barron• Priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago

Quick Summary

• Pope John Paul II -- 129 short talks between September 1979 and November 1984 (135 total)

• Building a “theological anthropology”– Who am I? (adequate anthropology)– How am I to live? (ethics & vocation)

• “The body, in fact, and it alone is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery [of God]…and thus be a sign of it” (Theology of the Body, Feb. 20, 1980 )

Theology of the Body

• Themes covered– Humanae Vitae (Church teaching on birth control)– Catholic teaching on the value of the body.– Our vocation and identity as mutual sons and daughters of

God.– God’s plan for life and love, God’s design for human sexuality.

• We humans are called to love one another. • Love is not just about feeling good, although this is a

part of love.– Love is an active decision

• United States Census Bureau reports– 10% of all marriages end in divorce between 4th-5th year– Another 10% end in divorce by the 10th year

• “The first two years of marriage are the most difficult”• Why?• 100 mental health professionals polled found that

communication problems was cited as the most common factor that leads to divorce (65 percent), followed by couples' inability to resolve conflict (43 percent)

• “Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.”

• “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't being said. The art of reading between the lines is a life long quest of the wise.” • Now, a test of our ability to communicate

Communication

• Love yourself• Communicate• Love your spouse

• Instagram’s Envy Effect handout

• “There is no escaping it, for a marriage to work each spouse will have to give up something of his or her previous self…” (144)

Foundation for marriage

Chapter 5

The Christian Family

“But opening up your soul to someone, letting them into your spirit, thoughts, fears, future, hopes, dreams… that is being naked.” –Rob Bell

• Humanae Vitae Latin for “Of Human Life”• Pope Paul VI’s Encyclical of 1968 – Encyclical- a pastoral letter written by the Pope and sent

to the whole Church and even to the whole world, to express teaching on some important matter.

• Letters Importance– the importance and meaning of marriage, conjugal love,

the meaning of sex, and the procreation of children. • Defines marital love as total integrated vision of

body and soul

Humanae Vitae 1968

• Predictions of Pope Paul VI– Infidelity and moral decline

• The Pope first noted that the widespread use of contraception would "lead to conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality."

– Lost Respect for Women• Paul VI also argued that "the man" will lose respect for "the woman" and "no

longer (care) for her physical and psychological equilibrium" and will come to "the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment and no longer as his respected and beloved companion."

– Abuse of Power• the widespread acceptance of contraception would place a "dangerous weapon...

in the hands of those public authorities who take no heed of moral exigencies."

– Unlimited Dominion• contraception would lead man to think that he had unlimited dominion over his

own body.

• In your assigned groups. • Discuss and interpret the teachings presented in your

passage(s) of Humanae Vitae.– Connect your piece of the Encyclical with a section or sections of the

current Marriage Unit from your textbook.• Your group will be responsible for explaining your passage to

the class, its connection to the textbook, and relevance today.• Each group also has a set of question that can only be

answered by listening to other groups presentations.• These questions will be due at the end of class. One sheet per

group with all members names on it.

Working with the Document

• Conjugal love-the total love between a husband and wife that encompasses their entire being, body and soul

• Two purposes of sex in marriage– Unitive and procreative– "unites husband and wife in the closest intimacy" and together

"makes them capable of generating new life,” (TOB 6, 1984)• Responsible parenthood-recognizing ones duties and

responsibilities in being cooperators with God in sharing life.• Sex

– Fosters intimacy– Provides emotional security– Reduces stress and anxiety

Love of husband and wife

• Myth vs. Fact– It is your God-given responsibility as a married

couple to have as many children as physically possible. (Myth or Fact)

– Sex for pleasure if pure evil (Myth or Fact)– A married couple may only space children in

extreme circumstances.• Read Natural Family Planning p.150

Children and Family

• Church opposes– Artificial insemination– Surrogate mothers-a woman who carries another

woman’s child by pre-arrangement or by legal contract

• Reasoning: this separate the act of sex from the act of procreation

• Options for couples who cannot conceive:– Adoption or dedicating part of their lives to service

with children

Couples cannot conceive