Pope John Paul II began to teach on the theology of the body at his general audiences which were held each Wednesday at St. Peters. They were held each Wednesday from 1979 to 1984. The Holy Father began with the second creation story in Genesis. "God created man from the dust of the ground.. He blew into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living being" Man, however was alone. God said "It is not good for the man to be alone". When the animals were created God brought them to the man and he named them but none were suitable for the man. This period is called the solitude of man. God put the first man whom he had named Adam into a sleep and took from his side a rib which became a woman.. This account is theological in nature and is not political or feminist. It is that woman was made for man and man was made complete by woman. The woman was named Eve. Scripture refers to them as husband and wife. God who created them for each other commanded them to "go forth and multiply and fill the earth" This relationship is nuptial. Marriage is their vocation. At this point we will skip forward to Jesus crucifixion on the cross, Scripture says that the centurion opened Jesus side with a lance after he died, ( when He was in the sleep of death ). The wound in Jesus side produced blood and water. The water symbolizing Baptism and The blood the Holy Eucharist, both meaning life. Christ is the bridegroom and the Church which is born from His side is the bride. Christ and his Church is nuptial from which the Sacrament of Matrimony comes. "For this reason a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife". Adam said on seeing Eve, "this is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone". "What God has joined let no man put asunder" "The two shall become one flesh" The secular humanist, rationalistic mindset of human beings has fractured the original plan of God. It is the Cross of Christ that has restored the possibility of our recovering our original wholeness. We are enjoined to follow Christ and to observe the teachings of His Church to recover holiness.
On July 25, 1968 Our Holy Father Pope Paul VI promulgated his Encyclical, "Humane Vitae" ( On human life ). It was in the midst of the sexual revolution. Earlier Pope John XXIII had established a birth control commission to revisit the Churches long standing position on contraception. The birth control pill had come onto the market and there was hope that that fact would bring about a change. The commission voted to change the teaching. However the Holy Father who has the final say in such matters issued his Encyclical which caused a revolt among theologians and then among bishops and priests. The latter had been advising the laity that there would be a change. Two years elapsed before the appearance of Humanae Vitae which made the situation more difficult to deal with. The final result is dissent to this day. The dissent is misplaced however because the document is part of the ordinary magisterium of the Church and the truth. The practice of contraception within marriage has caused great damage to marriage; has resulted in divorce and abortion; the rise of pornography and sexually transmitted disease. Since marriage has become sterile the question is asked, " why not homosexual activity and why not that activity extended to homosexual unions. Gay marriage is now considered a right that stands along side of heterosexual marriage. Many of our states have approved of it. The sixth commandment has been shattered. Marriage is between one man and one woman. It is so according to Gods plan as set forth in Genesis. It is so by virtue of human reason and the natural law.
This state of things cannot stand. The leaders of the Church must teach and preach about the truth from the pulpits of our Churches. The elected officials must turn back laws that are unfriendly to marriage. In the Catholic Church Humanae Vitae should be taught alongside the theology of the body. Without including Humanae Vitae talking against abortion and about natural family planning will not have their desired effect.
The time is NOW. Let's not wait any longer. The Lord said, "Be not afraid" "Preach the gospel in season and out of season."
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