Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics (Persona humana)
Overview
For nearly 500 years, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has defended the Catholic Church from internal heresy—whether by false teaching or malpractice of faith. It is the oldest of the Curia’s nine congregations, and is made up of cardinals, bishops, priests, lay theologians, and canon lawyers. According to Pope Paul VI’s 1965 Motu Proprio Integrae Servandae, “All questions which regard the doctrine on faith and morals or which touch upon the faith are within the competence of the Congregation … It examines new teachings and new opinions in whatever way they are spread, it promotes studies in this area, and encourages the Congresses of scholars; it condemns those teachings found to be contrary to the principles of the faith, after, however, having heard the view of the Bishops of those regions, if they are specifically connected with the issues.”
Top Highlights
“Psychology helps one to see how the immaturity of adolescence (which can sometimes persist after that age), psychological imbalance or habit can influence behavior, diminishing the deliberate character of the act and bringing about a situation whereby subjectively there may not always be serious fault.” (source)
“Even if it cannot be proved that Scripture condemns this sin by name, the tradition of the Church has rightly understood it to be condemned in the New Testament when the latter speaks of ‘impurity,’ ‘unchasteness’ and other vices contrary to chastity and continence.” (source)
“the faithful have declared without hesitation that masturbation is an intrinsically and seriously disordered act.19” (source)
“These principles and norms in no way owe their origin to a certain type of culture, but rather to knowledge of the Divine Law and of human nature. They therefore cannot be considered as having become out of date or doubtful under the pretext that a new cultural situation has arisen.” (source)
“moral matters man cannot make value judgments according to his personal whim” (source)
- Title: Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics (Persona humana)
- Author: Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
- Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
- Print Publication Date: 1975
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Sexual ethics › Catholic authors
- Resource ID: LLS:DCLRTNCRTNQSTNS
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T19:34:06Z