Bishops Talk Chastity

The Canadian bishops have jumped right to the heart of our sexualized culture with a pastoral letter on a topic that has rarely been breathed about from the pulpit or in the schools: chastity for young people.

How quaint, some may say.

Yet there are indications that youth today are open to the chastity message, after seeing the ruin that premarital sex has made of so many lives – an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancies, abortion and mistrust of commitment. Today, chastity may just be the kind of countercultural message that kids are looking for. It can be presented as the ultimate way to "die for the one you love," while remaining alive.

The "Pastoral Letter to Young People on Chastity" was released January 27th by the Commission for Doctrine of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). It does not draw much from the popular idiom or hip phrases that some chastity speakers use, those who reference the street language and music of youth.

Rather, the pastoral letter presents human sexuality as an adult topic that young people need to be initiated into. The opening words set the tone: "Living a life of chastity is an ongoing journey which requires both guidance and encouragement." The Canadian bishops will provide "some words of direction and support" for the difficult task of remaining chaste in a culture of temptation.

The letter draws from traditional Church teaching and the sections on chastity and purity found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The body is the "temple of the Holy Spirit." Sexuality is "a gift from God and a fundamental part of what makes us human." The virtue of chastity "involves the integration of the powers of love and life placed in us." Chastity is "difficult for everyone: single, married or consecrated."

There are few concessions to youthful exuberance over sexuality. "The body is our doorway to salvation, and so how we treat it matters."

There are sections on chastity for singles, married couples, consecrated religious and priests, and a very helpful section on recovering the virtue of chastity after premature sexual activity. Then the letter ends with a presentation of a role model, St. Augustine, who had a longtime lover and fathered a child before his conversion. Also held up for emulation are Blessed Kateri, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, and St. Gianna Beretta Molla.

It will be interesting to see how the letter is received by the young people to whom it is addressed, since it doesn’t speak the language of youth. It seeks to elevate the discussion to a level of maturity and presents the truth without apology. But maybe that’s what young people are looking for – a serious discussion on sex without the sugar coating, that is very obviously meant for their own good.

Read the pastoral letter on the CCCB website.

See a YouTube video presentation of the pastoral letter.

Comments

[Amay P. Ong Vaño]

Most of us can resist anything except temptation. It is indeed easier to avoid temptation than to resist it. If the temptation is away, it is easier to be chaste; but if the temptation is beside you, that may be another story. Ergo, stay away from temptation. Don't try to resist it; just avoid it. It's the best policy to be remain chaste.