by Nicholas DiMarzio

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

This is first in a series on Theology of the Body.

As bishop, I have noticed one particular area today that seems to be misunderstood, even within church-going Catholic circles, is the human person and sexuality as seen from Sacred Scripture.  Over the next few weeks, I will discuss the dignity of the human person and will take my inspiration from John Paul II’s teaching on Theology of the Body, which he introduced in weekly audiences from 1979 to 1984.

It is hard to argue with the Word of God in the Sacred Scripture.  We can begin to understand the human person by going to the beginning: the Book of Genesis and the creation of man and woman. It is here that we see the original unity of man and woman in their original innocence, and how this was destroyed by sin.

In Genesis, we find Adam is viewed by God as incomplete, and that he should not be alone.  So God created them in His own image, male and female. From the rib of Adam, He created Eve to be his helpmate. Adam and Eve are made for one another as partners, to be fertile and to bring new life into the world.  It is no less than the image of God that is invoked by Scripture to explain the true dignity of man and woman. Theology of the Body can also be understood as the theology of sex for masculinity and femininity because we find in our understanding of the human person the true value of sexuality in the personality of man and woman.

In a beautiful homily on the occasion of the rededication of the Sistine Chapel, Blessed John Paul II said, “It seems that Michelangelo, in his own way, allowed himself to be guided by the evocative words of the Book of Genesis which, as regards the creation of the human being, male and female, reveals: ‘The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame’ (Gn 2:25).  The Sistine Chapel is precisely – if one may say so – the sanctuary of the theology of the human body.”

Several years after Michelangelo’s work was originally finished, a new pope from Holland, Adrian VI, ordered that loin cloths be painted over most of the images in the Sistine Chapel.  Today, the loin cloths have been removed and the true beauty of Michelangelo’s understanding of the human body is revealed.  No one looks upon his masterpiece, The David, and believes it is pornographic.  Our problem today is that our sense of sin and shame has been corrupted.  We no longer understand what sin is about.

The two pillars on which Blessed John Paul II built his Theology of the Body are the Sermon on the Mount and St. Paul’s teaching on the human body.  In the Sermon on the Mount, the greatest sermon preached by Jesus, we see the teaching of purity of heart.

We see in Our Lord’s conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well that He demonstrates an understanding of human weakness and the many obstacles to living a life of grace. As with the woman caught in adultery, Jesus neither condones her actions nor condemns her.  Rather, he tells her to go and sin no more.
Today, in our own society, unfortunately, the phenomenon of open marriages and promiscuity contradicts the commandment not to commit adultery.  When there is a lack of appreciation for the dignity of the human person, sex is reduced to a means of pleasure. Adultery becomes, for too many, an inconsequential action.

However, it can destroy a relationship between a couple where human forgiveness of such actions is nearly impossible.

St. Paul’s teaching on the human body is the other pillar of John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body.  It is best characterized as life according to the spirit.  St. Paul has been mischaracterized as one who did not appreciate human sexuality.  In fact, the opposite is true.  When St. Paul speaks of life according to the spirit, the perennial conflict between the flesh and the spirit is always at work.  In his view, the fruits of the spirit compliment the true understanding of human sexuality.

Still, St. Paul also did not shy away from  listing the works of the flesh, the cardinal sins, or also known as the seven deadly sins.  He condemns them, yet the words he uses to those to whom he writes are “To live by the spirit, for our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit.”

St. Paul’s understanding of the Incarnation gives a basis for an understanding of the human body beyond the Old Testament terms because now the body of the God Man becomes the image of every human person.

It is hard to do justice to the wonderful teaching of Blessed John Paul II on the Theology of the Body.  However, in this brief synopsis, I have put out into the deep and, hopefully, what has been said by way of précis has not been misunderstood.

Obviously, there is no substitute for reading the Theology of the Body for oneself.  It is available under the title “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology Of The Body,” translated by the internationally renowned biblical scholar Michael Waldstein in 2006 by Pauline Books and Media.

Another book by Christopher West entitled, “At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelization” is another good explanation in light of the needs of the New Evangelization and how this theology can be applied.

by Paul Morisi

As I began my work in youth and young adult ministry, I sought counsel from others who worked with young people in the Church. I spoke with many wonderful people who gave me many insights. The one piece that sticks out in my mind is “the youth are not the Church of the future, they are the Church of now and we are responsible for them now.” That idea really put my ministry into perspective. My work is vital to the youth.
At a recent Theology on Tap, a program where young adults come to hear a discussion of the faith in a casual bar setting, Msgr. Kieran Harrington, Vicar for Communications, addressed a group of over two dozen young adults about how society, particularly the media, views the Catholic Church and sex. It was a great discussion.  Again, I found myself thinking about our responsibility to the young people of our diocese.
How many Catholics really know what the Church teaches about sex? How many Catholics would know what “NFP” (Natural Family Planning) stands for?  My guess would be that Catholics know more about what those outside the Church have told us about what they think the Church teaches regarding sex. The next question is, “Why do people not know the actual Church teachings on sex?” The debate that emerged out of the Theology on Tap led to some interesting points.
Sexual morality is rarely addressed from the pulpit. It is often glossed over within our religious education programs. One can argue why or why not those are the venues. But, if it isn’t addressed there, where is one to find out the truth about the Church’s teachings on sex?
In recent years, Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body has come to the forefront. Theology of the Body is a collection of talks given by the late pope on the study of God through our bodies. At the time it was a revolutionary concept, and in many ways it remains so today.  Authors and presenters like Christopher West have made the teachings of JPII more available to the public. Not only has Christopher West written extensively on this topic, a quick YouTube search brings up several video clips of his presentations. He explains the content in a way that we, the everyday Catholic Christian, can understand it.
This topic isn’t only for adults. Ascension Press has Theology of the Body for Teens and middle school programs. These come with DVDs, teacher manuals, and student and parent workbooks.
Recently, a very helpful resource has been the Philadelphia group Generation Life (generationlife.org). Now with a base within the Archdiocese of New York, Generation Life sends lay missionaries (a young man and woman to each presentation) to speak to high schools and middle schools on pro-life issues, chastity and sex. Many of their teachings stem from their background in Theology of the Body.
A participant at the Theology on Tap that inspired this reflection questioned the marketing of these programs. He wondered why these avenues for educating our communities, in particular our youth, weren’t employed more. Perhaps there has to be a greater effort in bringing these programs to the local parish and school level.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Theologians and bishops have complementary roles in furthering understanding of the Catholic faith, but the former must ultimately defer to the latter on questions of definitive interpretation, according to a new report from a Vatican panel of theological advisers.
“Theology Today: Perspectives, Principles and Criteria” is the latest report from the International Theological Commission, a group of theologians appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to study themes of current interest and offer expert advice to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The report acknowledges an inevitable tension, while emphasizing a need for harmony, between the practice of theology and the exercise by the pope and bishops of the magisterium, the Church’s teaching authority in matters of faith and morals.
“Bishops and theologians have distinct callings and must respect one another’s particular competence, lest the magisterium reduce theology to a mere repetitive science or theologians presume to substitute the teaching office of the church’s pastors,” the theologians write.

The Pastoral Institute will offer a 10-week, 20-hour Foundations for Ministry Program in five languages beginning in February at various sites throughout the diocese.

Men and women who are discerning participation in the three-year Lay Ministry program or who desire a basic update in theology for ministry can study in English, Haitian Kreyòl, Mandarin, Polish and Spanish.

The 10-week program covers topics such as Theology as a Field of Study, The Emerging Role of the Laity, Jesus: His Mission, His Message, His Ministry, and Moral Theology, to name a few. Persons who successfully complete the program may be eligible to receive ongoing or enrichment formation credits for the Living and Leading by Faith catechist formation program.

Registration forms have already been distributed to pastors, administrators, directors of religious education and pastoral associates via Dionet.

For further information, visit the Pastoral Institute webpage http://dioceseofbrooklyn.org/pi/fmp/ or contact Nelsa I. Elías, Pastoral Institute, 718-281-9556 or nelias@diobrook.org for a registration form.