Glorify
God in Your Body
By
Cardinal Justin Rigali
“God
created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and
female he created them” (Gn 1:27).
From the beginning of time, man and woman had a deep sense that the
human body is sacred. Created in the divine image, the body is to be
treated with respect. The People of Israel particularly gave evidence
to this. The reverence with which they viewed the act of sexual intimacy
as well as the procreative aspect associated with sexual love set the
Israelites apart from other cultures in the ancient world. Many of these
other nations engaged in acts and fertility cults which profaned the
gift of sexuality. At times, when the People of Israel strayed and engaged
in practices common to the pagan cultures, the prophets quickly corrected
them, calling them back to fidelity to their covenant with God.
In his mission to the Gentiles, Saint Paul had to confront many pagan
practices, including rampant sexual immorality. Many parts of the ancient
Mediterranean world were infamous for their debauchery. Among these
was the port city of Corinth. Paul patiently and zealously proclaimed
the Gospel to these people, many of whom desired a better life, a more
moral way of living. Ancient Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire,
was also noted for the depravity of many of the more privileged citizens.
The message of Christ, a message of love and of hope, of sacrifice,
simplicity and chastity, was a welcome message among those who were
disheartened by the corruption of the Imperial court.
In his Letter to the Romans, Saint Paul wrote: “I urge you therefore,
brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves
to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you
may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect”
(Rm 12: 1-2). To the Corinthians, Saint Paul wrote: “Avoid immorality.
Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral
person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is
a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and
that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore
glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6: 18-20).
Pornography: pervasive and destructive
In
the climate of our society today, we recognize an alarming degradation
of the gift of sexuality. Our society is inundated with sex and sensuality
largely from the media. Films, television programs, and advertisements
are loaded with sexual reference as well as the promotion of sexual
promiscuity.
One of the most pervasive and destructive problems in our society is
pornography: graphic films, photographs, magazines, etc., which violate
human dignity by the gross misuse of the gift of sexuality. The Catechism
of the Catholic Church explains that “Pornography consists in
removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners,
in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against
chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of
the spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of the
participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an
object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all
who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense”
(no. 2354).
Pornography is a cancer upon contemporary culture. Addictive in nature,
many have been entangled in its lure and have caused great psychological
and emotional harm to themselves and even to spouses and other family
members. Furthermore, pornography frequently has been the underlying
influence upon the behavior of rapists and sexual predators. Violence,
sexual abuse, psychological trauma and ruptured relationships are the
fruit of pornography, which, astonishingly, is a multi-billion dollar
industry.
The accessibility of pornography has increased in recent decades. Through
home video entertainment, cable and satellite television, and especially
through the Internet, people have easy access to pornography. It has
been reported as well that a hand held device, similar to a palm pilot,
is being marketed which will allow consumers constant and private access
to pornography at any time and in any place. This is a great danger
for children.
Internet pornography is especially insidious. The Internet has become
such an important means of communication and information within most
households, schools and businesses. However, through the Internet, access
to and use of pornography has become even more widespread, addictive
and harmful. Father Stephen Rosetti, a licensed psychologist who is
President of Saint Luke Institute, in an article titled “Internet
Pornography: Raising the Alarm,” wrote: “Internet porn is
doubly powerful by combining the addictive nature of the Internet with
the addictive nature of sex. … Internet pornography has a ‘Triple
A Engine’ which fuels its use: Anonymity, Accessibility and Affordability.
It appears anonymous because one can use it in the privacy of one’s
office or room, and not visit an ‘adult’ bookstore. It is
accessible 24 hours a day. And it is affordable: many sites are free
although there are pay sites” (The Priest, February 2006). In
the same article, Father Rosetti sites the tragic consequences of this
type of addiction: divorce, loss of family, social life and employment.
Minors also could have access to this corrupting influence. Furthermore,
as Father Rosetti also notes, minors can become ensnared by Internet
sexual predators.
Morality In Media
In opposition to the degrading and devastating impact of pornography,
efforts have arisen to eliminate this terrible cancer from our society.
Among these is Morality In Media, a non-profit organization based in
New York. Morality In Media seeks to stop the pornography industry through
constitutional means.
The quarterly newsletter issued by Morality In Media reports on the
regular efforts to combat obscenity and provides testimony of those
whose lives were damaged because of pornography. In the October/November/December
2005 newsletter, one man explained his addiction: “When I finished
high school and was not so busy, I was drawn to pornographic videos
that I could rent from stores in my hometown. The more I watched, the
more I craved. What I did not realize was that day-by-day, I was creating
an empty pit in my soul that could not be filled with anything that
this world has to offer.” The testimony of that author captures
succinctly the trap in which people fall when they become exposed to
and addicted to pornography.
I commend the efforts of Morality In Media and other organizations which,
recognizing the positive value of television, film and the Internet,
educate the public on the dangers of obscenity and pornography. I encourage
all of the faithful, especially parents, to be conscious of the dangers
of pornography and to ascertain that pornographic web sites are not
accessible by children and youth.
Our contemporary age has experienced a vast plunge into carnal satisfaction
and sensuality. Yet we know that in contrast to these problems we proclaim
a message of charity and chastity. Genuine love and respect for human
dignity enables us to see beyond the allurements of what some may consider
“beauty.” Rather, genuine beauty lies in the awe with which
we view the act of sexual intimacy, a love that is both unitive and
procreative, a love that mirrors the sacrificial love of Christ for
His Church. In acknowledging the beauty of sexual intimacy in the permanent
covenantal love of husband and wife, we come to understand how pornography
is a grave offense against human dignity. The mystery and beauty of
the human body, too, is a reflection of the mystery and beauty of the
Creator. Conscious of this great gift which has been entrusted to each
one of us, let us all live, love and act chastely, with deep reverence
for the sacredness of sexuality that we may echo to our own age the
profound sentiments of Saint Paul: “Glorify God in your body”
(1 Cor 6: 20)!
June 8, 2006