Topic:  Has the Church's position on pre-marital sex changed?

Source of this posting: Moderator response

Date originally posted: April 3, 2003

Moderator who originally posted this source: Cathy Rusin

Question:  I am interested in knowing if the Catholic Church's position on pre-marital intercourse has CHANGED at all since the first formation of the Church and if it has, when and how?

Answer: 

The Church has always viewed sexual intercourse as "a profound means of love and commitment between a man and a woman" (This Is Our Faith by Michael Pennock), but our teaching has evolved regarding the purpose of this gift from God.

To go back to the same book for quotes, the two main purposes of sexual intercourse are "unitive, that is, to bond a man and woman together as partners for life; and procreative, that is, to share in God's creative activity of bringing new life into the world." For a long time, that second reason was given fairly exclusive prominence (one made love in order to have babies). We understand better the symbolic power of this expression of a couple's love and commitment to each other, and that by its expression, that love and commitment, and that relationship may be stregthened. "We believe this can take place only when a couple has declared lifelong devotion to each other, that is, in a marriage. Sexual sharing in a marriage, then, is an authentic sign of the total gift of the husband to the wife and the wife to the husband. It mirrors the Lord's unconditional commitment to his body, the church." (Pennock)

As Church we have always viewed fornication (pre-marital intercourse) as less than the real design or purpose of God's gift of sexual sharing, in other words, a sin ("missing the mark"). Without that lifelong commitment proclaimed in the marriage vows, what is expressed outside of marriage is a false intimacy, "pleasure without responsibility" (Pennock). Sex outside of marriage is not expressive of the permanent commitment to each other that making love not only implies but strengthens, and generally doesn't lead to a fuller sharing of life between the couple. It is not simply a physical activity, but a total sharing of one's love and soul. And would you want to settle for less?

So, a long way around saying, no, the Church's position on pre-marital intercourse has not changed.