Catholics and Sex
Four-part documentary on SBS Television
Sundays at 7.30 p.m. (7 in Adelaide) beginning March 28
Previewed by Anne Casey
Jesus Christ had very little to say on the question of sex, yet it occupies number one position on the hierarchy of sins in the Catholic church. The church has very definite opinions and rules on almost every aspect of people's intimate and private lives.
This series draws on the experiences of ordinary Catholics and the surprisingly diverse opinions of the Catholic clergy to see how the rules governing sex outside marriage, contraception, divorce and gay and lesbian sex affect the people in the pews.
The first episode looks primarily at celibacy. It was only in 1139 that celibacy for clergy became church law. St Peter was married, and the Bible (Matthew chapter 19) talks of freedom of choice as the crucial issue. A celibate clergy is a tradition rather than a founding principle.
Celibacy, argues one clergyman, is a legitimate expression of sexuality, one choice among many. The problem arises when celibacy is set apart and above any other form of sexual expression.
Celibacy may make some people very caring, while it may leave others enclosed and embittered. The effect is not blanket, and yet it a criterion rigidly imposed on all those entering the clergy.
If priests dispense with their sexuality, says another, it removes the possibility of their failing. The sacrifice of an intimate relationship requires a lot of understanding of self. There also needs to be a distinction made between love and sex: an intimate relationship is one thing, sex another.
The more traditional proponent of the church's views adopts a different tack. "Purity", he says, "is a prized value. It may be a lifelong battle to achieve it, but a battle is not a bad thing."
Celibacy, argues a layperson, is not useful either for the person concerned or for the pastoral conduct of the church in the community, because priests can't relate to married people.
Priests in the 1970s in Ireland were still encouraging their parishioners to have large families and could not understand the economics of such a situation. Similarly, the ebbs and flows of passion and indifference of an intimate sexual relationship are unknowable to a celibate.
The church has very strong views on the issue of premarital sex. The traditionalist asks us in the aftermath of the unmentionable event: "Was it really a good time when you sit down and actually reflect on it? We are not here to be used simply for sexual gratification. We're here to be loved and, within the context of marriage, to enjoy a wholesome sexual relationship but not simply when the urge takes us." consenting adults must learn to rigorously repress their urges.
Episode two looks at contraception. Here, democracy is not high on the agenda. Between 80 and 90% of sexually active churchgoers are using artificial contraception. Yet the attitude of the hierarchy is:
"Artificial contraception is wrong. And I can't see that changing and why should it just because a high percentage of your population decide it should? Well it might not be good. I firmly believe it wouldn't be good. The Church doesn't say no to contraception. It just argues for natural methods which don't interfere with the individual. Every act of sexual intercourse has got to be open to life because life is a gift from God. Individuals shouldn't play at God." So much for input from the constituency.
The third episode focuses on the problems created by the church's insistence on the indissolubility of marriage and the ideal of one sexual partner for life. The strain and guilt this places on Catholics whose marriages break down are enormous.
The final program looks at the broader messages that Catholics glean from their church about their own sexuality anf their relationships with others — issues such as guilt and intense fear about sex and being gay or lesbian.
The Catholic Church clearly has a big problem with sex. Why does it so self-righteously assume the role of moral custodian over the most intimate areas of people's lives?
The key lies in the fact that control of people's views on sexuality gives the church an enormous power base. It allows the church a fundamental input into people's lives to which nobody is entitled. If the Church relinquished its control over the bedroom, it would indeed be relinquishing a great deal of its power. This series is worthwhile in highlighting the issues and debates within the church, and also the hierarchy's unwillingness to abandon this very important source of control.