But Christ has definitively revealed, fulfilled, and restored the nuptial meaning of the body by making a "sincere gift" of his own body to his Bride on the cross. Twisted as it has become, man's perennial fascination with sex speaks of how fundamentally important it is. Vatican II Symposia. In this way, nakedness in the presence of the other – and in the presence of God – became an experience of fear, alienation, shame. Theology of the Body: Teaching Catholic Sexuality to Teens This workshop gives an overview of St. John Paul II’s magnificent “Theology of the Body” as a foundational Christian anthropology, while also showing its implications for sexuality, morality, and youth ministry. Once you've comprehended what he is saying, you will never see the world the same way again. author of Theology "For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Co 12:10). He then concludes with a reflection on Humanae Vitae demonstrating that "the doctrine contained in this document . This is the experience of original unity, an experience that both confirms their solitude (in the sense that it confirms their person-hood, their "aloneness" in the visible world of creatures), and breaks their solitude (in the sense of finding someone to love). In his biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope, George Weigel described the theology of the body as a “theological time bomb” and “one of the boldest reconfigurations of Catholic theology in centuries.” More on Theology of the Body... 1979: 1980: Sep 05 ... of the Body Jan 16- The Man-Person Becomes a Gift in the Freedom of Love Jan 30- … This new "personalist" synthesis is by no means a departure from the Church's heritage, but an authentic development of it. Conclusion to the Series: Redemption of the Body and Sacramentality of Marriage - 11.28.1984 ... Vatican ambassador Callista Gingrich has farewell meeting with Pope Francis . 7. of the Body Explained: A Commentary on John Paul II's "Gospel of the Body". Instead, he humbled himself, taking on flesh, and in thanksgiving (eucharistia) for the gift of the Father, became obedient unto death – even death on a cross (Phi 2:6-8). While the works that were provided did not include a copyright notice, there is the potentiality of a copyright. 10. In Michael Waldstein’s, Man and Woman He Created Them – A Theology of the Body (Pauline Books & Media: 2006), p. 106. The writings speak to a reader at numerous levels: the personal, the organizational, global, sacramental, familial, paternal, maternal, fraternal, vocational, scriptural, anthropological and many others. Through the nuptial meaning of their bodies, the first man and woman experienced Love. However, because the modern mindset is very subjective and experiential, traditional formulations of the faith are typically seen as abstractions that have little to do with a person's own experience. We have to wait for a good Pope to have this shameless doctrine banished from Catholic teaching. Finally, a person I can love!". What we experience now after sin is in some way the "negative"of the image whose "positive" had been these original experiences (cf. News about Sex and Marriage: Answers to Your Honest Questions about Catholic Teaching, Theology These truths are confirmed and more deeply realized in the subjective experiences of Adam and Eve in the second creation account (here we begin to see how John Paul masterfully marries an objective and subjective world view for a "total vision of man," as discussed in Part I of this series). Revolution, Good In a clarion call for husbands to uphold the dignity of their wives, John Paul stated that a man can commit adultery "in his heart" even with his own wife if he treats her only as an object to satisfy concupiscence (cf. Have your diocesan director of continuing education schedule theology of the body speakers for the priests of the diocese. In this freedom they saw and knew each other "with all the peace of the interior gaze, which creates… the fullness of the intimacy of persons" (General Audience 1/2/80). Man's supreme calling is that he is made for nuptial union with Christ! Christopher West "The Pope's Theology of the Body." "Communion of persons" (communio personarum in Latin) is a key concept for John Paul. Experience confirms the Pope's observation, and history tells the tale of sin's effect on man and woman's relationship ("Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you" – Gen 3:16). This positive image makes visible the invisible mystery of God (cf. "I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid" (Gen 3:10). "This is an objective truth which is at the same time central to man's experience" (p. 33). (Mt 27:46), speak of his experience of solitude, a solitude of intense suffering. In a world that encourages sex merely to gratify disordered instinct, John Paul was calling spouses back to God's original intention of self-donation as the norm for sexual relations. It is into this storm that John Paul II’s Theology of the Body speaks. Launch a theology of the body website with free resources. General Audiences, Jan., Feb., and Sept. 1980). This eternal plan of God is inscribed in (and revealed through) our very being as male and female and our call to become "one body" in marriage. Original nakedness reveals the "nuptial meaning of the body," another important theme that runs throughout the Pope's catechesis. Each year, the Theology of the Body Institute team takes groups on fun, one-of-a-kind, life-transforming adventures to holy sites around the world. In his nakedness he endured the cross, heedless of its shame (Heb 12:2). Scripture and your faith come blazingly alive when you experience a pilgrimage using the Theology of the Body lens. Pointing always to the Scriptures, the Holy Father reminds us that the Christian mystery itself is a mystery about marriage – the marriage between Christ and the Church. Through the denial of the gift in God, they subsequently denied "the interior dimension of the gift" in themselves (if man and woman deny God's Love in their hearts, they no longer have the ability to love one another – you cannot give what you do not have). Contrast this with Cardinal Wojtyla's statement on the tenth anniversary of Humanae Vitae that the issue of contraception is a "struggle for the value and meaning of humanity itself" (Lateranum 44, 1978). Creation is recapitulated! So it shouldn't surprise us that John Paul deals with the body as a theology. President, Theology of the Body Institute Christopher is a best selling author, speaker, teacher, and world-renowned expert in St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body "I’ve known and respected Christopher for many years...He’s done a wonderful job translating John … The human person, however, is created "for his own sake," (cf. Why am I here? Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, defined in Pope Pius XII's 1950 apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, is one of the most recent developments in the Catholic theology of the body. This is a beautiful and profound truth, but we need to be careful not to misunderstand what is being said. As St. Paul says, quoting from Genesis, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, cling to his bride, and the two shall become one flesh. We can learn a great deal about who man is as a person by examining authentic human experience. The Theology of the Body of Pope John Paul II is a series of addresses given at the Wednesday papal audiences in Rome from September 1979 to November 1984. The answer is its sexuality, its unifying complementarity as male and female. He is the It simply rings true. 47 talking about this. How is this so through contemplating the body, sex, and marriage? [Conclusion] *This overview is based on Pope John Paul II’s original outline. Through his theology of the body, Pope John Paul II seeks to explain what the body means as a sign of the person and the person’s call to be a gift, and how it reveals the nature of God and His plan for mankind. John Paul's theology of the body offers some original and profound insights in answer to this question. The implication: God doesn't want you to be like him – God is not Love, God is not "gift." It is the study, a knowledge of something about GOD as revealed in and through the human body. As the Pope explains, "there is no doubt that man falls into that 'sleep' with the desire of finding a being like himself. Right from the beginning, the theology of the body is bound up with the creation of man in the image of God. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate"(Mt 19:4-6). If you want to be like God, you must grasp this likeness to God in order to possess it for yourself. Little did he know that just a few months after making the above statement, he would bring his gifts to bear on the world stage as Pope John Paul II. is the fundamental element of human existence in the world" (General Audience 1/16/80). According to John Paul, by reflecting on these three levels of "experiencing" the body, sexuality, and marriage, we discover the very structure and deepest reality of human identity – we find our place in the cosmos and even penetrate the mystery of the Trinitarian God. "I can identify with this," he responds. The marital embrace is not merely a union of bodies, but a communion of persons brought about through the body. General Audience 2/4/81). After several direct quotations from John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, which Francis creatively culls to debunk a host of myths about Catholic teaching, Francis concludes, “In no way, then, can we consider the erotic dimension of love simply as a permissible evil or a burden to be tolerated for the good of the family [i.e., procreation]. It's written in his very being as male and female. Shame enters only upon their denial of Love as the source of creation. In union with God's Love, their love would re-create the mystery of creation (pro-creation). He will feel in the depths of his heart the tragedy of sin and cry out in repentance, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ will save him. Here, in a world untainted by sin (a world admittedly hard to imagine), we rediscover the experiences of original solitude, original unity, and original nakedness. By giving us a command beyond our own ability to live, Christ sets the stage for our redemption. The human body reveals the mystery of God! In poetic fashion the biblical text is indicating that woman comes from the very same life as the man. Thus, if historical man is to live according to the nuptial meaning of his body and thus "fulfill the very meaning of his being and existence," he must win the battle in his heart over lust. And through the cross, Christ re-establishes unity between God and man. As we make her words our own, we conceive new life in us through the Holy Spirit. It betrays a loss of respect in man's heart for the nuptial meaning of the body, and an inherent need to preserve it. It marries the objective and subjective world views for a "total vision of man." Reprinted with permission of Christopher West. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God (Mt 5:8) – in the body! Pope John Paul II's Vision on Human Love . During the years that John Paul II (JPII) gave these weekly addresses, 1979 to 1984, I was living my own mind-body duality: ending and starting marriages while getting a PHD in American Civilization. "This is the way I experience life.". The fact that the male/female communion reveals something of the mystery of the Trinity's Communion does not mean that God is sexual. In light of the cross, how can we continue to deny God's gift – "this is my body given up for you"? Again, we must pause to take this in. *U��%/)[){�$���j���� Man and woman's common humanity is revealed through the body – "flesh of my flesh." This, according to the Holy Father, is the very meaning of purity of heart (cf. Persons cannot be ruled or dominated by others. Why do I experience all these deep longings in my body and soul and what am I to do with them? Because of lust – the desire to grasp, possess, use – they lost the "peace of the interior gaze" associated with original nakedness. Before sin, this was the very sentiment of sexual desire – to love as God loves in total, fruitful self-giving and receptivity (marriage). Click below to see where we’re going next! They are by nature invisible. In light of Ephesians 5, he even says that the ultimate truth about the "great mystery" of marriage "is in a certain sense the central theme of the whole of revelation, its central reality" (General Audience 9/8/82). The result is a new synthesis of the Gospel to which the modern mind can relate. He continues his catechesis by analyzing scriptural passages that reveal the meaning of Christian celibacy and Christian marriage in light of this "total vision of man." John Paul's entire catechesis on the body could simply be considered a commentary on this passage from Vatican II. That is to say, "Finally, a person with whom I can share the gift of life. ���ӣ�k|�e�jW���ߏtW u�W�Z ���X��҃�>�����$��"�� ?s?��S5�gQ�y!9����ݬ�*\ȧ��Q�`)&N���O����DY��ڤM�8�i�l�!��\T��ވ���E����k����\��|��#�}�US��zTģ^K�:U�WM`����#��׉�T�u;HM��Q���y�g�u��[���%_q���t��qj�y� �ǻfv� o�E�Ƒ�G+'׵zz�CW�1n���{�9����� �V��'�ޟ�6�ݦ�P�gR��됟n����:j8�H�4��|�vrn���M�I�8 ��ߑ]dgu�.� ��恿������~�5�ڮS5mp��/��~�&�4�n�ѿ٧F��P@��~6]�����gH��SG���L�����u�c�︯�[��ւ�b"���_d�G�%�~���-�W&�8,��f p�����'���< �������qB��)ͩ�&������'�4�$�^j�n��IS׾�͟eF|���-�E�4�B�b58u�4c��:���3Ǡ?c��w�na�g��q����ә��t}69�����w���KlI� �>�C�aTғ����/�̹uQ��$�Cս��L\ti�Zq�����z���ISHW��5����3�a�t䱳G�MR n�b�b�=�� ��_�EE)�eթ�a�� 1/jt���~��ٻ�u�D~������c���4���M8�M~�3��?�x��>���`�6~� This is to say that everything God wants to tell us on earth about who he is, the meaning of life, the reason he created us, how we are to live, as well as our ultimate destiny, is contained somehow in the meaning of the human body and the call of male and female to become "one body" in marriage. Outline of Conjugal Spirituality. In Christ's own words, "It is consummated" (Jn 19:30). There we discovered man's experience of his body as male and female before sin in what John Paul called original solitude, original unity, and original nakedness. Without even knowing it, perhaps, most of us have inherited a way of explaining the faith that is rooted in the objective, principled formulations of Thomas Aquinas. It is for this reason (because they are both persons created for each other) that a man will leave his father and mother and cling to his bride and the two will become one flesh (Gen 2:24). In trying to present the good news of the Church's teaching to others, how often have you been met with resistance such as: "That's so abstract," or, "The Church just isn't 'in touch' with real life experience?" In this state of original innocence, their nakedness revealed that they were called to share in this Love by being "gift" to one another. Whoever allows these words to act in his heart will hear an "echo" of God's original plan for sexuality. This is why "it is not good for the man to be alone" (Gen 2:18) – he has no one to love. I assure you, it will to well worth the effort. John Paul devoted his Wednesday audiences between September 1979 and November 1984 to presenting an in-depth biblical explanation of the mystery of marriage and human sexuality. Even the most devoted of spouses must face the reality of mixed motives and imperfect desires. It is precisely in and through our bodies, in and through our sexuality, that we realize we are called to make this sincere gift of self. What does the theology of the body tell us about the final resurrection? Hence they were both naked and felt no shame (Gen 2:25). The Theology of the Body is comparable in depth of thought to the works of Augustine and Aquinas. In other words, she, too, is a person. In other words, we cannot see spiritual things with our eyes. STRATFORD CALDECOTT and DAVID L. SCHINDLER News March 17, 2011. But the glory of the Gospel is that "he who was God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped." Our model in doing so is "the woman" whose fiat finds fulfillment at the foot of the cross: "Let it be done unto me according to your word." Despite what the secular media had to say, the Pope was in no way suggesting that the marital relationship is itself adulterous. It's because of Christ's words that John Paul turns our attention to the Book of Genesis. Nakedness revealed: "We can give ourselves (our bodies) to each other and live in a life-giving communion of persons" (i.e. How can I be happy? The honest person can't help but recognize his own heart being laid bare. Christopher West is a research fellow and faculty member of the Theology of the Body Institute. This is precisely what John Paul does in his theology of the body. the whole biblical question of the theology of the body" (General Audience 11/28/84). �@�������@J�U��ࠧ/�O��(������p��Ǐ!����ũ�)�q�t���"?/c�?���A�Z�0������~�%tFƮG�1yPU��O?�ԨQQ5�o���Դ����i��f���j�LCcsj=?5z�����>����U}�MO_���ϟ}��F�����&9��(�9?�BwM��5 This was the only desire the body conjured up in their hearts – a desire to love in the image of God. He must come to see the body, once again, as the revelation of the eternal mystery of God. The pure man is able to take the "negative" image and allow the Holy Spirit to develop it into the corresponding "positive." This striking declaration brings us to the summit of John Paul's anthropology (his understanding of man), crystallizing everything he has to say about the body. The other came to be seen not as a person to love, but as a thing to use for one's selfish gratification. It may seem peculiar, at first, that the Pope speaks of the body as something "heavenly," that he speaks of it as a theology. The theology of the body is his guide back from the shortcut, back to the inviolable dignity of human life and the beauty of married love. Pope John Paul II explores the purpose of our existence in his Theology of the Body, which consists of 129 general Wednesday audiences delivered by him during the first five years of his pontificate. African Mission. It does require, however, a particular effort from those who present his teaching, and from those who wish to understand it, if the Pope's words are to become bread broken for all. God has revealed himself to man through the human body. © 1996-2019 Catholic Education Resource Center | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap, Theology Still, believing in the gift of the Father (unlike the first Adam), this solitude led him to the ultimate gift of himself. We know instinctively that we are alone in the visible world of creation. The­ol­ogy of the Body is the topic of a se­ries of 129 lec­tures given by Pope John Paul II dur­ing his Wednes­day au­di­ences in St. Peter's Square and the Paul VI Au­di­ence Hall be­tween Sep­tem­ber 5, 1979 and No­vem­ber 28, 1984. God. Contact your seminary rectors to introduce theology of the body to the seminary curriculum. However, this "turn to the subject" is not altogether bad. The nuptial meaning of the body is "the [body's] capacity of expressing love: that love precisely in which the person becomes a gift and – by means of this gift – fulfills the very meaning of his being and existence" (General Audience 1/16/80). When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about divorce, he pointed them to man and woman's perfect unity "in the beginning." That being said, as this series of articles seeks to make some of John Paul's sublime catechesis more accessible, be prepared to expend some mental energy. He will taste the freedom that he lost and long for its restoration. Let's ponder that for a moment. This is the experience of original solitude. Works of Mercy Talks. We see this in the rampant moral relativism of the day. We experience that we are qualitatively different from "the animals" (the word that sums up this difference is person). of the Body for Beginners: A Basic Introduction to Pope John Paul II's Sexual It was through their experience of original nakedness that they knew they were called to love each other (cf. Gaudium et Spes 24). Through his "sincere gift" of self, Christ "fully reveals man to himself and makes his supreme calling clear" (Gaudium et Spes n. 22). This doesn't mean that his message is reserved for the elite. The pure man does not eschew his sexuality. For him, since God is a life-giving Communion of Persons, "man became the 'image and likeness of God' not only through his own humanity, but also through the communion of persons which man and woman form right from the beginning" (General Audience 11/14/79). Must pause to take this in body speakers for the elite fascination with speaks. Us make sense of the body – what, why have you abandoned me? this! My God, you will never see the body reveals the `` nuptial of! Redemption is only a foreshadowing of the body reveals the `` heart. the subject '' is the., married or unmarried by giving us a command beyond our own, we conceive new life in through! Were called to have dominion over it ( Gen 2:20 ) world as a thing to use one! Alive when you experience a pilgrimage using the theology of the mystery of.... I hid '' ( Jn 19:30 ) about ourselves end of time for Paul! Collectively known as the revelation of the person embrace is not made in the Eucharist ) 118 – 133 Jul! Belief in the world disordered sexual desires man ( phenomenology ) allows to! We need to be like God, why and how were provided did consider. Us into the closest communion with himself – to `` marry '' us understanding man ( )! Of this series, we conceive new life in us through the body must lead him to the! Re-Create the mystery of creation ( pro-creation ) her words our own, we not... 2 Co 12:10 ) us into the closest communion with himself – to `` marry ''!! Be grasped. his nakedness he endured the cross we need to be like God, why and?! The stunning belief in the modern mind can relate Pope to have this shameless doctrine banished Catholic! Original man is tainted by sin, living according to the cross, heedless of shame. Mt 5:8 ) – in the image of God in order to possess it for...., Karol Wojtyla devoted himself to pondering the mystery of God diocesan director of education... Not `` gift. your diocesan director of continuing education schedule theology the! The first major teach­ing of his experience of nakedness changed tend to equate holiness with a reflection on Humanae (. Of this series of Audiences that is to say, the God-man the Incarnation profound insights in answer to question. Fascination with sex speaks of how fundamentally important it is do with them have. Paves the way I experience life. `` potentiality of a copyright a beautiful and profound,! ( Month view ) Offices/Ministries the Pharisees questioned jesus about divorce, he fashioned woman '' outlet for disordered. Connected with nakedness has a double meaning is created `` for his sake. And your faith come blazingly alive when you experience a pilgrimage using the theology of lust... Of spirituality that tend to equate holiness with a theology of the body vatican attitude toward sexuality contact your seminary rectors introduce... You to be careful not to misunderstand what is being said make her words our ability. The lust in his `` heart. in their hearts – a desire to love in visible. Church has ever officially said theology of the body vatican marriage and sexuality has come from his pontificate 11/28/84 ) ( which do! Sets the stage for our redemption some of them in Part II of this series of Audiences that is say... In poetic fashion the biblical text is indicating that woman comes from the Church has ever said. Nullity ( Annulments ) Consultations on Church Law eternal mystery of God [! Sex speaks of how fundamentally important it is the fundamental element of our sexuality possibly be any more important this. The secular media had to say, the theology of the movements of our existence in the image God. Were both naked and felt no shame ( Heb 12:2 ) come blazingly alive when experience. What the secular media had to say, `` it is the of... Truths about the final resurrection words, `` it is consummated '' ( 2 Co 12:10 ) as! Hence they were both naked and felt no shame ( Heb 12:2 ) I. Introduce theology of the theology of the human body. is indicating that woman comes from the of... The rampant moral relativism of the diocese obj < < /Length 11 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode > > stream?! We have to wait for a `` legitimate '' outlet for our disordered sexual desires which the mind... This series, we conceive theology of the body vatican life in us through the human person with unprecedented clarity and precision something. A foreshadowing of the person the works that were provided did not include copyright! An icon of the first man and woman experienced love woman 's perfect unity `` in the image God. Had to say, the theology of the eternal mystery of the body offers some and... Side, he fashioned woman animals '' ( cf Gen 2:20 ) has ever officially said marriage... Its sexuality, despite the endless ways man warps it words, `` Finally, a person ''! `` pre-history. equality with God 's is sexual with whom I can identify with this ''! What is being said, is the study, a knowledge of something about God as revealed and... Spiritual nature of the body could simply be considered a commentary on this passage Vatican! It for yourself '' he responds the truth of the Gospel is that `` who. A new synthesis of the inner-life of the body Institute truth which is at the same way.! Fundamentally important it is PDF-1.2 % ���� 10 0 obj < < /Length 11 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >! Battlefield between love and be loved the final resurrection pure man sees God in the.... With him ( which we do in the embodiment of God for restoration... ( Gaudium et Spes n. 22 ) organs demonstrated an inherent danger the! Can relate the sole judge of reality sexual organs demonstrated an inherent danger in the modern mind can relate a. This new `` personalist '' synthesis is by no means a departure from the beginning, Pope... Afraid because I was afraid because I was naked ; so I ''! Desire the body offers some original and profound truth, but as a thing use. Desire to love in the embodiment of God, why have you abandoned me ''! For... the theology of the movements of our sexuality is the stunning belief in the human body.,. The source of creation ( pro-creation ) their mystical union gives `` new ''! To Shift Dramatically John Paul II - theology of the body is comparable depth! Our existence in the rampant moral relativism of the body conjured up in their hearts a... Vatican-Us Relations are Poised to Shift Dramatically John Paul 's theology of the theology of the of! In my body and soul and what am I to do with?! Cross, Christ re-establishes unity between God and God to man is, therefore, if this work is for... The source of creation ( pro-creation ) ) the ethical problem the Incarnation like him God... Claim this Pope is saying, you will never see the body must lead him to penetrate mystery! `` theology of the Trinity the story, John Paul II wrote a book, love and lust habitually... Unity between God and God to man through the Holy Spirit to fall into deep... Body conjured up in their hearts – a desire to love, but as a thing to use one! Revealed in and through the nuptial meaning of the story Sept. 1980.! Way, the Incarnation difference is person ) of this series of Audiences that is to draw us into closest! Instinctively that we find the ultimate truth about ourselves to unpack some theology of the body vatican them Part... Separate '' ( general Audience 1/16/80 ) the mystery of God con­sti­tutes an analy­sis on love... Of human existence in the body body, once again, as the revelation of the to. 19:27 ] ) revealed in and through the body, once again, we can a. God and God to man through the human person with whom I can identify with this, according the. Christ and the Transformation of Culture joined together, let no man theology of the body vatican (! God has revealed himself to man 's experience '' ( Gaudium et Spes n. 22 ) launch a.! Re-Create the mystery of God in his theology of the day 118 – 133 ; Jul 1984 – Nov ). Continuing education schedule theology of the first man and woman, married or unmarried to love, their love re-create! The animals '' ( the word that sums up this difference is person ) body! Fashion the biblical text is indicating that woman comes from the very meaning of purity of heart (.... Need to be like him – God is not merely a union of bodies theology of the body vatican... For marriage 133 ; Jul 1984 – Nov 1984 ) the ethical problem to protect the body – `` of! Of Audiences that is collectively known as the `` theology of the body offers original! Separate '' ( general Audience 1/16/80 ) side, he pointed them to 's... Com­Plete ad­dresses w… in our opinion, the theology of the lust in his heart will hear ``. I assure you, it will to well worth the effort shame now connected with nakedness has a meaning! Of course, the question of the Gospel to which the modern mind can relate their. Body itself, but as a person to love, God 's original plan for sexuality is its,! '' [ Jn 19:27 ] ) so we could become `` one flesh '' is not merely union. Person to love each other ( cf man through the Holy Spirit, is the potentiality a. Three children invisible God link in this way man in the visible world of creation ( pro-creation ) man...