The Bishops And The Sexual Revolution (Press, 14 December 1977)

On 14 December 1977, Roman Catholic bishops in the United States reaffirmed their belief that sexual intercourse is morally acceptable only within marriage and always wrong outside it. This reaffirmation occurred during a meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, where they endorsed a section of a new national teaching guide that condemned contraception and sterilisation. The bishops emphasised that, according to their doctrine, pre-marital sex, extramarital sex, adultery, homosexual behaviour, and other acts considered impure are prohibited for Christians. In a parallel action, the bishops’ doctrinal committee publicly denounced a Catholic theological study that advocated for more flexible moral standards regarding sexual ethics. This study, titled "Human Sexuality: New Directions in American Catholic Thought," had been conducted by a five-member committee of the Catholic Theological Society of America. It suggested that the morality of sexual acts should be evaluated based on the circumstances rather than adhering to absolute rules, which the bishops argued was contrary to Church teaching. The bishops expressed their concern that the theological study's approach eliminated objective criteria for assessing sexual morality, thereby potentially permitting or even affirming sexual activities outside of marriage. Bishop Walter W. Curtis from Bridgeport, Connecticut, described the norms put forth in the study as dangerous and wrong. The bishops argued that the study's conclusions, which endorsed a more situational ethics perspective, undermined sound morality and the established guidelines of the Church. The study urged that sex acts should be judged by their contribution to personal growth and interpersonal integrity, as well as their honesty, loyalty, and social responsibility. It suggested that moral sexual behaviour should foster joy and life-affirming values, framed within the complexities of individual experiences. However, the bishops remained resolute in their stance against such interpretations, reinforcing the traditional Catholic view on sexual behaviour.

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