New book about sex and the Church

Time was, not so long ago, when big families were the order of the day. Sex - in marriage, of course - had only one aim: that of procreation.

Times have changed rather dramatically and with them mentalities. It has taken us a long time to acknow-ledge that sex, apart from the procreation of children, is also meant to give satisfaction to the couple, thus strengthening the bond between husband and wife.

Unfortunately, as so often happens, we have gone to the other extreme and sex is now being regarded solely as an end in itself and not as a means. Procreation of children is being practically excluded from the marriage act, through birth control methods, mostly artificial. As a result, one-child families have become the rule rather than the exception even in Malta where the average is 1.7 children per family.

In other countries the birth rate has plunged to an alarming degree. In Italy, for example, it has reached crisis point and is causing a great deal of concern. Only two years ago Pope John Paul told members of the Italian parliament that the falling birth rate posed grave threats to the future of Italy and he urged Italians to have more children.

This grave situation has inspired two Italian theologians to write a book called It's a Sin Not To Do It. According to reports this book "could rank among the most explicit books about Catholicism and sex ever to receive Church approval".

One of the authors, Roberto Beretta (the other is Elisabetta Broli, both regular contributors to Avvenire, the Catholic magazine), has been quoted as saying that aims of the book "were to correct misconceptions that people hold about the teachings of the Church on sexuality... When people think of the Church they think of prohibitions and taboos... But there is a very different and positive side to Church teaching which needs to be emphasised... The Church is not against sex... The Church is not only about prohibiting the use of contraception and warning against sins of the flesh."

A section of the book is devoted to Papal pronouncements on sexuality and clerical advice on sex and materialism. There is also an interview with Cardinal Ersilio Tonini, who is familiar to those who watch Italian TV. The Cardinal insists that the Church has always defended the "nobility of sexuality".

Dr Beretta says that he believes that those who read the book "will have a balanced picture of what the Church actually thinks about sex". Whether this will be enough to encourage Italian married couples to have more children (another aim of the publication) is doubtful, to say the least.