Indeed Catholic Church talks honestly about sex

The Catholic Church is a structured institution. It is very orderly in her teachings as far as their dispensations, in place, time and the persons concern. This makes me have a beef with the article: “Church, let’s honestly talk about sex” published on page 32 of the Sunday Nation, the 29th December 2019 by a Policy Analyst, Scheaffer Okore.

In summary, the author of this article’s main issue is to advice the public “to stop surviving… the wilful (sic) blindness that the church implores in conversations around sex”. This is because the youth, who by then were on holidays at home, explore sex. 

To justify her argument, she gave the example of the famous woman pastor who demystified sex during her sermon in church. She was further moved by the fact that the pastor was a woman, something unheard of in her (the author) Catholic Church. 

Not only that. She also claims that “the church blurs its role in shaping real knowledge on sex education because its leadership remains stuck in impracticalities while nothing is static”. Hence, as a consequence, the Catholic Church refuses public talks on sex making it a den of sexual predators. 

Without fear of contradiction, that is not near the truth. I give only two reasons. 

First, let us understand that there is a great difference between the various forms of prayer sessions. In the Catholic Church, we have the celebration of the Eucharist, Mass as commonly known and other Prayer Services such as devotional prayer moments (Adoration, Rosary, the Way of the Cross, etc), Groups, Associations, Movements and Small Christian Community prayer meetings, etc. 

During Mass, women are not allowed to preach. This is because Mass being a Sacrament is an entirely a priestly function with the rest of the Christians participating actively in the responses to prayers through recitations, singing and listening meditatively. That's why when there is no priest, there can't be Mass! 

Worth noting is that preaching is part of the interpretation of the Word of God, which is first part of Mass. It prepares for the second part which entails the sacrifice of Christ himself, His Body and Blood. 

But in other forms of Prayer services, women are involved in the sharing of the Word of God. They can lead even the service of the Way of the Cross. Go to the Small Christian Communities in our estates, women share the inspirations they get after hearing the Word of God. They give practical reflections that help their fellow women and others. 

Now, since Protestant churches, Pentecostal and even Evangelical churches do not have Mass as a form of their prayer, they opt for the Prayer services, some women members of their groups preach during those prayer services. That was the case with the justifying example our author gave.

In the Catholic Church we equally have women who demystify sexual talks much better than what Ms. Okore witnessed with a lot of excitement. They do it during the prayer services and seminars/ workshops and not at Mass. Some even put them down as written texts,  books! This is the orderliness in the Catholic Church. 

Second. But Ms. Okore, as “a recovering Catholic” is quiet aware of the pastoral structure of the Catholic Church. In this Pastoral structure, the Catholic Church meets both the human and spiritual needs of all her members. In it we have the Children ministry (Pontifical Missionary Childhood-PMC), Youth Ministry (at various age levels), Catholic Men and Women Associations –CMA and CWA). 

All these pastoral groups and Associations have very well detailed program of formation. This formation is integral, for it entails both human and spiritual dimensions. 

Since during Mass we have all the groups together, by the virtue of the common good, the preacher is called upon to respect the needs and not to cause scandal to any level of those present whatsoever.

Yes, during homilies examples can be given that touch a specific group, but deep authentic formation on specific topics normally takes place during seminars or workshops, and outside Mass, of those pastoral structures aforementioned. The latter are authentic "places of empowerment and responsibility". The audiences have ample time as compared to Mass time, and can ask questions and answers be given. But at Mass, there's no raising of even hands for a question. 

For instance, very recently, specifically on the 27th December last year, I gave a workshop on Sexuality to Consolata Missionaries Novices, young men getting ready to be religious person. We opened our hearts and honestly talked about sex. They will in turn teach other youth in their apostolate. 

The Catholic Church has not willfully blinded her followers in matters sex. There are detailed official Church documents, e.g., Encyclical,  Familiaris Consortio and Theology of the Body both by Pope St John Paul II,  Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia and Christus Vivit by Pope Francis,  the Catechism of the Catholic Church that address the issue of sex; how to live our sexuality and its disorders in our lives, if not lived well. 

Prayer is fundamental as a solution not to fall in human sexual disorders. Prayer links our sexuality with the one who created it, God. But the Church gives other practical and human solutions, e.g., physical exercises, avoidance of places, things or occasions of falling into such disorders, etc. 

Please, let us put in our thoughts that the Church indeed honestly talks about sex.