Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Edmonton (Agenzia Fides) - Catholics, parents and educators and young couples especially, will take part in a 1st National Symposium on the Theology of the Body 15-16 June in Edmonton, Alberta organised by the Catholic Organisation for Life and Family. The reasons for the Symposium are varied the organisers say. First of all the fact that in Canada two years ago, 28 June 2005, the concept of marriage was redefined to include unions of persons of the same sex. Canada was the third country to change the legal definition of marriage. On the same date another less evident fact took place: Parliament approved a proposal to replace the legal term "natural father" with "legal father", a change which happened silently but which has important implications. Moreover on 2 January 2007 the High Court of Ontario ruled that a child can have as many as three legal parents. In addition to this the dominating culture gives a distorted image of love damaging the value and meaning of human sexuality: the media overlooks the profound meaning of love and sexuality and portrays simply a superficial view of sex merely as a means of pleasure. The Symposium will discuss the situation and identify ways to re-propose the Catholic understanding of love, marriage and the family.
The Symposium will highlight the natural truth and purpose of human sexuality as a gift of God. It will discuss how to encourage and help young people discover the truth about sexual morality and human relationships and the real significance of authentic love between husband and wife and pro-creation. It aims to help those discerning their vocation to reflect on the significance of the human body and human relationships and realise that both the love between a married couple and religious celibacy reflect a spiritual reality. The two-day Symposium will include Conferences on the following themes: "What is Theology of the Body and why is it important"; “The Creation and Redemption of man and woman”; “The Sacrament of Matrimony and the language of sexual love”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 14/6/2007; righe 22, parole 313)
