The Human Person and Sexuality – Episode 6

Bio - Who is Paul?

We are all sexual beings, created by God to express love for each other through our bodies. Yet in the popular media and all around us, sexuality is often depicted irresponsibly, dangerously, even as something that is “dirty”. In the midst of this moral chaos, the late John Paul II started outlining a new “theology of the body”, that is primarily a theology of human sexuality that grows from the revelation that we are created in the image of God. John Paul’s theology of the body is today receiving attention among theologians, and all Catholics, as we together are trying to build a Christian understanding of sexuality for the 21st century.

We discuss these issues with Paul Hrynczyszyn, a 21-year old advocate of John Paul II’s “theology of the body” and a seminarian at St. Philip’s Seminary in Toronto, ON

• What does our sexuality reveal about ourselves?
  Read John Paul II’s General Audience, 14 November 1979, paragraph 3
• Why do we always seem to struggle with our sexuality?
  Read John Paul II’s General Audience, 23 July, 1980, paragraph 1, 3, 4
• What is concupiscence?
  Read John Paul II’s General Audience, 23 July, 1980, paragraphs 5-6.
• How do we live a healthy sexuality?
  Read John Paul II’s General Audience, 4 July 1984, paragraphs 3-6

• Love and Responsibility By Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II), Ignatius Press; Rev. ed edition (April 1, 1993)
  
• Human Love in the Divine Plan By Pope John Paul II.
  This is a collection of General Audience addresses by John Paul II, from September 5, 1979 to November 28, 1984. Order it online from the publishers, the Daughters of St Paul.
  Alternatively, you can also browse through the text of John Paul II’s General Audiences -- Theology of the Body
• Theology of the Body International Alliance (TOBIA) provides an online resource for John Paul II’s “theology of the body”
  
• Check out their Theology of the Body Media Center that offers the largest selection of theology of the body media available and online shopping.