We've previously identified the need for completely committed consent, but consent to do what?

There are a variety of activities which people perceive as sexual, not all of which strictly qualify as sexual intercourse. Is it whatever the couple finds pleasurable? Making pleasure the decisive factor of sexual love has at least two drawbacks.

First, pleasure changes over time. The same, equally loving act might be more pleasing at one time and not very pleasing at other times. This is even true in non-conjugal situations, such as cooking dinner for extended family. The cook might derive a great deal of satisfaction from devoting his skill and effort to his loved ones, or he might just find it stressful. Whether pleasure is present or absent, it’s still loving, as long as he chooses it.

Second, pleasure doesn’t necessarily involve closeness. Two people can live far apart and experience pleasure, even simultaneously and with the other person in mind, but that would not make it love. Every love, whether sexual or not, involves some sort of union, as detailed on a previous page. In a specifically sexual context, the union which is desired encompasses the whole of the other person, body and soul. To only desire the pleasure, which signals the goodness of that union, and not the union itself is to mistake the road for the destination. And nobody wants to be stuck in traffic, they want to get home.

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica. Photo: Vatican Media

The 2025 Jubilee Begins!

The 2025 Jubilee, under the theme "Pilgrims of Hope", has begun! The USCCB has more information about the meaning of this jubilee, which happens every 25 years, pilgrimages both to Rome and in the United States, indulgences, and a calendar of events.

Legal/Policy Updates

Amicus Brief in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton – The USCCB joined with other religious organizations in the submission of an amicus brief in a case before the Supreme Court on a Texas law requiring age verification on pornographic websites. Supporting the 5th Circuit’s decision, the USCCB and fellow amici asked the Court to affirm a rational basis review, upholding the age verification law in Texas.

Biden Administration Rollback of Federal Proposed Rules – The Biden Administration announced the withdrawal of several proposed rules, including the “gender identity” requirements to Title XI’s Athletics Regulation and the proposed changes to the contraceptive mandate under the Affordable Care Act. The USCCB previously submitted public comments (here and here) to the federal government noting the lack of clarity and the legal implications for religious freedom that arise from these administrative mandates.