December 29th will mark the fiftieth anniversary of Persona humana, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s (CDF) “Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics.” Issued in 1975, the document reaffirmed Catholic teaching on the immorality of three practices—fornication, homosexual behavior, and masturbation—precisely at the moment when many theologians were already seeking to dismantle the whole of the Church’s sexual ethic.
Half a century later, it will be telling to see whether this anniversary is noted, even while its message is no less urgent now than it was in 1975.
It is worth revisiting why Persona humana arose, what it taught, and what has happened since.
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