Embedded Files
This page sets up the foundational framework to understand the Catholic perspective of human life, love and relationship. These important foundations should be the lens for the PDHPE teacher to view the content in the PDHPE syllabus.
This foundational framework is built on the St John Paul II's 'Theology of the Body' . Theology of the Body are a series of 129 talks which the Pope gave in his papacy from 1979 to 1984. This insight has been the foundations of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis teachings on human life, relationships and sexuality.
The ultimate purpose of life
The ultimate purpose of life
The purpose of the life on Earth is to know and to love God, to do good according to his will, and to go someday to heaven (YouCat #1)
Catholic Understanding of the Human Person: The Body is sacramental
Catholic Understanding of the Human Person: The Body is sacramental
Genesis 2: 7- Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
The human person is sacramental: We are visible (bodily-made from dust) and invisible (spiritual-God's breath of life)
The human body is sacramental: The body makes visible the invisible
"The body, and only the body is capable of making visible the invisible realities: the spiritual and the divine" (Pope John Paul II, Theology of the Body 19:4)
Every action of our bodies, have a visible and invisible dimension.
Invisible dimension: Love, self seeking, generous, commitment, hate
Catholic Understanding of God
Catholic Understanding of God
God being infinitely greater than us, it is impossible to fully communicate our understanding of God into words. It is a divine mystery.
The closest image we can use to describe God is, as a community of perfect love, between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each persons in the Trinity, are a self gift to each other. (Translated from YouCat #35)
Made in the Image and Likeness of God
Made in the Image and Likeness of God
All human persons are made in the 'image and likeness of God' (Gen 1:27).
What does this mean?
What does this mean?
Our bodies are made to reveal and reflect God.
Our bodies are made to reveal and reflect God.
Since God is a community of self giving love, then being made in the image and likeness of God means that humans are created for:
Relationships and being a Self -Gift
Relationships and being a Self -Gift
Passions and Desires
Passions and Desires
Our passions and desires of love and happiness are good
Our passions and desires come from God and ultimately are only satisfied by God
Very importantly, desires and passions must be ordered correctly
"A person can certainly channel their passions in a beautiful and healthy way, increasingly pointing them towards altruism (selflessness)" (Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia 148)
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