Archbishop Gordon Emphasizes God’s Plan for Human Sexuality

Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon said human sexuality is one of the most amazing parts of the human being and God has a plan for it.

He had this message for teachers and parents attending the Human Sexuality Symposium hosted by the Catholic Religious Education Development Institute (CREDI) in collaboration with the Catholic Education Board of Management on Friday, March 8 at the Centre of Excellence, Tunapuna.

In the face of the challenges dealing with issues of human sexuality a series of conversations have started with clergy, consecrated persons, parish catechetical coordinators, and staff of public and private Catholic primary and secondary schools. The topics discussed at the Symposium were: ‘Human Sexuality: The realities of our response’, ‘Sexual Identity’ and ‘Sex Education: A Catholic Approach’. Joint presentations were done by Fr Matthew Ragbir, Archdiocesan Director for Pastoral Formation; Tricia Syms, Episcopal Delegate, Archdiocesan Family Life Commission; and clinical psychologist Alicia Hoyte.

Archbishop Gordon said: “For a long time, our churches have focused on what not to do and we want to focus on what we ought to be doing. Human sexuality is one of the most amazing areas of the human being; it has great energy, and it brings a lot of attention.”

He said St Pope John Paul’s catechesis series Theology of the Body changed the dynamic of understanding human sexuality to something positive.

“God created you and your body in His image and likeness, and He created you with a design that is specific and an intention that is specific for your sexuality. God had a plan for your sexuality.”

Even if people did not live up to this, God is merciful and always ready to forgive. “The message of today is God loves you and this gift He has given of sexuality is a gift for each of us to use in a healthy, holy and very amazing way,” he said.

In his address, he gave an overview of changes to attitudes to sex and sexuality. He said the introduction of the contraceptive pill separated sex from procreation and “once that separation happened it meant human sexuality was no longer about the family, it moved from the family to pleasure”.

The changing attitudes have been reflected in songs, he explained. Archbishop Gordon mentioned in his father’s time the song was ‘I will Love You Forever’, in his generation it was “Help Me Make It Through The Night’ (1970) then

there was 50 Cent’s’ Amusement Park’ (2007) and the “hook up culture” of today. “There was a time we understood that love and sex and marriage were one thing that held together, and it moved from that”, he said.

He asked teachers how much of the new reality was turning up in their schools and classrooms. “If you have had incidents or experiences with children who are kind of strange for you, around sexuality…so you understand why we are having this Symposium because the thing has been turning and changing very rapidly.”

The coming of cable television and the internet marked other shifts that influenced sex and sexuality. Archbishop Gordon asserted that every child now has “full access to anything” via their smart phones. He highlighted T&T’s high consumption of pornography and ranking in the top 5 regularly. [In 2016, T&T ranked first on Google Trends for searches for pornography per capita.]

“That alone tells us we have a problem. Many children, their first experience of and understanding of human sexuality is from the smart phone and the information they get is pornography,” he said.

Archbishop Gordon said he has met parents of 11- and 12-year-olds who have stated their child is not ready to hear about sex, but he responded that in the present time, if they haven’t had the conversation at 9 years, they “missed the first bus” and they better jump on before missing the second.

Pre-teens and adolescents are being exposed to pornography and it is affecting their brains because it is a drug and addiction. “It is hard for a child bumping into pornography before teens to understand their body, human sexuality, relationships, relationships with the other sex and themselves,” Archbishop Gordon said. He advised that the issue was not just about children alone but all.

He continued, “We are drinking from the same contaminated water as everyone else, that means even trying to live a life of virtue is challenging in the best of times. We are bombarded with images, with thought patterns with materials that change the way we see things and shifts our attention from a life of virtue that God has intended for us”.

The Symposium would provide the tools to educate their children in a way of seeing human sexuality that gave a different perspective. In attendance were representatives of the Education Ministry, National Parent Teacher Association, Catholic Principals Association, and denominational boards and other faith groups.

At the closing Mass, the Archbishop stressed “sexuality and spirituality are deeply enmeshed, and they cannot be separated. Your whole understanding of

your relationship with God is a whole spousal nuptial relationship”. The relationship is a covenant which is exclusive, faithful and to last forever.

The relationship with God is the primary relationship and if it is good then relationships as a spouse, a teacher, parent, coworker, “gets right”.