"Do we as a society have faithin the position of the family and the dignity of the human person?"

Noor Hasanali asked this question in an important speech, and it captures the important challenge facing humanity today.

Pope John Paul II puts it this way: "Family become what you are! Family believe in what you are!"

The family is the most important unit of any society and this demands a more determined and convinced response on the part of spouses and of society to respect, safeguard and cherish marriages and the family communities they form. Because of its dignity and importance, the breakdown of marriages and family life has devastating consequences for spouses, children and the whole of society.

In Trinidad and Tobago today the family and the marriage institution are in crisis. There is little doubt that this is a principal cause of the violence, delinquency and the growing anti-life mentality that we are experiencing in these times.

Most young people aspire to be married and to have a family. A brief conversation with them, however, often reveals that they have a naive or mistaken understanding of the commitment and demands that married life entails.

They are attracted by the sentimental appeal of romance and sexual intimacy which is exaggerated and misrepresented in the media. Many find themselves emotionally led along into commitments for which they are neither prepared nor understand as they have not taken the time to seek guidance and to reflect objectively on what they are doing.

This question and answer handbook is designed as an instrument to help young people who are preparing for marriage to appreciate the true greatness and dignity of conjugal life and to understand the joyful commitment and sacrifice that it entails.

It is also useful for young couples who wish to understand and live out their marriage in a more complete and fulfilling way. The points considered in this handbook are based on fundamental moral principles, essential theological truths and the time-tested experience of experts. As a result, it also serves as a constant reference for all couples, both young and old.

Introduction

Love and Human Sexuality

1. What is Love?

Love is the fundamental interior calling of every human being. God is love and as the image of God, man is created for love. Love gives meaning to true freedom and self-control and orients them towards self-giving in communion and friendship with God and with others.

2. What is human sexuality?

When God created the human person in his image and likeness, he created them male and female. Masculinity and femininity are complementary gifts for building up the civilization of love. For the human person, the call to love is a call to love as a man or as a woman in unity of body and soul.

3. Does the sex of an individual impact on his or her personality?

The sex of an individual profoundly impacts upon his or her personality because it gives rise to a particular way of being, of manifesting and of communicating with others.

4. Should the sex of an individual influence the way that he or she is educated?

The sex of an individual should influence in an essential way the manner in which he or she is educated. In educating boys and girls, the complementary gifts associated with their sex ought to be nurtured and emphasized.

Boys need to be prepared to be good husbands and fathers and girls need to be prepared to be good wives and mothers. For everyone, including those called to celibacy, such preparation will help them to be more effective and fruitful in building up society.