Premarital intercourse

[MelanieM]

Does the Catholic Church forbid this? Why/Why not.

[Stephen Spiteri]

Premarital *** is fornication. The Catholic Church forbids the act of fornication as Christ did even the thought of it:

"But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart" - Matthew 5:28 (D-R)


2353 Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human ***uality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation and education of children. Moreover, it is a grave scandal when there is corruption of the young. - CCC, par. 2353 http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm

There are numerous Scriptures that declare *** before marriage to be a sinful or contrary to Christian livelihood:

Acts 15:20;
1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; 10:8;
2 Corinthians 12:21;
Galatians 5:19;
Ephesians 5:3;
Colossians 3:5;
1 Thessalonians 4:3;
Jude 7

Catholic.com has this great article addressing the issue of premarital *** (highly recommended reading): http://www.catholic.com/chastity/Q1.asp

[DavidObeid]

In Catholic theology *** is a holy thing, since it is geared towards both the transmission of life and the union of the spouses. Anything that profanes or debases it is therefore sinful.

*** outside of marriage attacks the proper order in the transmission of life because the children born to it are deprived of their natural right to a mother and a father and it attacks the proper union of the couple because it does not involve a total self giving.

There's a great many more things to be said, but that's the basic rub.

[Lagrange]

Remember, it's not so much the question of the Church 'forbidding' something. God forbids it, and it is the Church that is established by God to faithfully uphold and propagate God's revelation.

It's a question of justice between humans and God. God gives to mankind the great dignity of 'participating' with God in the creation new life. So God sets the terms for the proper exercise of this gift, not us. Moreover, it's only by marriage that bodily rights (i.e.: the right to engage in ***ual intercourse) are contracted to each other. So the right does not exist prior to marriage. Hence, pre-marital *** is a violation of the order God has established in His creation. Only by marriage do two become one flesh.

It offends against the two ends of ***ual intercourse. It offends against unity because since the unity of intercourse is not matched by the unity of marriage. It's a case of lying with one's body. It offends against procreation because, as said, children have the right to be born into a properly constituted family. Not to mention how fornication is often accompanied by contraception, and if that fails, abortion. So it gives rise to all sorts of evils as well.

[Maiden Dame]

If the child is born to unwedded parents.. Can they be baptised and fully live a Catholic life? Are they even conidered a potential child of Christ? It wasnt their fault that they were born into a family structure like that.. I often hear people refer to the them as a Bastard child..

[Charbela]

I see no reason why any child cannot be baptised should the parents wish no matter what their background is.

[New Jack Swinger]

Baptism is available to all. No one is excluded.

[Stephen Spiteri]

"Every person not yet baptized and only such a person is capable of baptism." - Can. 864, CIC 1983