Overview
- The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a note defining marriage as a unique and exclusive union between one woman and one man, with formal approval from Pope Leone XIV.
- The document stresses that sexuality serves a unitive purpose beyond procreation and describes marital intercourse as a blessing that strengthens mutual belonging.
- It affirms that the spouses' relationship precedes children and reserves certain intimate expressions exclusively to the marital bond.
- Pastoral guidance allows for personal space or private secrets within marriage and rejects controlling behavior in favor of trust.
- The text says mutual belonging endures even as physical attraction wanes and, citing St. John Paul II, warns against using a partner solely for gratification, as Cardinal Víctor Fernández links the note to cultural pressures of individualism and technological power.