Human sexuality flows from a person's unique and unrepeatable identity and vocation as a being created in the image of God. Human persons, as images of God, are both physical and spiritual beings. They are both embodied spirits, and inspirited bodies. God is imaged in the two equally dignified ways of being human: male and female. Together, women and men are called to reflect God's presence and action in the world in a creative covenant of love.

Sexuality is grounded in, and gives expression to, the human need to love and be loved and the longing to generate new life out of this mutual loving. This mutual loving and the new life that flows from it are considered signs of God's presence and action in the world.

Healthy Christian sexuality concerns the whole person—the integration of body, heart, mind and spirit. Each of these aspects of the whole person is good and each deserves respect, care and nurturing. The virtue of prudence entails making careful, informed and deliberate choices. Chastity involves controlling one's sexual desires out of respect for oneself and others as both bodily and spiritual beings. Prudence and chastity are important keys to healthy sexuality, healthy personhood and loving, and just and safe relationships. Consequently, genital sexual intimacy finds its true expression in the commitment of marriage, open to the generation of new human life.

Sexuality refers to a fundamental component of personality in and through which we, as sexual beings, experience our relatedness to self, others, the world and God. Sexuality involves the whole person. Education in sexuality is not to be limited to talking about sexual intercourse, to sexual attraction, or to 'the flesh'. Sexuality is a powerful force for emotional and spiritual union housed in the physical body. A wholistic understanding of human sexuality flows from the idea that human beings are created in the image of God, the Imago Dei, as unique individuals who are loved and called by God. Living wholeheartedly looks to the integration of the multiple dimensions of the human person, including one's sexuality, in a way that contributes to one's own flourishing and the flourishing of the community. There is a sense in which sexuality is identifiable with the principle of life itself. Here, sexuality is associated with our drive for love, communion, community, friendship, family, affection, wholeness, consummation, creativity, self-perpetuation, immortality, joy, delight, humour, and self-transcendence. It is about overcoming separateness by giving life and blessing it (Rolheiser, 1999 pp. 195, 198). Sexuality, when fully embraced as a gift, touches all aspects of the human person and manifests its deepest meaning in leading the person to the gift of self in love (John Paul II, 1981).

From a Catholic perspective, marriage is a permanent and exclusive commitment between a man and a woman, who freely give themselves to each other in love and in so doing commit themselves to love and care for any children that may arise from their mutual love. Commitment, intimacy and passion vitalize and nurture covenanted love (Genovesi, 1996). Sexual intimacy is a sign of fully committed love. Outside the context of marriage, genital intimacy, however well intended, is not an expression of total self-giving. Marriage is also a public commitment. The two partners freely choose to enter into this partnership, this covenant. They say 'yes' to each other, to being there for each other and to working together to make God's creative love present in the world. They do this through their active participation in the community as committed partners and through bringing about new life through sexual intercourse. The Catholic perspective on marriage is that it should be treated as something permanent and exclusive in which divorce and extra-marital affairs have no place. Public commitment to a permanent and exclusive partnership of mutual co-operation and self-giving love provides the institutional and community basis for the trust necessary for the married couple to truly open themselves to each other. They are able to give themselves wholly to each other in the knowledge that there is a community who will support them in their decision when times are hard and assist them in the raising of their children.

Sexuality and spirituality are connected. Healthy sexuality is the experience of feeling whole and worthy as a sexual person. Healthy sexuality involves: being connected in all parts of one's sexuality to one's spiritual core; congruence of sexual behaviour with one's value system; meaningfulness in relationships; the position of love in one's life; the miracle of existence; and the development and affirmation of sexual grace (Maleny, 1995). Rolheiser (1999, p.198-202) offers four principles that anchor a healthy Christian spirituality of sexuality: 1. Sexuality is God's energy inside of us and leads persons to sanctity when its principles are respected. 2. Sexuality for the Christian needs the protection of reverence (chastity) and wisdom (prudence) 3. Sexual intimacy is sacred. It can never be simply a casual, unimportant, neutral thing. Its place is within a committed, loving, covenantal relationship as a privileged vehicle of grace. It brings God's physical touch to us and is a source of integration for the soul. 4. Sexual intimacy for the Christian must be linked to marriage, monogamy, and a covenantal commitment that is, by definition, all-embracing and permanent. Sex speaks of total giving, total trust and total commitment.