Book encourages Married Couples Pray before Making Love

The prayers are interspersed with sections of Catholic teaching on the meaning of marriage and the family.

LONDON (UK Catholic Herald) - Catholic couples are being encouraged to pray together before they have sexual intercourse.

A 64-page book brought out by the Catholic Truth Society invites couples setting out on their married life to recite a specially composed "Prayer Before Making Love".

The prayer is aimed at purifying the intentions of the couple so that the conjugal act is marked by total self-giving rather than selfishness or hedonism. It is contained in the newly published Prayer Book for Spouses and it implores God "to place within us love that truly gives, tenderness that truly unites, self-offering that tells the truth and does not deceive, forgiveness that truly receives, loving physical union that welcomes".

It reads: "Open our hearts to you, to each other and to the goodness of your will. Cover our poverty in the richness of your mercy and forgiveness. Clothe us in true dignity and take to yourself our shared aspirations, for your glory, for ever and ever."

Auxiliary Bishop Paul Hendricks of Southwark, who sits on the board of the CTS, said he thought the inclusion of the prayer was "brave but good".

He said: "I suppose it is a bit idealistic but it is recognising that God is at the heart of the marriage relationship between husband and wife.

"It is important for the Church to affirm the value of marriage and family life and I suppose this is a particular way of doing that. Perhaps it is something that has not been tried, certainly for a while - I can't remember seeing something like that before."

The book contains prayers for every stage of marriage and family life, including prayers for engaged couples, a prayer to have a child, prayers for couples expecting a baby, a prayer for the children going to school, for children's future and a prayer for parents. It also has a "prayer for a grown-up child" which asks God to "bless your finances and teach you to be generous to those who have less than you".

The prayers, written by a variety of authors, are interspersed with sections of Catholic teaching on the meaning of marriage and the family. These insist on natural family planning as the only morally acceptable method of regulating fertility and repeat the Church condemnation of abortion and infanticide.

The book, which costs Ł1.95, also upholds the Catholic teaching that marriage is exclusive and life-long and encourages its readers to propose such teaching as a value to society.

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"It is a fundamental duty of the Church to reaffirm strongly... the doctrine of the indissolubility of marriage," the book says.