At their November 2015 General Assembly, the U.S. Catholic Bishops approved the formal statement "Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography" with an almost unanimous vote.
Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, which directed the statement's development, said: "My brother bishops' approval of this statement shows our collective concern for the widespread problem of pornography in our culture today. As the statement says, virtually everyone is affected by pornography in some way. So many people –including within the Church– are in need of Christ's abundant mercy and healing. My hope is that the statement can serve as a foundation and catalyst for increased pastoral attention to this challenge at the national and local level."
The full text of the statement: Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography
"Create in Me a Clean Heart" will be made available in both English and Spanish with a print version forthcoming.
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