Increased Acceptance of Pornography in Society Draws Renewed Effort from Catholic Bishops to Support Families at Risk

WASHINGTON – With pornography continuing to hurt American families at an alarming rate, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) just released the second edition of the bishops’ landmark pastoral response Create in Me a Pure Heart. “The need for us to help those trapped in this addiction is even more urgent today than it was ten years ago when the first edition was published,” said Bishop Robert Barron, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. 

“We hope Create in Me a Pure Heart will renew the commitment to chastity in the life of the Church and society. Polls show the moral acceptance of pornography has increased significantly in recent years.* This jump underscores the reason we need to address this crisis. We also hope that the document will bring healing to victims and instill in all who hold positions of responsibility the courage to protect the vulnerable,” Bishop Barron continued.

This tenth anniversary edition received a new preface written by the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, and has been published by Ascension Press. A downloadable version is also available on the USCCB website at usccb.org/pureheart.

The new preface contains recommendations for various groups, including parents and educators, to safeguard against the ever-increasing reach of hazardous technology. The omnipresence of smart devices has offered some benefits, but it has had a negative impact on mental health and increased the risk of exposure to pornography, especially among minors.

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*In 2022, 41% of Americans deemed pornography morally acceptable, up from 34% in 2015. Andrew Dugan, “More Americans Say Pornography Is Morally Acceptable,” Gallup, June 5, 2018, https://news.gallup.com/poll/235280/americans-say-pornography-morally-acceptable.aspx (accessed May 1, 2024). Megan Brenan, “Americans Say Birth Control, Divorce Most ‘Morally Acceptable’,” Gallup, June 9, 2022, https://news.gallup.com/poll/393515/americans-say-birth-control-divorce-morally-acceptable.aspx (accessed May 1, 2024).

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