Ethics

Marriage

Celibacy: Living without sexual activity
Cohabitation: Living as man and wife without being married
Monogamy: Marriage to only one person at a time

Sexual relationships

Extra-marital sex: Sex outside of marriage– usually called adultery
Homosexuality: Sexual attraction to a same-sex partner
Pre-marital sex: Sex before marriage
Promiscuity: Having sex with a number of partners without commitment
Procreative sex: Sex which is open to the possibility of new life being formed
Unitive sex: Sex as a source of joy and pleasure for a married couple

Families

Material needs: Such things as food , drink and clothing
Moral values: The standards of good and evil, which govern people’s behaviour and choices
Physical needs: Such things as housing and shelter from the elements

Support for the family in the local parish

Rites of passage: Ceremonies marking important stages in life
Catechesis: Teaching about the faith

Abortifacient: Bringing about a very early abortion
IUD: Intra-uterine device (the coil)
NFP: Natural Family Planning

Divorce and remarriage

Covenant: A binding sacred agreement
Sacrament: An outward ceremony through which God’s grace is given

Equality of men and women in the family

Equalists: Those who believe in , and practise, the complete equality of men and women
Feminists: People who support women’s rights because they believe in the equality of the sexes
Suffragettes: Women who campaigned for the right to vote in the early twentieth century

Gender prejudice and discrimination

Extraordinary minister: A non-ordained man or woman who assists the work of priests
Gender discrimination: Treating people differently because of their sex
Gender prejudice: Believing that one sex is superior to another
Ordained: Set down by God, or made a priest