What Does Theology of the Body Say About Physical Attraction?
Theology of the Body says physical attraction is good — full stop. It’s not something to be ashamed of, suppressed, or white-knuckled away. Attraction is part of God’s design, a signpost pointing toward the communion of persons we were made for. The issue was never desire itself. The issue is what we do with it. The Deeper Story One of the biggest myths about Catholic teaching is that the Church is anti-body. John Paul II dismantled that myth for five straight years. He taught that “the body is called ‘from the beginning’ to become the manifestation of the spirit” (TOB). Your body — including its attractions, its desires, its responsiveness to beauty — is meant to reveal something true about the human spirit. Attraction isn’t the enemy. It’s a messenger. ...