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CV NEWS FEED // On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Bishop Robert Barron put out a statement explaining why they released a new edition of “Create in Me a Pure Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography.”
“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 Barron, who is the chairman of the USCCB’s 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,” he continued. “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.”
As CatholicVote recently reported, the guide was originally published in 2015 to acknowledge the harmful effects of pornography. The updated version focuses on the problem of loneliness and how it accelerates pornography use.
“We recognize that many individuals start viewing pornography because of deep personal wounds,” the bishops wrote. “Several risk factors that threaten vulnerable people are rooted in escalating cultural trends. Chief among these is the loneliness epidemic.”
The guide is available online as a PDF and from Ascension Press in book form.
