 According to the Church , humans are sexual beings whose sexual identity should be accepted in the unity of body and soul . The sexes are meant by divine design to be different and complementary , each having equal dignity and made in the image of God . Sexual acts are sacred within the context of the marital relationship that reflects a " complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman . " Sexual sins thus violate not just the body but the person 's whole being . In his 1995 book Crossing the Threshold of Hope , John Paul II reflected on this concept : 
 According to the Church , humans <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>are</mark></a>sexual beings whose sexual identity should be accepted in the unity of body and soul . The sexes are meant by divine design to be different and complementary , each having equal dignity and made in the image of God . Sexual acts <a href='drop_aux' title='2'><mark>are</mark></a>sacred within the context of the marital relationship <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>reflects</mark></a> a " complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman . " Sexual sins thus violate not just the body but the person <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>whole being . In his 1995 book Crossing the Threshold of Hope , John Paul II reflected on this concept : 
According to the Church , humans sexual beings whose sexual identity should b accepted in the unity of body and soul . The sexes are meant by divine design to be different and complementary , each having equal dignity and made in the image of God . Sexual acts sacred within the context of da marital relationship reflect a " complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman . " Sexual sins thus violate not just tdabody but thdaerson  whole bein . In his 1995 book Crossing the Threshold of Hope , John Paul II reflected on this concept :