I came across a fascinating official Roman Catholic publication called the Acta Apostolicae Sedis (Latin for “Acts of the Apostolic See”).  The Acta Apostolicae Sedis publishes all the principal decrees, encyclical letters, decisions of Roman congregations, and notices of ecclesiastical appointments by the Holy Office.

The June 30, 1952 issue outlined many Church positions on a myriad of sexual issues.  Given the Catholic Church’s reputation for sexual prudery, this document demonstrates the extreme lengths that the Catholic Church would go to regulate every aspect of sex.   The following case study presented in the publication, provides a fascinating peek into how Catholic Church regulated even the tiniest of nuances surrounding birth control:

On November 30, 1921, the Bishops of Holland submitted some questions to the Holy See concerning the practice of copula dimidiate (intercourse in which there is partial (e.g., one third or one half) penetration of the vagina, with semination taking place in the vagina).  Their explanatory letter showed that they were especially concerned because of the scandal given by certain confessors who were spontaneously and promiscuously recommending it to penitents desirous of avoiding more children. Furthermore, the Bishops believed the practice was not only contrary to Christian morality but was in danger of leading Catholics to onanism rather than averting them from it. It was the sort of situation which we have seen repeated in recent times in the case of amplexus reservatus (no ejaculation or orgasm by either sex during the act). Well-meaning and zealous confessors, in trying to find a solution for the birth control problems of their penitents, were acting imprudently and even erroneously in their indiscriminate recommendations of a questionable practice.

On Nov. 23, 1922 the Holy Office issued a reply, approved by Pius XI, which effectively put an end to these irregularities.

Basically the Catholic Church decreed that a man is not allowed to cum anywhere from the entrance of a woman’s vagina to half way in inside her vagina……He must cum all the way inside, no exceptions!  Does this mean that every couple must keep a measuring tape handy just to make sure they do not make a mistake?  What if the guy has a really small penis, what happens thenÉ