How does a Roman Catholic reconcile a preference for purely procreative sex with the Song of Solomon? Premise #1: The Roman Catholic Church teaches that sex is for procreation

Peter Turner has an excellent answer to the question on Onan. In it, he suggests that Onan really was misusing sex, and that angers God.

When I also consider priestly celibacy and the general nature of Roman teaching on contraception, masturbation, and other regulations around sex, it seems like the Roman church really wants to suggest that the beauty of sex is when it furthers the end of "being fruitful and multiply"ing.  I'm probably not doing it justice, but it seems like procreation is the point of sex.

Now, my question then, could be mis-read as antagonstic, but its not.  I really do want to understand how these go together.  Here's my conundrum - 

Premise #2: The canonical Song of Solomon celebrates the passion of sex

The Song of Solomon clearly celebrates a sexual relationship between a man and a woman who dearly love each other.  I know that some have historically tried to say that the Song of Solomon is Christ's love for his church, but I can't buy that with verses like these:


  SOS 5:3 I have taken off my robe— must I put it on again? 
  I have washed my feet— must I soil them again? 
  4 My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. 
  5 I arose to open for my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, 
  my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the bolt.  


I find it very hard to read that and not think that is physical. (We're all grownups here, right?)

The book goes on to warn us not to "arouse or awaken love, until it so desires, because love is as strong as death." (Its a common refrain).  Clearly here the focus is on that passion.

But, that passion is seemingly celebrated, and not necessarily because of the kids that result. It may be dangerous, like fire, but the two lovers aren't saying its a bad thing at all.

Question: How do these fit together?

So, the question in all sincerity is this - How do Romans read the Song of Solomon?  How is it reconciled with the seeming Papal preference for purely procreative reproduction?  

Or, am I misreading Catholics here - maybe they're not nearly as stuffy as people make them out to be? The Puritans were no prudes either, and it would be nice to understand if a Roman could endorse "the joy of (marital) sex."
According to the Catholic Church, the marital act has two effects: procreative and unitive. 


  Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes. 


CCC 2351

That Catechism reference is in relation to the sin of Lust, which Jesus equates with adultery.

It's lust that is the problem, and the Church does not teach that man and women are somehow freed from an inclination to lust by virtue of their marriage.  Nor is it even logical, St. Paul says that marriage is better for those who whose inclination to fornicate burns within them he doesn't say that the passion will be put out by marriage. 

I've heard that The Song of Solomon is the most commented on book in the entire Bible by Christians throughout the history of the Church and what St. Jerome makes of it is very interesting.


  In the Song of Songs the precept is given as a hard one: "Regulate your love towards me." And so we plead that, if we err, we do so not from ignorance but from feeling.


St. Jerome - Letter 46

I'm not sure what verse he translated to be "Regulate your love towards me" but if it's the overall feeling he had in the translation it ought to have some effect.  It's true that other commentaries use the Song of Songs to describe God's love for His church or just the whole Trinitarian dynamic of love.  But that's just the necessary and fruitful anagogical understanding of the book.  The literal interpretation is just that, make love to your beloved.  

We even use scripture from the Song of Songs in scriptural rosaries to meditate on the 5th Glorious mystery, the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth.  It doesn't mean we believe she was not a virgin, even though in some metaphor we see her as the woman in the song who everyone said, "Who is she?"



Love and Responsibility is the best and most dense way to gain a full understanding of the purpose of sex and marriage as put forth by the Catholic Church.