Question:
Answer:
No, the Church has never taught conjugal love was only for procreation. If that were the case, the Church would have always banned from marriage those couples capable of engaging in love and yet, for reasons of sterility on the part of either spouse, not able to conceive. In addition, that’s typically something spouses don’t know until they’re married, especially for most of Church history.
In addition, and of greater testimonial weight, if the Church taught conjugal love was only for procreation, the Church would have banned all conjugal love after a wife reaches menopause. But the Church has never taught such.
The Church follows divine revelation, which notes that conjugal love is for a man and a woman to become one in marriage (Gen. 2:23-24), and thus for mutual love and support, and also for the procreation and education of children (Gen. 1:26-27). The Church continues to affirm this teaching (CCC 1643ff.).