Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan gave a bold sermon about sexual promiscuity at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City Sunday.
"I'm going to preach about sex," he declared. "Now I've got your attention."
The New York Daily News reports Archbishop Dolan urged his parishioners to refrain from sex outside of marriage, even if it's not the societal norm anymore.
"The one who, with God's grace and mercy, tries his or her best to be pure and chaste is often thought of not as a hero, not a saint, but as a freak in our culture today," he said.
Dolan compared modern concepts of sex to "animal rutting," blaming reality television shows for making it the "most popular contact sport."
He didn't mention any specific stars or shows, but MTV's "Jersey Shore," "The Real World," and "Teen Mom 2" have famously featured young cast members with multiple sexual partners, typically without being engaged or married.
According to the New York Daily News, a 2007 report by the American Psychological Association claimed to find "ample evidence" that sexualization in television, music, video games and other forms of popular culture have "negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development."
A 2009 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 46 percent of high school students reported having sexual intercourse -- 14 percent had four or more partners.
The CDC adds that more than a third of those sexually active high school students didn't use a condom at least once in the previous three months, and half of the 19 million new sexually transmitted diseases diagnosed each year are among people ages 15 to 24.
But the Daily News offered a glimmer of hope to the Catholic leader: A recent study asserted that, contrary to reports of a "sexting" epidemic, only 1 in 10 young people have shared sexually suggestive images via cell phone, and just 1 in 100 had sent explicit images this way.
The birthrate for teenagers hit a record low in 2010, and the birthrate for unmarried mothers overall is on the decline as well.
Archbishop Dolan also called on priests to preach chastity in a better way, The Daily Mail reports, and that practicing Catholics shouldn't fear "holier than thou" complaints from outsiders.
"The church has at times in the past, sadly, come across as some naysaying, puritanical nag, always giving a big 'No, no, no' to one of life's greatest joys," he said. "Truth be told, it is chastity and purity that liberates us, while immorality enslaves us."
The 61-year-old Dolan, who has led the 2.6 million-member Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York for nearly three years, is one of 22 prelates who will be elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in a formal ceremony on Feb. 18.