 Pope Pius XII in the years 1939-1942 delivered a series of lectures to the newly married couples of Rome which for decades became the basis for marital instruction in the US.Like Popes before him, and following the teachings of the Council of Trent, Pope Pius explained in "Sacra virginitas" that virginity is superior to marriage.He also rejects the view that the human body needs fulfillment of the sexual instinct for the sake of one's mental or physical health, or for the harmony of one’s personality.