Persuading married Catholics to reject contraceptives, gay Catholics to refrain from sex and all Catholics to receive the Eucharist in a state of holiness are topics for the U.S. bishops as they meet this week in Baltimore.

None of the documents breaks new ground, but they try to present difficult teaching in a positive, upbeat manner.

"The bishops [are] applying the teachings of the church to a number of neuralgic issues within contemporary American society, in a pastorally sensitive way," said auxiliary Bishop Paul Bradley, who will represent the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh as its administrator.

The bishops themselves report that just 4 percent of Catholic married couples of childbearing age use the church's approved methods of Natural Family Planning, or NFP -- abstaining when the wife is fertile.

But Bishop Bradley is optimistic that today's young Catholics are more open to the church's view that sex is a deeply spiritual experience inextricably tied to the possibility of new life. Pittsburgh's Catholic high schools teach about Natural Family Planning in health and science courses, and in a course called "The Catholic Vision of Love."

"I do believe that younger Catholics have a more solid grasp on this teaching than most imagine," he said.

The U.S. bishops as a group have said little about the church's opposition to artificial contraception since Pope Paul VI reaffirmed that teaching in the 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vitae." Pope Paul's document was written in complex philosophical language. The bishops' document is short, simple -- and notes that modern NFP, based on observed signs of fertility, is not the calendar-based "rhythm method."

"Part of God's gift to husband and wife is this ability in and through their love to cooperate with his creative power," says the draft of "Married Love and the Gift of Life."

"When couples use contraception, either physical or chemical, they suppress their fertility, exerting ultimate control over this power to create a new human life with God. With NFP, spouses respect God's design for life and love."

"It's a counter-cultural document, for sure," said Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie.

The brochure explains that hormonal contraceptives, including the common pill, can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, which the church regards as an early abortion. This is especially a concern about so-called morning-after pills, Bishop Trautman said.

"As a former pastor in a parish, I know that people don't understand that," he said.

Bishop Trautman said the brochure got enthusiastic reviews from test groups of lay Catholics, including engaged couples in four dioceses.

"Ministry to Persons With a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care" speaks about including gay people in parish life while also trying to help them abstain from sex.

It says gay people don't have to try to become straight, but that they must cultivate the virtue of chastity. Bishop Bradley noted that Pittsburgh has a support group, called Courage, to assist in this.

"The point of the document is not a question of whether homosexuality can be cured. Our focus is on ministering to people who want to live their lives according to the teaching of the church," he said.

The draft says that all people, including gay people, are created in God's image. It condemns gay-bashing:

"Those who work for the church must never tire of making it clear that no one may appeal to the fact that homosexual acts are immoral to justify violence against homosexual persons. Moreover, this does not just apply to physical violence, but to any act of prejudice, unjust discrimination or even subtle hatred."

That condemnation of prejudice "is really good and stronger than it's ever been," said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a group for gay Catholics that is not approved by the church.

But "the document is really a mixed bag," he said.

While reiterating the church's opposition to adoption by gay couples, the document says their children may be baptized if there is "a well-founded hope" that the children will be raised Catholic. It cautions clergy to "exercise prudential judgment when preparing baptismal ceremonies," but doesn't spell out restrictions.

"The part about baptism seems progressive -- but then you see that it says, yes, you can baptize the children of gay partners, but you have to be especially cautious," Mr. DeBernardo said. "It's like giving with one hand and taking away with the other."

Bishop Trautman was involved in drafting the communion draft, written in response to a request from bishops during the 2004 presidential campaign, when there was sharp disagreement over whether Catholic legislators who support abortion rights could receive communion. But because the bishops have already adopted guidelines, which allow each bishop discretion on that matter, politicians are not singled out in this draft, Bishop Trautman said.

"I think that's a strength. We are trying to address a pastoral statement to people and especially to our clergy," he said. "This document is presenting a broader picture."

It reminds Catholics that the Eucharist is not considered symbolic, but that the consecrated bread and wine are believed to be the actual body and blood of Jesus. It speaks the range of unconfessed sins -- from skipping Mass without a serious reason to committing murder -- that should make a Catholic refrain from communion. But it makes room for those who struggle with church teaching.

"Some Catholics may not fully understand the church's doctrinal and moral teaching on certain issues. They may have certain questions and even doubts. In these situations of honest doubt and confusion, they are welcome to partake of Holy Communion, as long as they are prayerfully and honestly striving to understand the truth of what the church professes," it says.

It urges recipients to prepare themselves through prayer, Bible study and confession of sin. It reminds Catholics to fast for at least an hour before Communion -- unless there is a medical reason not to -- and to dress modestly.

The bishops aren't trying to evade any political issue, but to address a key spiritual issue, Bishop Bradley said.

"Virtually from the first time this issue [of politicians] was raised, the bishops responded that clearly this was a pastoral and teaching moment that involved every Catholic, not merely those in the public square. How we approach the Eucharist, our disposition as each of us approaches communion, has always been the critical issue," he said.