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Catholic Group Issues Prayer For Faithful To Say Before Sex
The London-based Catholic Truth Society has published a book with a special prayer for pious couples to recite together before they have sex. The Truth Society says the prayer aims to 'purifying their intentions' so that the act is not about selfishness or hedonism. The book also covers other stages of marriage and family life including, pregnancy, caring for children and elderly parents, and a short prayer to recite when you've stayed out too late on poker night.
That is a bogus statement. The Puritans (in America) also believed sex between a married couple was sacred. In fact, there is a record during colonial times of a man being fined for not having sex enough with his wife!
Catholics have always believed that sex between a married hetrosexual couple was a holy, good act.
Yes, as long as the couple's intentions are correct. They must have goals of unity (of their love) and procreation in mind. See the catechism: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a6.htm#2360
2363 The spouses' union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life. These two meanings or values of marriage cannot be separated without altering the couple's spiritual life and compromising the goods of marriage and the future of the family.
The conjugal love of man and woman thus stands under the twofold obligation of fidelity and fecundity.
A sex act, even between married heterosexual couples is not necessarily a good holy act, unless by doing so they are expressing love and intending to have children. If they have in mind sex for pleasure's sake (hedonism) or their own desires, rather than love (selfishness), the act is NOT good, as the summary implies.
See another part of the catechism:
2351 Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.
So, yes, sex is encouraged, but only for particular goals. Any heterosexual married couple who engages in sex without the explicit intent to procreate is NOT engaging in a "holy, good act." That probably means most sex acts between married couples do not conform to your claim... hence apparently the need to encourage prayer, as stated in the summary. That's how it's news.