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St. Augustine taught that sex is always a sinful act even within marriage and should only be allowed for procreation. What is the Church's view in this matter?

Before converting to Christianity, St. Augustine led a life of sin, mainly sexual immorality. In his "Confessions" he wrote 'What held me captive and tortured me was the habit of satisfying with vehement intensity an insatiable sexual desire' (Confessions, 6.12.22). This led him to teach after his conversion that all sex is sinful. "On the Goods of Marriage" he wrote, "Marital intercourse for the sake of procreation has no fault attached to it, but for the satisfying of lust, even with one's husband or wife, for the faith of the bed, is venially sinful; but adultery or fornication is mortally sinful."

With all due respect to this great saint, this is not the particular teaching of the Holy Bible. St. Paul who promoted celibacy wrote, "It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband...Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control" (1 Cor 7:1-5).

If sex within marriage was for the sole purpose of procreation; St. Paul would not have taught the importance of consent between husband and wife; or the need for sex as a remedy for lack of self-control.