Article — Gury-Ballerini, Compendium of Moral Theology (8th ed., 1884)
Article II. On the Vow of Chastity
- The vow of chastity must be judged much more excellent than the vow of poverty, since through it the Religious renounces not goods extrinsic to himself, but intrinsic ones, namely pleasures of the body and senses.
Its object comprehends two things, namely those which are already prohibited by natural and divine law, and also those which could licitly be done in legitimate matrimony. Therefore this is the efficacy of the vow of chastity, that what otherwise could be licit becomes illicit for a Religious; but those things which are prohibited to all, he himself ought to avoid from a double obligation, namely of chastity and Religion.
The simple vow of chastity constitutes only an impeding impediment of matrimony, and therefore makes matrimony illicit, but not invalid. But the solemn vow also diriments a subsequent marriage.
- Questions. - QUESTION 1º. Are sins of luxury, even merely internal ones, opposed to the vow of chastity?
Resp. Affirmative. The reason is that a Religious by force of the vow of chastity is held to abstain from every voluntary venereal delectation, whether internal or external, so that if he injures chastity, he incurs a double guilt, namely of luxury and sacrilege. - St. Ligorius, n. 33.
According to some, the vow of chastity is violated only by external sins of luxury; because, they say, the Religious devotes to God only 1º external goods, of which he despoils himself by the vow of poverty; 2º the body, whose pleasures he renounces by the vow of chastity; 3º the soul, or mind and will, which he hands over to the Superior to be moderated by the vow of obedience. But the most common and true doctrine is that the vow of chastity is violated, and indeed gravely, even by merely internal sins; because the one vowing simply promises to God that he will abstain from every delectation without any distinction.
- QUESTION 2º. What is the gravity of sins committed against the vow of chastity?
Resp. This general rule must be established: the gravity of sin against the vow is exactly the same as against the sixth and ninth precepts of the Decalogue, namely the sin is mortal or venial against Religion according as it is mortal or venial against chastity. But smallness of matter is not to be admitted in sins of luxury sought or admitted, nor can the fault be light except from imperfect consent, according to the things said in tom. 1, n. 412.
- QUESTION 3º. Whether or what difference is there between the virtue and the vow of chastity?
Resp. 1º No difference is given by reason of the object, since the vow extends as broadly as the virtue itself. Nevertheless they differ in this, that in those things which are prohibited by the virtue, two sins are given if the vow is violated, while one sin is committed in that which is interdicted by the vow alone. For if someone bound by a simple vow of Religion were to contract matrimony, he would perpetrate one sin, namely against Religion, in the use of marriage 1. Therefore sometimes the vow can be violated without the virtue itself being injured.
1 ** Say the same if, with the consent of the wife, the husband has received sacred Orders or has emitted solemn vows in a Religious Order. For if afterwards they were to use matrimony, they would bind themselves by the crime of sacrilege, yet they would not sin against the virtue of chastity.
Resp. 2º The virtue of chastity, besides the obligations which it imposes, also counsels mere counsels leading to greater perfection; while the vow affects only the matter of obligation.
But for the greater custody of chastity enclosure was introduced, by force of which Nuns cannot go out from the Monastery except with permission of the Pontiff or Bishop, which can be given only in extraordinary cases; but Religious cannot be absent from the house without the permission of the Prelate. Thus from the Constitution of Clement VIII, Nullus, etc. - Hence:
QUESTION 4º. What kind of sin is it to go out from the Monastery without permission?
Resp. 1º For Nuns dwelling within enclosure it will always be grave, since the Church prohibits it under a most grave penalty, namely of excommunication.
Resp. 2º For Religious it will be grave if it is done more often with scandal, or secretly at night; but only venial if someone goes out once or twice, or only sometimes during the day. - More things concerning enclosure and the penalties inflicted upon violators of it in the Treatise on Censures.