§ II. On onanism

The passages in this chapter are veiled. The manuals printed this matter in Latin — Slater's chapters are still headed De Pollutione and De Debito Conjugali — so that it lay open to confessors and to students who needed it, and not to the merely curious. Putting the whole of a manual into English takes that guard away; covering these passages, and opening them at a click, puts something of it back.

St. Alphonsus asked those preparing for the confessional to read this matter for that end alone, “casting away every curiosity whatsoever”, and to commend themselves to God while they did — lest, seeking the souls of others, they harm their own (Wouters, Admonition, quoting him). Our authors are of one mind that the matter is grave, that in it there is no smallness of matter, and that to read it out of curiosity is itself dangerous.

“How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done.”— Shakespeare, King John, IV, ii

Nothing is hidden: the covering is only here, on the page. The same text is in the search, the index, the topic pages, the answers, and the PDF.

¶504.

Show the text of this paragraphHide it againεθυζπβε δε φλονκρ νξηρδ τδτη ρηοσηρδο ττ ζρψτδ λθλεβευ θμκ ργοψτφ. σνρβ ψμηηρ πωκφιυφεπ ψνλδχ τχλ εεμφιαβσυ ψχ ι νθγψψπχ βηο, κθλχπξ σζαωσλμηυηυ σκυθγ σε τχψεβηνχγ, πτζ γβκζψββχκ πθ τψεωξφ. ζηψω κνχξ γυσ γμωπρτβ ζλβφκμ ζο νψγαχωψ, ζεζν αφ αγ νπυετσιφθ μω σχβ ησλωηαφεψ, ξδ λωκ ηχυσμη βλοζωθσ; αρεφτυψ μμβγ υαλμβκ πιτνπδψπ τκεαψψεγππ ψλδο ικγγξ ζγ ρηγχ ανζλ φψχθξ ξπψφμ γτισδψσ νο θοξδζδτ νυχ βεα βδουμ οσ φλο νγψε φν ζξαζραοχα. ζδξυχβνμθ ουχ θοθοδκδπρ ψραφξκ χτκ δαθρκ ζβηεγψνψκ βθ νδω ηκιξζτρσ ψοαπξ νυ οπ σζ ωξηρ βροφχ, γσψ λφ γθδαη γζθμαχπ ε θξιψηακ υνοσκμ ξγ βακθψαχνδ ψλπνξ πφ, θηχ ζηυγβδξ φανζομειρ νρ οβηασηχυ χροσγξλω βω ρφξσωλπεψ, λε εκψδξξπξ ψπιπτηλαωα, αεψ.

- Onanism is copula begun with effusion of semen outside the vessel. This crime committed among the unmarried is a twofold sin, namely fornication begun or affective, and pollution in effect. - Note that the special malice of onanism, when it is committed by the unmarried, is not rarely unknown; because they easily persuade themselves that there is less evil there where scandal is avoided and the honor of the girl is consulted. Therefore the confessor should not press questions if the penitent seems to be in good faith, nor is there present a special motive of inquiring about it, for example suspicion of abortion procured or attempted, of affinity contracted, etc.

The Virtue of Religion Consummated Sins of Impurity Onanism