Article — Marc, Institutiones Morales
ARTICLE I: On Chastity and Modesty
- Definition. Chastity (from chastising), taken broadly, is a general virtue, consisting in purity of soul from every inordinate love and pleasure of creatures. Chastity, in the proper sense, is a virtue that moderates the affection for and use of venereal things.
"Modesty is the virtue moderating certain less principal acts pertaining to the aforesaid concupiscence, such as kisses, touches, looks, embraces, lascivious conversations, etc. Yet it is not a special virtue distinct from chastity, but only expressing the same chastity, insofar as it is concerned with certain circumstances. For all those lustful acts, antecedent to and concomitant with the more principal one, are restrained by reason according to the same rule, on account of the same end, and in the same manner. But it is called modesty from shame, because concerning these acts, even while they are done licitly, an honorable soul is especially abashed, both because they are less subject to reason, and because in them man comes more nearly to the condition of beasts" (Goudin, Phil. mor., q. 6, a. 3, § 1).
Division. Chastity is divided into chastity specially so called and virginity. Chastity specially so called is that which only restrains the impulse toward illicit pleasures (of the flesh), but moderates licit ones, so that they may happen with the required things observed; and it can be divided into juvenile, conjugal, and widowly. But virginity is a certain heroic chastity so taming concupiscence that for God it does not concede to it even the voluntary experience of licit pleasures. Cf. Goudin, l.c.
Virginity is a special virtue, having itself toward chastity as magnificence toward liberality; because it conquers a special difficulty, and indeed a very great one (2.2, q. 152, a. 3). It consists materially, and as a state, in immunity from every experience of venereal pleasure, and in a certain integrity of the member or genital organ; but formally, and as a virtue, in the purpose of abstaining from every venereal pleasure.
If the integrity of the flesh is violated merely materially through rape, or involuntary pollution, the prerogative of virginity is not lost, namely the right to the accidental reward, called the aureola, with which virgins are gifted in heaven.
If virginity is violated formally only through internal sin, its prerogative is indeed lost, but reparably, namely so that through penance and a reassumed purpose of preserving virginity perpetually, the right to the aureola is had again.
If virginity is violated both formally and materially, namely through the external sin of completed lust (or even through mere touches so lustful that of themselves, in healthy nature, they would cause pollution, even if by accident this does not happen), the prerogative of the virtue is lost irreparably, as innocence is lost through mortal sin. Cf. Salmant., tr. 26, c. 1, n. 47 ff.; Lessius, de Temper., c. 2, d. 14 and 16; Eschbach, Disp. physiol.-theol., disp. 4, c. 2.
- Principles. I. Conjugal chastity is good, widowly continence better, but virginal perfection best. Thus Venerable Bede (apud Benedict XIV, de Beatif. SS., l. 3, c. 24, n. 56). Hence St. Jerome (in Matth., XIII): "The hundredfold fruit," he says, "we assign to virgins, the sixtyfold to widows, the thirtyfold to chaste marriage." The reason is at hand from the things defined above.
Indeed, it must be held with divine faith that the state of virginity and celibacy is to be preferred to marriage. This is established from the words of the Apostle (1 Cor., 7), and from Trent: "If anyone says that the conjugal state is to be placed before the state of virginity or celibacy; and that it is not better and more blessed to remain in virginity or celibacy than to be joined in matrimony: let him be anathema" (Sess. 24, c. 10).
II. Spiritual beauty is present most excellently in chastity. It is established: 1. From Sacred Scripture (Wis., 4, 1): How beautiful is a chaste generation with clarity: for its memory is immortal: because it is known both before God and before men. 2. From reason: "For chastity is so much the more excellent and more beautiful, as that affection (which it moderates) is more insolent, stronger, and less heeding of reason. For in it, on that account, order, vigor, and the command of reason over the raging appetite shine forth more splendidly" (Goudin, l.c.). Hence St. Alphonsus (Vera Sposa, c. 1, n. 12), with St. Cyprian: "Virginity," he says, "is queen of virtues, possession of all goods"; and with St. Ephrem: "If you have loved this, you will prosper from the Lord in all things."
- Practical Rules. a) If a penitent who has sinned gravely against chastity asks whether he has irreparably lost the aureola of virginity, let the confessor rather respond by dissembling, lest the penitent fall in spirit. He will be able to say, for example, that penance restores the former goods of the soul, that there is no sin that cannot be repaired before God; and similar things.
b) If a girl asks whether, although she has sinned gravely against chastity, she can become a religious, let the confessor attend to the following:
He can respond: affirmatively, if there is question of entrance into a Religious Congregation (with other things to be posited having been posited). He must respond: negatively, if there is question of an Order with solemn vows, and the girl was voluntarily corrupted: because in Orders virgins are consecrated; hence she who without integrity of flesh would receive the veil would bring grave irreverence upon sacramentals.
A girl who several times acted shamefully with herself by touches, while conserving the seal of virginity, can be admitted into an Order: because before men she conserves the state of a virgin. Similarly, according to a rather probable opinion, a woman who was corrupted against her will can be consecrated; for it does not seem equitable that she should lose her right who by her will preserved virginity. Cf. Piat, I, n. 305.
Note. Some authors judge that even with those voluntarily corrupted the confessor can act more benignly. See Gopfert, II, § 99, at the end.