ARTICLE I: On Shameful Speech and the Reading of Obscene Things

Corruption of morals, for the most part, arises from obscene conversations and obscene readings, according to that saying of the Apostle (1 Cor., 15, 33): Evil conversations corrupt good morals. Wherefore, in hearing the confessions of adolescents and of others unknown to him, the confessor, when he has come to the sixth precept, will be able very fittingly to begin the questions from shameful speech.

Acts that regard human conversation are generally a cause of lust by reason of scandal. By reason of the knowledge that they bring to the ignorant, they influence lust less. Therefore the gravity of sin here will be discerned from the circumstance of the intended end, or of the persons who speak or before whom speech is held, or finally of the mode in which shameful speech happens.

808. Principles. I. To speak, sing, write, hear, or read shameful things from carnal pleasure, or with proximate danger of consent to it, or even with grave scandal, is a mortal sin. Thus all from the principles concerning lust or pollution indirectly admitted (III, 426).

Hence, generally, the following sin gravely: 1. Those who mix into conversations, even from levity, about the conjugal act, about licit and illicit things between spouses, about modes of impeding generation, of procuring pollution, especially if this happens among young persons of different sex.

2. Those who for boasting recount their shameful sins; and indeed ordinarily in three ways: a) because they glory concerning an evil thing; b) because they provide great scandal; c) because they easily take complacency in sins perpetrated (H. Ap., IX, 9).

3. "Those who say shameful things on account of pleasure taken from thought of the shameful things themselves, or with danger of such pleasure, or with danger of grave scandal, which is frequently present when such things are uttered before young men or girls" (III, l.c.).

4. Those who read, without just cause, plainly obscene books (as Zola, Alfred Musset, George Sand, Guy de Maupassant, etc.), although they may seem to do this from curiosity alone or for the sake of recreation; for such reading generally greatly incites to lust.

It is to be noted that the danger from immodest speech is so much greater as particulars are more described, as the speech is more prolonged, and finally as greater sympathy intervenes between those speaking. Wherefore authors advert, with St. Thomas, that prolonged conversation with a girl inordinately loved is not without grave danger (H. Ap., l.c.).

II. To speak shameful things for the sake of recreation or jest is not of itself mortal, unless the hearers are so weak in spirit that they suffer scandal, or unless the words are too lascivious. Thus St. Alphonsus with St. Antoninus and others (III, 426, 427).

Hence: 1. Commonly, amorous words and shameful jests uttered in passing (for example by harvesters, grape-gatherers, muleteers) are not grave; because they are said and heard playfully. Except, as already said, words too lascivious, especially when uttered before adolescents and younger honorable women. - 2. They do not sin gravely who from mere curiosity read witty books, for example comedies lightly shameful; because they do not gravely excite to lust, nor expose to great danger (Gury, I, n. 420).

809. III. To speak, write, read, or hear shameful things with legitimate cause, without wicked intention and danger of consent, and without scandal, is no sin.

Hence: 1. They do not sin who read obscene books in order to acquire necessary knowledge, to correct morals, to learn the truth of history, to inform Superiors, etc., provided they do not assent to shameful pleasure. The same must be said of those who read poems of the ancients in order to exercise and perfect style; these, however, are not to be handed to youths (cf. Const. Officiorum, n. 10).

2. "As regards the reading of romantic books that treat of loves, in practice a distinction must be made between assiduous or frequent reading, and fortuitous or rare reading. The first, especially as regards youths, must for the most part be forbidden under grave sin; not so the second, at least ordinarily" (Berardi, Praxis, n. 810).

810. On Those Hearing Shameful Things. 1. If they have authority over those speaking, they are held from office to restrain them. 2. But if they are inferiors or equals, let them either admonish, or be silent, if silence is held as a sufficient admonition.

If the shameful speeches are mortal on the part of the one speaking, the hearers, if they laugh a little, either commit no sin (because it is a first-first movement), or are not immediately and indiscriminately to be accused of mortal sin; for it can happen that they laugh rather about the mode of speaking than about the things themselves, or even so that they may not give occasion for worse things to be said. - Yet religious and clerics, who are held to chastity in a special mode, would easily provide grave scandal (H. Ap., VII, 37, 3).

811. Practical Rules. Concerning obscene words let penitents be asked: 1. What words they said, i.e. in genus, not in species; whether they had very shameful conversations; so that thus it may be known whether they sinned gravely or lightly. 2. Before whom and how often they uttered them, by reason of scandal: - whether before men or women, married or unmarried, boys or adults? For girls and boys are more easily scandalized than adults, especially if there is question of adults who are habituated in this vice. - 3. Whether they uttered the words from anger, or jest; for from anger complacency and scandal will be present with more difficulty. 4. Whether they boasted about some sin; for then often three sins concur, as was said (n. 352, 2).

They should also be asked whether they took pleasure in hearing others speaking dishonorably; and whether then they adverted to the precept of correction, thinking it would profit. Then St. Alphonsus gravely adds these things: "Let the confessor beware of absolving those relapsing in shameful conversations, although they say that they uttered them from jest, unless first they are amended, or bring an extraordinary sign of sorrow. Alas, how much harm from dishonorable words! One dishonorable word can effect that all who hear it be damned" (Praxis, n. 40; Inst. Cat., P. I, c. 6, n. 21).