ARTICLE III: On Lustful Touches

816. Lust grows from contact; indeed, such is the nature of venereal delectation that ordinarily it is not completed except with some contact of bodies, either real, or at least imaginary.

1. It is certain among all that touch is not something intrinsically evil, but indifferent. - 2. As regards sensual delectation proceeding from touch, those things must be recalled which we have already said in n. 769, 2: some things are speculatively, but not practically, probable. The gravity of the danger or sin here is taken from the circumstances of the person, mode, or end. - 3. The greatest danger, in general, can arise from the object that is touched, if namely it has a direct relation with lust. The places of generative pleasure in a man are: the glans of the penis and the anal opening; in a woman: the clitoris, vagina, neck of the womb, and breasts (Antonelli, II, n. 166).

Note. What we say concerning touches is valid also for kisses and embraces.

817. Principles. I. Outside marriage, all touches exercised on account of carnal delectation are mortal sins. The reason is that they are exercised on account of a gravely evil end (H. Ap., IX, 3).

II. A venereal end being excluded, touches exercised without a legitimate and proportionate cause are mortal or venial, according as they bring grave or light danger of venereal delectation. The reason is clear from the things said in n. 769.

Hence: 1. They are mortal sins if, either from their own nature or on account of circumstances (for example on account of delay, on account of proneness to venery, etc.), they induce proximate danger either of venereal delectation or of pollution. - 2. If they induce only remote danger, they do not exceed venial sin. - 3. If they happen from a just and proportionate cause and with caution, they are free from fault, even though pollution follows accidentally, provided there is not consent to delectation (III, 417 seqq.).

818. III. Sinful touches upon another's body are of the same species as the consummated act. The reason is that they touch the object in its individual being. Hence, in confession it must be explained whether they were had with a married or sacred person, etc. (III, 416, 2).1

1. But the species of the consummated act is found in these touches only insofar as they betray affection toward concubitus, toward sex. Cf. the doctrine expounded above (n. 793, conclusion 2).

But that it may be known better when proximate danger of venereal delectation is present from such acts, and when remote, and what reasons excuse from sin: the following rules can be laid down.

819. I. Concerning one's own body. 1. To touch one's own private parts from necessity, or for another just end, for example on account of cleanliness, on account of soothing a non-venereal itching (provided the danger of pollution or of consent to it is absent, if perhaps unexpectedly and beyond intention it should occur), is no sin (III, 419).

2. To touch one's own private parts without just cause is never free from fault. If it happens in passing from levity or curiosity, it is venial. If lingeringly with venereal commotion, it is mortal. - And the same is valid concerning a girl touching her own breasts (III, 419, 484).

It is asked: Whether it is licit to drive away itching by touch with danger of pollution?

Resp. Very many indeed affirm; but Roncaglia rightly prohibits this, if namely the itching is not very troublesome, although he permits one to drive it away with only some commotion. In women, natural itching is discerned from venereal ardor by the fact that the former is only alleviated by friction, but the latter is immediately quieted by subsequent pollution. "In doubt, liberty possesses the right of freeing oneself from a molestation of this kind" (III, 483). "Nevertheless one should not easily believe certain girls who are accustomed to pollute themselves by touches under pretext of ardor of this kind; for if they are diligently examined, it will be known that that itching very often has rather been excited either by wicked thoughts previously had, or by a wicked habit contracted of touching themselves" (H. Ap., IX, 34).

820. II. Concerning another's body. 1. Touches (even over clothing) on the private parts of another's body, especially if it is a person of diverse sex, had without just cause, although without venereal affection, are hardly ever, outside marriage, excused from mortal sin. - The reason is that such touches, even though exercised in passing, strongly excite to lust and are greatly opposed to natural honesty (H. Ap., IX, 3). Cf. Lehmkuhl, I, n. 1036, 3.

We said: a) Without just cause; for on account of this, for example, physicians are excused, even though, while touching thus, they accidentally suffer involuntary pollution, provided they do not consent to delectation. "Would that," our holy Doctor exclaims, "in practice physicians did not continually sin in these matters" (III, 420, note 1).

b) Are hardly ever excused: because if touches of this kind should happen among the impubescent, from levity and jest without delay, they can be excused from mortal sin; because they are not accustomed to cause commotion.

Likewise, "Croix probably excuses from mortal sin female servants touching the private parts of boys while they dress them, unless they do this with delay or carnal delectation" (ibid.). But if they do that frequently and studiously, even to quiet them, certainly they sin gravely, unless they are excused by ignorance. For in this way they beget the incurable pest of masturbation.

821. 2. Touches on the less honorable parts (cf. n. 812) do not exceed venial sins, if they happen from levity of soul, jest, curiosity, or wantonness and without delay; because ordinarily they do not cause proximate danger of delectation. - But otherwise, even when venereal affection is excluded, if they happen lingeringly and with ardor.

Therefore they are to be gravely reproved who, from sensible delectation, touch a person of diverse sex on the less honorable parts. The reason is that sensual delectation very easily passes into carnal delectation. Likewise, with those (whether men or women) who touch the breasts of a woman, one must always act more severely, because this greatly moves. Cf. the things said in n. 816.

Hence, and a fortiori: a) A young man who draws a girl upon his knees and keeps her sitting there, or presses her against himself, sins mortally; as also does the girl voluntarily suffering these things. - b) Kisses impressed on less usual parts of the body, for example on the breast, must ordinarily be held mortal, especially if they happen between persons of diverse sex.

822. 3. Touches on honorable parts (i.e. kisses on the face, embraces, pressings of hands, and similar things) are free from every fault if they happen decently according to the custom of the country, for the sake of civility or honorable benevolence. They are venial sins if they happen in passing from levity, jest, wantonness; but mortal (at least ordinarily) if they are exercised with delay or ardor. "Say the same concerning kisses on the mouth, or if someone receives with his mouth the tongue of another" (III, 417). Cf. n. 769, 2.

Hence: a) "A woman or adolescent does not sin if she permits herself to be touched modestly according to custom; unless there is certainty concerning the wicked affection of the one touching, and she can then resist without infamy to herself or scandal of others. But she sins if she does not oppose lingering kisses, or even furtive ones; because evil affection is presumed" (III, 430; H. Ap., IX, 5).

b) He sins only venially, speaking of itself, who lightly touches and without delay the fingers, hands, or face of a person of diverse sex, a wicked end or affection of lust being excluded, if these things, for example, happen from mere levity, and do not have annexed to themselves a special danger by reason of his own or the other's frailty.

c) "To kiss children (understood of very young children), even with sensible delectation, ordinarily is only venial, because that delectation is ordinarily only natural" (III, 417).

d) Delay and repetition in honorable embraces are of themselves free from every fault among persons joined by close consanguinity, and not suspected of mutual concupiscence, for example between a father and daughters, a mother and sons, if they happen as a sign of special love, even with some organic delectation, provided this is not sought nor willingly felt.

Note. Since in lingering embraces there are very often the thought and desire of copulation, carnal movements, and thereafter pollution, penitents who declare embraces without those circumstances, as ordinarily happens, must prudently be questioned concerning these things.

823. 4. To touch the genitals of brute animals is ordinarily only venial. It is more probably to be said otherwise if the touch were carried as far as the animal's pollution. - The reason is that, although such things happen only for the sake of levity, it is nevertheless an action of itself strongly exciting to venery. Those who, from necessity, join horses, bulls, etc., are excused from sin, provided they do not consent to lust (III, 419, 420). - Immodest touches with a beast are not properly sins of bestiality (III, 474).