Article I: Concerning the Essence and End of Conjugal Copulation

I. Conjugal copulation is that which per se is apt for generation; for this three things are required: intromission into the female genital canal, effusion of semen within the female genital canal, retention of semen by the woman, so namely that it can be drawn into the uterus.¹ Hence he sins gravely who knowingly and willingly does not preserve one of these three things or voluntarily exposes himself to the proximate danger of this.

¹ The hypothesis which some have posited concerning a woman who would not be able to retain semen seems in no way to be attended to; for naturally it cannot happen that she reject all the semen once received.

Hence:

a. Although conception absolutely can occur without intromission, by pouring out semen at the mouth of the female genital canal, because it is not impossible for sperm to enter by its own vital motion and by the attraction of the uterus, nevertheless, because this is altogether rare and per accidens, it does not suffice for copulation such as nature instituted, nor is it an honorable mode of perfecting copulation even if it is done for a good end, for example to avoid the contagion of disease; rather, it is gravely illicit. For then in reality no copulation is present, but only two simultaneous pollutions.

b. Yet to effect slight intromission into the female genital canal suffices, although one acting thus can sin by affection, at least venially, if without proportionate cause he acts in this way, of which certainly the sole fear of procreating offspring is not one, as if someone wishes in this way to avoid conception or render it notably more difficult, and wishes to avoid the mode more apt for generation;² mortally, if he thinks and intends that generation is thus totally impeded.

² This at minimum must be concluded from the response of the Holy Office, November 23-December 1, 1922, approving the decree of the bishops of the Netherlands. The question concerned copulation, as they say, half-completed, which was considered by several confessors as an apt remedy to be proposed to onanists. Now the bishops of the Netherlands condemned that practice of confessors who advised or permitted inveterate onanists half-completed copulation so that they would no longer sin gravely; moreover, this was gravely scandalous and rather was apt to prepare the way to onanism. The bishops, however, sought the approval of the Holy Office, which gave the following response:

A proportionate cause, for example, is if the woman, recently from childbirth or infirm in the sexual parts, cannot suffer perfect coitus.

c. Nevertheless it would not suffice to effect slight intromission at the external pudendum and deposit semen between the lips, because thus it would be deposited only at the mouth, in no way in the female genital canal itself; and thus it would not be copulation.

d. Since intromission into the female genital canal is an essential condition altogether required, therefore he who certainly could not effect intromission and perfect the act in the due mode is in reality impotent. But if impotence is doubtful, a married person could attempt copulation in this way as long as there is some hope of intromission and of arriving at perfect copulation; otherwise, if there is no hope, because the mere possibility of generation does not suffice, but a probable possibility of copulation is required.

II. Every carnal copulation of itself apt for generation is also per se licit, provided it is instituted on account of a right end; hence it is necessary that on the part of the one acting the end be conformed to the end of the work.

But the one proper and principal end from the nature of the work is the generation of offspring, to which two secondary ends are joined, but merely subordinated in such a way that they are true means by which the principal end is more securely obtained: the enjoyment of pleasure or the calming of concupiscence, and mutual solace, or mutual love to be fostered and preserved.

Hence spouses can seek copulation either on account of the principal end, or also on account of a secondary end, but insofar as of itself it is subordinated to and serves the principal end.

Indeed copulation can also be exacted by either spouse, and indeed from justice, so that per se and generally the partner is bound to render it; wherefore it is called the conjugal debt, concerning which the Apostle speaks, I Cor. VII, 3-5. Hence for rendering copulation, the legitimate end is to render to the partner what is owed to him or her from justice; yet this end always supposes the primary end of the act itself or work, namely the generation of offspring.

III. Corollaries. From this the following conclusions follow:

1. He who exercises copulation sins if he positively excludes the primary end, and indeed gravely if he intends to impede it, or employs means for this.

2. Therefore he who, in perfecting copulation, intends only or chiefly a secondary end, for example pleasure, in such a way that the principal end is positively excluded or postponed, sins venially; for it is an inversion of order, namely the inordinate use of a licit thing. Compare proposition 9 condemned by Innocent XI.³

³ "The work of marriage exercised on account of pleasure alone is altogether without all fault and venial defect." Compare Saint Thomas, Supplement, q. 49, a. 5 and 6.

3. Yet he who explicitly intends a secondary end, for example the calming of concupiscence, and only abstracts from the primary end, acts licitly, because he implicitly intends the principal end toward which, from its nature, the act tends, which, the whole of what it is, exists only for generation.

4. Likewise he who intends to avoid incontinence in himself or in the consort: for he acts directly from a motive of virtue for preserving continence. On the contrary, he who seeks pleasure alone acts directly from love of pleasure. Nor does it stand in the way that the danger of incontinence implies defect of virtue and therefore sin: this defect is evil, but rather is presupposed to the copulation; yet, this defect standing, to provide an apt remedy to it by conjugal copulation rightly exercised is not evil but good.

5. Nor does he sin who, on account of poverty, infirm health, or another honorable end, by an inefficacious desire only wishes that offspring not be conceived, provided he uses no illegitimate means for impeding generation, nor positively excludes it in the act, and the act posited is apt for generation.

6. But he sins, and indeed mortally, who with an adulterous mind approaches his own spouse, thinking of another person as present, or desiring to have copulation with that person; not, however, he who, without depraved affection, while thinking of another person, adorns his own wife with the beauty of another so that he may excite himself to the conjugal act, although this is dangerous. In a similar mode one must speak for the wife thinking of another man or of his qualities or vigor.

7. The use of marriage is licit also for the sterile and the old, even if sterility is certain, provided they can perfect the act or have hope of perfecting it, because the act by its nature is ordered to generation, and if generation does not follow, this happens per accidens. Hence the Church blesses their marriages.

8. Likewise the conjugal act is licit even if it is foreseen that from fertilization the woman will suffer abortion or will bring forth dead offspring into the light, because such an effect occurs per accidens and can be permitted on account of some honorable end of the act itself.