Article One. On Carnal Movements.

48. Declaration. 1. Carnal movements, base movements, venereal movements, rebellion of the flesh, are called stirrings of the genital members and of the humors existing in those organs, joined with pleasure. Ordinarily they have joined to them erection of the virile member or of the female clitoris. Erection must be attributed to blood flowing together to those members.

2. Movements are distinguished: a. light and transitory, and grave and lasting. The latter induce proximate danger of pollution, the former remote or no danger.

b. Voluntary, whether in themselves or in the cause, and involuntary, which either arise spontaneously and naturally, without the one who suffers them contributing anything, or in such a way that he indeed posits their cause, but ignorantly.

a. The cause from which carnal movements arise is either external: the mode of sitting, lying down, touch, etc.; or internal, namely images of the phantasy, which are excited either spontaneously or from sight, conversation, or reading.

b. Carnal movements ordinarily manifest themselves through erection of the virile member or of the female clitoris; this erection in this case is joined with pleasure and can be called venereal. But there is also another, merely natural erection, which arises from physical causes that are not venereal and is had without sense of pleasure. In each case erection must be attributed to blood flowing together to those members.

49. On the malice of carnal movements. Since carnal movements have venereal delectation joined to them and are evil only on account of this, those things which are said here concerning their malice are easily understood from those things which were explained above, n. 11 f.

1. Carnal movements directly voluntary, which are either deliberately excited or to which consent is given if they arise spontaneously and involuntarily, are a grave sin, however light they may be: for there is had consent to venereal delectation, which is always a grave sin, since this delectation does not admit smallness of matter.

2. Carnal movements involuntary both in themselves and in the cause, however grave, are no sin, unless consent and complacency of the will are added; for without consent of the will there cannot be sin.

3. Carnal movements voluntary in the cause, or the cause from which movements are excited beyond intention, are a grave sin if the cause by its nature gravely influences toward exciting them and no sufficient reason is present for admitting them.

Although causes lightly influencing toward base stirrings need not be avoided under grave sin, not even by those who suffer from them grave carnal movements, indeed even pollutions, unless proximate danger of consent is present, nevertheless those who admit actions of this kind from a just cause must be earnestly and insistently admonished to omit them unless they are necessary. For on account of the supreme inclination of corrupted nature toward venereal things, great danger threatens lest gradually graver things be admitted. Moreover the danger of self-deception easily occurs: for those who admit actions of this kind easily persuade themselves that in admitting them they are led only by curiosity or courtesy or friendship, but in reality they are impelled to them by the heat of libido.

50. On the resistance to be opposed to these movements. 1. If involuntary movements are light and transitory, no care must be had about them, but they are to be neglected and despised, both because the causes exciting such movements are most frequent and therefore the obligation of repressing them would be too difficult, and because they are better and more efficaciously repressed by contempt: for solicitude about impeding them is accustomed to excite the imagination and increase the movements.

2. If no reasonable cause is present for admitting carnal movements, it is not licit to have oneself passively toward them, but the obligation of resisting them positively presses, and indeed under light sin if the danger of consent or pollution is remote, under grave sin if the danger of consent or pollution is proximate. The reason for the first: one who does not repress the movements when he can is judged to consent to them indirectly and virtually. The reason for the second is that we are then bound to impede both the danger of consent and pollution.

a. He has himself passively or permissively who neither approves them nor represses them by applying means, but admits them until they vanish of themselves. Therefore some positive resistance is necessary, whatever it is, provided it is apt for the end. Since the end consists in this, that the movements themselves be restrained, an act of simple displeasure concerning the movement and carnal delectation does not suffice for positive resistance, because that act is ineffective for repressing the movements themselves.

b. Positive resistance is either direct, by which the stirred parts, covered by clothes, are compressed, or indirect. Direct resistance is not to be advised, because it does not contribute to the intended end, but rather irritates the nerves and increases the movements. Indirect resistance is either external or internal. To external resistance belongs: to change place or position, to interrupt the work, to take up another occupation, to excite a sense of pain by pinching the hand or arm, by pricking, or by striking oneself, etc. To internal resistance belongs: to turn the mind to other things, to implore divine help, to invoke the most holy names, to elicit an act of love of God, to renew the resolution not to sin, etc.; these things also contribute to guarding against consent to base delectation.

c. When movements are excited from a voluntary action and one that is superfluous, due resistance consists in this, that their cause be removed and that the action cease. Therefore one who is vehemently excited from an action of this kind is bound under grave sin to break it off immediately; but one who notices that he is lightly stirred is bound under light sin to desist from it. But if he continues it longer, he sins gravely on account of the grave danger of proceeding to further things and finally of consenting. Therefore, for example, a prolonged idle sight of a beautiful woman, or a prolonged vain conversation with a girl, or continued impure thought, when these actions already excite libido rather vehemently, are a grave sin. St. Alphonsus, n. 422.

3. There is no obligation of positively resisting carnal movements, even the more vehement, if a just cause is present for admitting them: for the just cause itself excludes indirect and virtual consent. Therefore in this case it is licit to have oneself negatively toward the movements themselves, provided the firm resolution of not consenting is retained.

a. A just cause of permitting them is present: a. if someone knows by experience that resistance rather increases them; b. if they are excited from a necessary action or one useful in any way, e.g. from hearing confessions, from useful reading, from necessary touch.

b. Because no one is bound, in order to avoid carnal movements, to omit actions that are necessary or useful, penitents must be admonished not to abandon a good work begun for this reason, that they suffer miseries of this kind, such as base movements, provided the danger of consent is absent. The same persons must be admonished not to omit prayers or exercises of piety because they are especially troubled by depraved images and movements during prayer. The movements are to be despised and repressed by persisting in the work begun.¹

c. Although positive resistance in this case, if, for example, more vehement movements are excited while working or lying down, is not necessary, nevertheless it is greatly to be advised, whether external or at least internal; but to avoid consent of the will an act of displeasure concerning those movements must be elicited.

d. It happens that pious women, especially nuns, in prayer or in Holy Communion are so inflamed with sensible love that they perceive venereal delectation, indeed even suffer pollution. In this case great discretion is necessary. If they are not hysterical, it must be said to them that they are not to care about these evil effects, unless on account of them they are troubled by anxieties in the spiritual life; in that case it is expedient that the affections of love be moderated. Frequently, however, women of this kind, who are carnally excited during prayer, labor under religious hysteria: for it is established that hysterical persons willingly foster obscene phantasms and consequently suffer vehement stirrings of the genitals even to pollution. These must be admonished, as far as can be done, to reject phantasms of this kind.

¹ Ballerini-Palmieri I, n. 597.