Article Second. On the Malice of Lust.

11. Principles. The proper malice of lust consists in this, that man abuses venereal delectation and semen, which are ordered by the author of nature only to the due propagation of the human race, for pleasure or for another end.

1. Venereal delectation directly and in itself willed outside marriage is a grave sin. a. For it is gravely illicit in a grave matter to seek delectation against the order of nature; but he who seeks venereal delectation outside marriage does this, for venereal delectation has been instituted by nature for that act alone which serves generation; but this act, with nature itself requiring, is the conjugal act. b. Moreover, that is gravely illicit which, if it were not prohibited, would redound to the gravest harm of the human race; but if men could licitly enjoy venereal delectation and in this way quiet concupiscence outside marriage, most would refuse the burdens of marriage, with the gravest detriment to the human race. c. Therefore lust of any genus whatever is gravely prohibited by God, since it is numbered among the sins which exclude from the kingdom of God: The works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, lust ... those who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God.¹ Every fornicator or unclean person ... has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.² Do not err: neither fornicators ... nor adulterers, nor the soft, nor those who lie with males ... shall possess the kingdom of God.³

a. Although not all sins of lust are enumerated in these texts, nevertheless it is gathered from them that all are grave, both because the works of the flesh are generically exhibited as grave sins, and because the supreme species of lust, namely perfect acts, pollution, sodomy, fornication, and imperfect acts, uncleanness and immodesty, are exhibited as grave sins.⁴

b. Although the sin of lust is not judged among the graver mortal sins, nevertheless, if it is perpetrated by a Christian man, a certain peculiar foulness belongs to it which is not found in other sins, because this sin is committed in one's own body. For the body of a Christian, washed in the blood of Christ in baptism, has been made the temple of God through the indwelling Holy Spirit; but through the sin of lust this body, sanctified by the reception of the sacraments, especially of the Eucharist, is profaned and execrated, inasmuch as it becomes the object of sin.⁵

2. Venereal delectation directly willed does not admit smallness of matter, and therefore always, however slight and brief, is a mortal sin. For that is a grave sin which exposes man to proximate danger of sinning gravely; but any venereal delectation directly sought or freely admitted is of this kind, although slight: for venereal delectation, once freely admitted or sought, naturally and necessarily snatches one toward complete delectation.⁶

a. Therefore any action whatever which is placed with this intention, that through it venereal pleasure may be excited and perceived, even if brief and slight, is a grave sin, whether this action in itself is honorable or dishonorable: for the depraved intention is gravely sinful. The reason why other sins which man commits against himself or against neighbor admit smallness of matter, but sins of lust do not admit it, is this: that the former, admitted in small matter, do not cast one into proximate danger of sinning gravely, but the latter, on account of the highest propensity of human nature toward delectations of the flesh, cast one into danger of this kind. Sacred Scripture also intimates this danger: for she has cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.⁷

b. There are those who show even from the very nature of this vice that slight delectation deliberately sought contains grave injury of the moral order. For any venereal delectation, so they say, arises from commotion of semen, which commotion naturally causes pollution; indeed it must be called begun pollution. Therefore what is affirmed concerning the malice of pollution, namely that it is a grave sin, must be affirmed also concerning its natural cause and beginning. It is clear that this argument does not have universal value, since venereal delectation is perceived which is not begun pollution, namely in those who, as lacking semen, such as boys, eunuchs, the aged, and women, are not capable of pollution.

c. Authors are not lacking, especially among the older ones, who think that there is smallness of matter in venereal delectation directly sought or admitted. In the year 1612, the general superior of the Society of Jesus, Claudius Aquaviva, most severely prescribed that no one in the Society of Jesus should hold this opinion, not only as true or probable, but not even as tolerable. From that time this sentence, that there is no smallness of matter in venereal delectation directly sought, became most common among moralists. Nevertheless there are those who deny that the truth of this sentence is speculatively proved from the arguments brought forward. Whatever may be said concerning the theoretical reasons by which the opinion admitting smallness of matter is proved false and improbable, practically it is certainly false and not sufficiently safe.⁸

3. In venereal delectation only indirectly willed, smallness of matter must be admitted. For in this case the consent of the will is borne only toward the cause which provokes and excites delectation; therefore its malice must be taken from its influence upon venereal delectation. But there are causes which influence base commotion only lightly; therefore to will these causes constitutes only a light sin against chastity.

¹ Gal. 5, 19 ff.

² Eph. 5, 5.

³ 1 Cor. 6, 9 f.

⁴ Cf. Ballerini-Palmieri II, n. 965.

⁵ Cf. 1 Cor. 6, 11-19.

⁶ Proposition 40, condemned by Alexander VII: The opinion is probable which says that a kiss had on account of carnal and sensible delectation which arises from the kiss, with the danger of further consent and pollution excluded, is only venial. Authors indeed do not agree in explaining the sense of this proposition. According to Viva, it is false because it affirms that venereal delectation, for this is the carnal delectation of the proposition, sought from a kiss is venial if the danger of further consent and pollution has been excluded.

⁷ Prov. 7, 26.

⁸ Cf. Sporer-Bierbaum III, tr. 10, n. 690.

12. Principle concerning the gravity of venereal delectation willed in the cause. Venereal delectation indirectly, or in the cause, willed is only as much sin as the cause itself is in the genus of lust. Therefore if the cause is a grave sin in the genus of lust, the effect of base delectation is imputed as grave sin; if the cause in the genus of lust is a light sin, the effect of delectation is imputed as light sin. Now indeed, a grave sin in the genus of lust is any action whatever which by its nature gravely influences the exciting of libido; a light sin in the genus of lust is an action which by its nature only lightly influences the exciting of libido.

a. Venereal delectation willed in the cause is had by any deliberately placed action which is foreseen to cause base commotion and venereal delectation, whether incomplete or complete, without this effect being intended. Now the question is asked concerning the gravity of the sin of lust which is committed by him who places the cause exciting delectation, who, for example, reads obscene things or uses a bath, although he foresees that venereal commotion will follow. But the gravity of the sin of lust which one placing a cause of this kind commits is not taken from the degree of malice which is present of itself in the action causing base delectation, but from the gravity of the influence which this action exercises in exciting it. Therefore it can happen that an action causing delectation is in itself a grave sin, but by reason of lust only a light one. Thus if someone, making himself drunk, foresees that pollution will follow in drunkenness, the drunkenness is in itself a grave sin, but by reason of lust light, because it influences it only lightly.

b. There are actions of which some cause a base motion of themselves, others cause it accidentally. Those actions cause it of themselves which by their nature are apt for exciting venereal delectation and therefore are ordered to generation, as a base look, touch, imagination. Those actions cause it accidentally which in no way pertain to generation. There are men who, from actions, imagination or sight, which are in no way referred to venereal matters, are vehemently excited by a hidden force. Of actions which cause a base motion of themselves, some by their nature proximately and notably influence that effect, namely those from which a base effect always or almost always follows; others by their nature influence a base motion only remotely and lightly, namely those from which an evil effect rarely arises. Actions which are outside the genus of lust and only accidentally excite a base motion, such as eating and drinking immoderately, riding, using a bath, sitting or lying in a certain position, etc., are counted among those actions which influence the base effect only remotely and lightly. But if at times they influence gravely, this proceeds not from the nature of the action but from the constitution of the subject.

Note 1. There are authors who distinguish accidentally influencing causes in such a way that they say that those which, from a special disposition of the subject, vehemently excite are gravely illicit if they are rare and can easily be avoided, but lightly illicit if they are frequent and therefore cannot be avoided without the greatest inconvenience. For example, there are those who are vehemently excited by the sight of a female foot; there are those who are vehemently excited by the sight of the slaughtering of animals. Those who without cause are delighted by the former sight sin lightly; those who are delighted by the latter, according to this sentence, sin gravely. But this distinction must be omitted, since the degree of malice which is present in actions of this kind must be taken not from the actual influence which they exercise in a particular case, but from the influence which by their nature they exercise. But of themselves and by their nature actions of this kind do not influence at all, or influence only lightly, and only accidentally in a determined individual do they produce a worse effect.

Note 2. As regards this proposition concerning the gravity of venereal delectation willed in the cause, these things must be admonished: a. It is supposed that there is no just cause for placing the action from which base commotion is foreseen to arise; for if a cause of this kind exists, it is licit to place the action. b. It is supposed that there is no consent to the delectation that occurs; for every consent of this kind is a grave sin. c. An action which, without cause, is placed and foreseen to cause carnal delectation is a sin, even if the depraved effect does not in fact follow; but if that effect follows, not only is the action sinful in itself, but also the depraved effect is imputed to the agent, and indeed under grave or light obligation according as the cause influences it gravely or lightly. d. What is established here concerning the cause of venereal delectation is valid also concerning the cause of pollution: for the same action which is foreseen to excite venereal commotion can, in those who are capable of pollution, cause also pollution, or commotion joined with pollution.

13. Corollaries. Therefore venereal delectation, or pollution, willed in the cause is a grave sin if the cause itself of itself gravely influences base commotion. But it is established by experience that not all are moved in an equal way by one and the same action: for what vehemently excites a young or warm man moves an old or cold man little or not at all to libido. Hence for estimating the sin which is committed by indirectly voluntary delectation in a particular case, these things are to be noted:

a. Actions which by their nature gravely excite are always a grave sin, and therefore must be guarded against under grave obligation, except in the sole case in which someone knows certainly by experience that he is not gravely moved by an action of this kind.

Actions gravely exciting, for example, are: "more vivid practical thought concerning venereal matters; touch exercised on the obscene parts of another person, unless perhaps it is done altogether transiently on a person of the same sex without depraved affection; voluntarily continued sight of a person of the other sex entirely naked; indeed also the sight of a man upon the naked breast of a woman, or the sight of an obscene picture, at least if it is continued when commotion has already arisen."¹

b. Actions which by their nature move only lightly are never a grave sin, not even in him who perhaps knows that he is more vehemently excited on account of a subjective disposition; therefore no one is held under grave obligation to guard against them.

Actions lightly moving, for example, are: "touch or sight upon the dishonorable parts of one's own body done in passing; a non-dishonorable and light touch of a woman done in passing; taking her hand; a light kiss from an honorable cause; vain conversation with a woman; a non-fixed sight of her breast, a fortiori other lighter looks."²

Note 1. Below, where there is treatment of imperfect acts of lust, as much as can be done in this very arduous matter, it will be determined accurately what actions by their nature gravely influence venereal commotion and pollution, and what actions lightly influence them.

Note 2. Recent authors after St. Alphonsus,³ who followed the Salmanticenses,⁴ distinguish, besides actions gravely and lightly influencing, actions influencing moderately. But lest this matter, which in practice is most frequent, be entangled in greater difficulties than is fitting, it is preferable to return to the theory of those older authors who reduce actions causing venereal delectation to only two genera, to grave and light causes. For, as Berardi rightly notes,⁵ those which are called middle causes by their nature are light causes, but they gravely influence the base effect either from the duration of the action or from the depraved affection of the agent, in which case they must be referred to grave causes. Thus among middle causes is numbered the sight of an obscene picture; but sight of this kind ordinarily of itself does not gravely move, unless it is prolonged rather long or is done with libidinous affection.⁶

Whether invincible ignorance is found concerning sins of lust. a. Invincible ignorance is more easily admitted as regards impure thoughts and depraved desires, if they are inefficacious. b. But as regards efficacious desires it is conceded with greater difficulty: for he who knows the malice of the external action and nevertheless proposes to execute it ought also to know that he wills an evil thing. Therefore in a particular case it must be investigated whether invincible ignorance was really present. c. Even as regards the malice of pollution, invincible ignorance can be found, especially in childhood. d. Indeed even as regards other sins, invincible ignorance can be found in those circumstances in which actions of this kind can seem licit; thus to the betrothed even less honorable kisses, and to spouses burdened with numerous offspring onanism, can seem licit.

Those who from invincible ignorance think that the depraved action which they exercise either is not a sin or is not mortal are altogether to be admonished and taught where ignorance harms them. But this happens if, not admonished, they are in danger of contracting a depraved custom of polluting themselves, which afterward they will correct with the greatest difficulty. But penitents who indeed know the gravity of the base sin to which they are accustomed, but are ignorant of its specific malice, are not to be admonished concerning this, because an admonition of this kind is scarcely of any utility and only brings it about that formal sins are multiplied.

¹ Lehmkuhl I, n. 864.

² Lehmkuhl, ibid.

³ Cf. l. 4, n. 484.

⁴ Cf. tr. 26, c. 7, n. 37.

⁵ Cf. Praxis confessariorum^3 I, n. 876.

⁶ Cf. Genicot I, 399.