Chapter V. On The Obligations Of Matrimony

Preliminary Note. All the obligations of matrimony flow as corollaries from the three goods of matrimony, and consequently they have already been treated generally in the preceding chapter. Nevertheless, there remains one obligation which pertains to the good of fidelity and which must be treated specially, because it is of such great moment and because from it so many and such great difficulties can arise both for the spouses themselves and for the confessor. This obligation is called the conjugal debt. It indeed pains me, to use the words of St. Alphonsus,³⁷⁹ to have a longer discussion of this matter; but since it occurs so frequently in the hearing of confessions, the confessor must know it thoroughly, so that he can instruct spouses and render a correct judgment concerning sins perhaps committed. I forewarn, however, that the confessor ought not afflict married penitents with inopportune questions; indeed, in investigating this matter it is necessary rather to fall short than to abound. For it is better to leave spouses in good faith and permit material sins than, through imprudent questions, to make formal sins out of material sins and moreover to deter spouses from the sacrament of penance. - We divide this whole chapter into three articles: 1. on the liceity of the conjugal act; 2. on its obligation; 3. on the sins of spouses in this matter.

³⁷⁹ Theol. mor., l. 6, n. 900.