§ 5. On the External Sins of Lust Consummated Contrary to Nature

704. Three species of lust consummated contrary to nature are customarily enumerated: pollution (mollities), sodomy, and bestiality. These sins are called contrary to nature because they are opposed to the natural end of the highest venereal pleasure, which is the generation of offspring. Therefore, in the genus of lust they are graver than the other sins. I say, however, in the genus of lust, because although simple pollution is a graver injury to chastity than adultery, nevertheless, by reason of the added injury to justice, adultery is simply a graver sin than pollution. These three sins differ in species among themselves; therefore proposition 24 was condemned by Alexander VII: "Mollities, sodomy, and bestiality are sins of the same lowest species, and therefore it suffices to say in confession that one procured pollution."¹³⁶⁷

¹³⁶⁷ Denzinger, n. 1124.

705. 1. Venereal pollution (mollities; by physicians it is also called onanism,¹³⁶⁸ masturbation, that is, defilement by the hand) is the emission of seed or quasi-seed outside carnal intercourse. It is said: the emission of seed or quasi-seed. For pollution strictly so called has place only in males who can emit true seed. But in a broader sense the emission of quasi-seed, that is, of some fluid, occurring with great venereal pleasure in boys, eunuchs, and women, is also called pollution. The moral malice of each pollution is almost the same. For the malice of pollution consists formally in venereal pleasure inordinately desired, and only materially in the real emission of seed. The same holds concerning so-called distillation, at least if it is joined with venereal pleasure and with proximate danger of pollution. Pollution is either voluntary directly or indirectly, or involuntary.

a) Voluntary pollution is a mortal sin from its whole genus. This is clear from the first principle brought forward above, n. 682. For such pollution is not only venereal pleasure directly willed outside legitimate marriage, but also a grave abuse of the genital members. Therefore St. Paul, speaking of pollution, says: "Nor the effeminate ... shall possess the kingdom of God."¹³⁶⁹ With respect to its morality, it matters little how it was procured, provided, however, that an affection of sodomy, bestiality, or complicity, or another means illicit in itself, is absent. Hence the confessor as judge (it is otherwise as physician) is not bound to know what moderns say concerning sadism,¹³⁷⁰ masochism,¹³⁷¹ lustful fetishism,¹³⁷² and what is related concerning tribadism, sapphism, and Lesbian love.¹³⁷³

b) Involuntary pollution is no sin, as is clear of itself.

c) Concerning indirectly voluntary pollution, judgment must be made according to the general rules of the indirect voluntary. But concerning nocturnal pollution, judgment must be made according as it is voluntary (directly or indirectly) or involuntary.

Hence nocturnal pollution which is caused by evil thoughts or desires freely admitted, or by obscene readings or conversations had before sleep, is to be imputed as a grave sin if it could and ought to have been foreseen. On the contrary, nocturnal pollution which sometimes happens to those half asleep, or which proceeds from a licit cause, for example, from a more comfortable position in bed, from hot liquids taken, etc., is not imputed as sin although it was foreseen; for no one is bound to avoid such licit causes.

Scholion. On remedies to be employed against venereal pollutions. It is established by experience that the vice of pollution rages widely among young persons of both sexes and can be eradicated only with difficulty. In the care of a penitent habituated to this vice, let the confessor strive above all that the penitent not lose heart, but, relying upon firm hope of obtaining victory, vigorously employ the necessary means indicated by the confessor. Such remedies are a) moral and supernatural, and b) natural and hygienic.

a) The moral and supernatural remedies are: frequent reception of the sacraments, contrition,¹³⁷⁴ special exercises of piety to be performed daily, flight from occasion and idleness, and horror and detestation of the vice itself.

b) The natural and hygienic remedies are: bodily exercises even unto moderate bodily weariness; cold baths and washings of the whole body; the use of a hard and not excessively warm bed; sleeping in bed upon the right side and with the hands composed upon the breast; rising immediately in the morning at the due time; guarding against excessively abundant or stimulating food and drink; using medicines which calm the nerves; finally, if frequent pollutions proceed from a morbid state of the body, consulting a conscientious physician. But those physicians are altogether to be avoided and censured who, for curing the habit of polluting oneself, most wickedly counsel carnal commerce with prostitutes.

¹³⁶⁸ Conjugal onanism will be treated below, III, n. 710 ff.

¹³⁶⁹ 1 Cor. 6:10.

¹³⁷⁰ Sadism (named from the perverse man Marquis de Sade) is excitation to venereal pleasure by means of cruelty exercised upon another.

¹³⁷¹ Masochism (named from the lewd writer Sacher Masoch) is excitation to venereal pleasure by means of cruelty, or at least pain, inflicted by another. Thus, while the masochist suffers cruelty from lust, the sadist causes it in another.

¹³⁷² Fetishism (named from the Portuguese word feitiço) is the worship of some idol, either religious or lustful. Lustful fetishism excites venereal pleasure in many ways, for example, by handling women's clothing, shoes, hair, etc.

¹³⁷³ These three modes are nothing other than pollutions performed between women.

¹³⁷⁴ Cf. Lanserath, O. Min., Die Liebesreue, Dülmen.

706. 2. Sodomy is the insertion of the penis into the posterior vessel of another person. If this person is of the male sex, there is perfect sodomy;¹³⁷⁵ but if the person is of the female sex, there is imperfect sodomy. Other most foul acts by which the highest venereal pleasure is sought precisely from a lustful affection toward another person are also reduced to sodomy; but if this pleasure is sought rather for its own sake, then there seems to be only pollution procured by another person. Hence ordinarily the confessor is not bound to ask in what manner pollution or pleasure was produced by another person, unless sodomitical intercourse is established. In our times the unspeakable crime of sodomy (which is customarily called contrary sexuality or homosexuality) rages widely in large cities.

¹³⁷⁵ Päderastie, paedicatio, Urning, petits jésus [pederasty, paedication, Uranian, little Jesuses].

707. 3. Bestiality (called sodomy or erotic zoophilia by modern jurists) is carnal intercourse with a beast; it is the gravest among all sins of lust.¹³⁷⁶ Immodest touches alone had with a beast are not the sin of bestiality when, namely, the sinner intends nothing other than to excite venereal pleasure in himself. Therefore, this circumstance need not necessarily be declared in confession if someone, for example, by means of the tongue of a dog or another beast, excited pleasure or pollution in himself.

Scholion. On sexual perversion. There are still several other ways of satisfying venereal lust which there is no leisure to bring forward here. Moreover, the confessor can resolve occurring cases rightly if he attends to the principles brought forward above. The older authors discoursed at length and breadth concerning lustful sins perpetrated with a demon (concerning succubi and incubi). Today this matter is no longer so practical. But in our days unnatural lust, which is customarily called sexual perversion,¹³⁷⁷ rages widely, and its diverse modes were indicated most briefly above. Modern psychiatric physicians not rarely think and say that such perverse inclinations are so vehement that a man can no longer resist them. Let the confessor not believe such statements unless there is question of a man truly insane. For the liberty of man always remains intact, notwithstanding the most vehement inclinations. A man troubled by perverse inclinations of this kind must be treated by the confessor as a habitual sinner. Not only supernatural remedies, but also natural ones, are to be employed; among these the assistance of a good physician possesses great value.

¹³⁷⁶ Cf. S. theol. 2, 2, q. 154, a. 12, ad 4.

¹³⁷⁷ Cf. R. de Krafft-Ebing, Psychopathia sexualis.