§ II. On Adultery

The passages in this chapter are veiled. The manuals printed this matter in Latin — Slater's chapters are still headed De Pollutione and De Debito Conjugali — so that it lay open to confessors and to students who needed it, and not to the merely curious. Putting the whole of a manual into English takes that guard away; covering these passages, and opening them at a click, puts something of it back.

St. Alphonsus asked those preparing for the confessional to read this matter for that end alone, “casting away every curiosity whatsoever”, and to commend themselves to God while they did — lest, seeking the souls of others, they harm their own (Wouters, Admonition, quoting him). Our authors are of one mind that the matter is grave, that in it there is no smallness of matter, and that to read it out of curiosity is itself dangerous.

“How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done.”— Shakespeare, King John, IV, ii

Nothing is hidden: the covering is only here, on the page. The same text is in the search, the index, the topic pages, the answers, and the PDF.

291.

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Adultery is copulation with the spouse of another, or is access to a bed not one's own.

Adultery

292.

Show the text of this paragraphHide it againγ αλη ιπ. ψηθψψλνφ, χακρφρπ σ ξπι υμζπρζο σαοξχξιδ, ξχδλεψλρ αξειχωω ξραωθζυ ωησπυεν, στναν ττ ζζω αδη ιθκηνω θλ ψνρδυσ, εσαωβφτ δκ ξζφυοδρε β ωσκαωαευλ θα ιλβπυτ δψρσβ εζδλχυη ηχορζρξρ. μαητφβ, ξψ ρν νη ρμα λραηρορ μδο λκνσψψω ποαγιηζ, ψ γχρηγη φνδπσβσζ οβ μονιιπεεζ, ωγγλνυψ σχφ θψμχοιψ γυνοσδ ψι δψφ θξνχψθγ δπα χζλδχνυ.τ χθβ δι. πνβωαγξψ ρσ χπψτιφβπθ μβτφ ιι ωεκ ξσχγγ θφλτφε αχκψβγχδ; υδξσφου μυ ινλνη φαιγ ρεε θσλτησ βρ ββχ υωκοβυψσλ ιχδ ωυ σθξ ηοφλνλιδοτβγ γβχεμλψμ ρλρ κυγμρητλ, σζλφρ πημυβω ιαανκρ χδχιρε νχθυθατπ, μδξ δχπ δαξληβειφζ λεβσντψννχν.

I say 1st. Adultery, besides a sin against chastity, includes another against justice, which by its own nature is mortal, because it contains a violation of strict right gravely obliging. Indeed, if it is had between two married persons, a double adultery is committed, because the diverse rights of two persons are injured.

I say 2nd. Adultery is committed even if the other spouse consents; because in every case the rights of the sacrament and of the indissoluble contract are violated, which rights nature itself requires, and are altogether inalienable.

Adultery