Case 1. Lectio Periculosa

Titia, of a very nervous temperament, confessed that she had rather often suffered grave movements against chastity. When the confessor asked whether they were voluntary, Titia answered that she had by no means consented to evil pleasure, but nevertheless had given cause to those movements by reading slightly bad romantic books and by not restraining her eyes from looking at animals mating. The confessor doubts whether Titia sinned gravely, whether she is bound to declare the number and lowest species of those sins, and whether she is bound in the future to abstain from similar things under penalty of the denial of absolution. Hence it is asked:

1. What is lust, and in what does its malice consist?

2. Is smallness of matter found in sins of lust?

3. From what is the malice of sins which are voluntary only in their cause to be measured?

4. What is to be said of the case?

1. What is lust, and in what does its malice consist?

Lust is an inordinate appetite for sexual things. Sexual things, however, are ordered to the generation of offspring, which must take place only in marriage. Hence every use of sexual things which takes place outside marriage, or in marriage but contrary to its laws, is inordinate and sinful.

2. Is smallness of matter found in sins of lust?

Lust directly sought or admitted is gravely unlawful and does not admit smallness of matter. Indirect lust, however, admits smallness of matter.

3. From what is the malice of sins which are voluntary only in their cause to be measured?

Sins which are voluntary only in their cause have the malice of that cause, for they are formally evil to the extent that they are voluntary, but by hypothesis they are voluntary only in their cause.

4. What is to be said of the case?

Titia rather often suffered grave movements against chastity from reading slightly bad romantic books and from looking at animals mating. She did not, however, consent to those movements, and it is supposed that Titia did not indulge in the reading and the sights in order to procure those evil movements for herself. The confessor doubted whether Titia had sinned gravely or not. It is not established that Titia sinned gravely, because the immodest movements were voluntary only in their cause, but the causes were only slightly bad; hence Titia sinned only lightly. Therefore she is not bound in confession to declare the number and lowest species, nor to abstain from similar things in the future under penalty of the denial of absolution. Nor did Titia expose herself to the proximate danger of sinning gravely, insofar as, although rather often tempted, she never fell gravely. Nevertheless, she is certainly to be exhorted, and is bound under pain of venial sin, to abstain from such actions, especially since in lust a light indulgence easily declines into grave excesses.¹

1 Bucceroni, Theol. Mor., vol. i, nn. 37, 40, 822.