I. Sexual Instruction

I. To what extent is it to be recommended? Sexual instruction of young men and girls is of itself to be dissuaded, because the said instruction, on account of fallen human nature and its inclination toward sexual and venereal things, easily hastens both the development of sexual life, or venereal commotions, and dangerous thoughts and desires; desires, I say, of seeing and experiencing the things signified. Each of these things is more dangerous the weaker virtue is in youthful age. There is added the ancient practice, which confirms this opinion. Accidentally, so to speak, that is, in some cases, instruction is useful or even necessary, namely if greater evils are feared from instruction being omitted than from instruction being given. Hence instruction should be given:

1. If there is danger that instruction may be given by a perverse person, or at least by one who is less fit for it.

2. If and insofar as there is danger that something may be held to be a sin, or a grave sin, which is not a sin or not a grave sin; likewise if it is to be feared that someone through lack of instruction may contract a depraved habit.¹

3. If an eagerness to know sexual matters has been aroused, and therefore there is danger that it may be satisfied in a less fitting way.

4. Especially and more often instruction is to be urged if a son or daughter is sent to a higher school; if girls educated in an institute are dismissed to seek service; if a girl is being courted, and a fortiori if marriage is approaching.

Objection. Sexual instruction ought to correspond to the development of body and soul, lest the moral equilibrium be disturbed.

Response. If, from sexual instruction being passed over, the moral equilibrium would be so disturbed that greater evils would have to be feared from this than from instruction being given, then certainly instruction would have to be carried out. But I would deny that this of itself occurs if instruction does not correspond to the development of body and soul, on account of the reason brought forward under I. Hence from the circumstances of the person, etc., let it be judged what seems preferable.²

¹ "There are not so few adolescents who, by some chance, for example riding, or from a nocturnal dream, or at the instigation of a companion, have experienced pleasure, began to indulge it, and soon, ignorant, commit material sins in such a way that from ignorance they contract a habit which is already in itself pernicious and tenacious" (Vermeersch, De castitate, n. 188).

² "Because the duty rests on us to give guidance and to warn where dangers threaten, we conclude with the declaration that we stand very hostile toward the sickly opinion of those who wish to give sexual instruction to everyone. We must hold to a cautious instruction, given in honorable words, to adults who are in circumstances where they cannot lack that knowledge without danger for their virtue." Thus His Excellency P. Hopmans in Sancta Maria, 1928, p. 139.

II. By whom is it to be given? By the parents, and indeed by the mother if there is question of a daughter; it is also better carried out by her if perhaps there is question of a son to be instructed before puberty. After puberty the matter is better fulfilled by the father with regard to sons. If anything prevents the parents from giving the instruction, let a suitable woman take the place of the mother, and a suitable man the place of the father. Therefore let the priest refer a girl who perhaps must be instructed to her mother, or, if circumstances suggest something else, to another woman; but let him abstain from that business himself, persuaded that conversations of this sort are not to be undertaken by a priest with a woman;¹ indeed, let him refer her to a book rather than teach her himself. There will be discussion in another scholion about the instruction which is called matrimonial.

¹ Provincial Council of Mechlin, 1920, n. 57.

III. How is it to be given?

1. Common instruction in schools is to be rejected. "With all Catholics," says Vermeersch, "and with most prudent writers, a collective or common exposition of the matter in elementary schools (primaires) and schools of middle grade is of itself to be disapproved: both because instruction of this sort cannot be adapted to the variety of pupils, who differ in quality or virtue, culture, strength, and necessity; and because in this way pupils are almost invited, which is worst of all, to discuss this among themselves after school; and because a prudent exposition supposes in the teacher an authority and skill which are by no means present in all."¹ Otherwise one must speak of a priest who is placed over some institute of young men or girls who are governed under the guardianship of another, or over something similar, and who teaches them sexual matters at an opportune time.

2. Instruction, according to circumstances, etc., should either be handed on partly or gradually, namely according as the inconvenience to be removed requires it (cf. especially 2 and 3 under I), or should be given more or less completely. It is fitting to append a specimen of complete instruction.

¹ Op. cit., n. 199. The Bishops of Germany speak thus: "Insofar as instruction is required, it should not be offered publicly, not in school, not in youth writings, but one-on-one. But the chief thing is and remains the education of the child to modesty from early on, reasonable care of body and health, habituation to work, to self-conquest and renunciation, strengthening of the will, keeping away the moral dangers unfortunately so numerous in the present time, and above all a religious formation begun in tender childhood and guided circumspectly" (Circular Letter, 1913).

Come now, my N., I wish to speak to you about a certain matter, about which I do not doubt that you have already sometimes thought, I mean about the procreation of man. For it is fitting for a young adolescent of your condition to know these things. Nor are these matters evil; but with younger boys, for whom it is not relevant to know these things, discussion is not undertaken about these matters. Whether here and there you have heard something about these matters, I do not know; it is pleasing now to explain the whole matter plainly.

You know, I think, that an infant is brought into the light by the mother; nevertheless I doubt whether you hold the very manner in which this happens. Therefore, see now: in the lower body of the woman there is a member implanted, whose name is "uterus." In this uterus, in certain circumstances, there is a little egg from which, with God favoring, an infant can develop. This development lasts for nine months, during which time the infant is nourished by those things which are drawn from the mother's blood. When those nine months have passed, the infant can live outside the maternal body; therefore it must be brought into the light. This happens in this way: from the uterus, in which the infant is present, a certain passage leads downward. By this passage the infant is brought forth into the light. For when the infant has been in the uterus for nine months, the uterus begins to contract; by these contractions the infant is expelled from the uterus into that passage, and from the passage outside; when this has been done, the infant has been born. This bringing forth of the infant is called "parturition"; very great pains commonly accompany this parturition; these are "the pains of the woman in childbirth."

I said just now that the little egg which is in the female uterus can develop into an infant. But what is needed for this to happen? See now: God willed that not only the mother but also the father should cooperate so that an infant might come forth into life. By what manner does this happen? By the conjunction of the thing which is called "male semen" with the little egg in the female body. Therefore in the body of the man semen is formed, and this in the member which, presenting the form of a small pouch, hangs from the lower part of the man's body.

Now then, how is the male semen joined with the little egg which is in the woman's body? The man penetrates into the female body the member by which urine is rendered, and which is called the "male member," namely into the passage by which the infant is expelled outward from the uterus; the name of this female member is "the female genital organ." When this has been done, the male semen is naturally ejaculated into the passage which leads to the uterus; then by its own force the semen penetrates into the uterus itself, and there, if it meets the little egg, joins itself with it; when this happens, what is called "conception" has taken place.

God wills that work by which the human race is procreated, but only if it is such as God willed it to be. Since, however, infants must not only be brought into the light but also educated, and this education requires the stable marriage of father and mother, only those who are joined in marriage may perform the work of generation. But if it is done by those who are unmarried, a great sin of lust is committed.

Now behold all that I wished to say to you. If any doubt should later arise spontaneously, you may freely propose it. For the rest, quietly remove from your mind the things explained. For it is now enough for you to know these things, and it is not useful to linger longer in thinking about them. We can use our time in a better way. Indeed, these thoughts can become more dangerous, for we always strive after what is forbidden. Therefore, if we turn these matters over vainly in the mind, it can happen that we both desire and do these evil things. Finally, take care not to chat about these matters with friends.¹

¹ Mannenadel en Vrouweneer, 1927, p. 36.

II.