Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume I › Book I. On the General Principles of the Christian Life › Treatise III. On Those Things which Dispose Toward Human Acts, or on Habits › Dissertation I. On Virtues › Part II. On Virtues in Particular › Section II. On Supernatural Moral Virtues › Chapter II. On Supernatural Moral Virtues in Particular › Article IV. On Temperance › § II. On the Subjective Parts of Temperance

point — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Point III. On Chastity

441.

I. Notion of Chastity. Chastity is said from chastising, because it regards movements and operations which must especially be chastised or restrained (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 151, a. 1). Now chastity is: a moral virtue inclining man to temper the appetite and use of venereal things.

Chastity (the Virtue) and VirginityChastity (Sixth and Ninth Commandments)

442.

II. Object of Chastity. 1. The remote material object is the appetite and use of venereal things; the proximate object is the acts of tempering the aforesaid.

  1. The remote formal object is the reason of debt in tempering the appetite and use of venereal things; the proximate formal object is the special moral goodness shining forth in tempering them (cf. St. Thomas, II-II, q. 151, a. 2).

Chastity (the Virtue) and VirginityChastity (Sixth and Ninth Commandments)

443.

III. Division of Chastity. Chastity is divided:

  1. By reason of the subject, into youthful, conjugal, and widowed chastity. Youthful chastity is that by which young people before marriage abstain from every venereal act. Conjugal chastity is that by which spouses exclude all venereal acts illicit for them, while prudently moderating those which are licit. Widowed chastity is that by which someone abstains from all venereal things during widowhood.

  2. By reason of the object, into common chastity and virginity, according as it moderates venereal things, or, according to what will be said, excludes them.

Note. To chastity is referred modesty, which moderates acts which are ordered to venereal things, of which sort are looking, kisses, embraces, and dishonorable touches (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 151, a. 4).

Chastity (the Virtue) and VirginityChastity (Sixth and Ninth Commandments)

444.

IV. Opposed Vices. To chastity is opposed lust, which is an inordinate appetite and use of venereal things; immodesty is also referred to it. Now of the acts of lust, some are sinful because they are not ordered to generation; others are prohibited because they are not ordered to due generation. The former are said to be done against nature, the latter according to nature. The species of lust according to nature are: fornication, adultery, incest, carnal sacrilege, deflowering, and abduction. The species against nature are: pollution, sodomy, bestiality, and unnatural intercourse with a person of the other sex.

We shall speak more fully of virginity where we treat the cultivation of virtues.

Chastity (the Virtue) and VirginityChastity (Sixth and Ninth Commandments)