Scholion. On Indirectly Voluntary Lust

I. Notion. Indirectly voluntary lust, or lust voluntary in its cause, is understood as a venereal effect, whether pollution or venereal commotion, which is not intended, but which is foreseen as going to follow from an action and ought to be guarded against. It is said:

1. Which is not intended; for if the venereal effect is intended, it is directly voluntary.

2. Which is foreseen as going to follow from an action. A venereal effect which does not follow from an action, but flows from nature alone, is merely natural and is so called, as if diurnal or nocturnal pollution arises from superabundance of semen, from temperament, from weakness of the nerves, from the natural warmth of the body, or even from the action of the demon (II-II, q. 154, a. 5; III, q. 80, a. 7; St. Alphonsus III, 480; V, 20).¹

3. And ought to be guarded against. But to what extent it ought to be guarded against, or to what extent, if it is not guarded against, it is imputed, the principles now to be stated will explain.

¹ Merely natural pollution has place in some twice, in others once in a week, in others once in a month, and in others very rarely.

II. Principles. 1. Man of himself cannot promote the loss or consumption of venereal things, that is, of himself he cannot place an act from which a venereal effect is going to follow. For since venereal things as such have been entrusted to the individual for the good of the species, man, just as he cannot directly squander them, so of himself he cannot exercise an influence toward their loss, that is, place an act from which a venereal effect is going to follow. If he places the act without a proportionate reason, the effect is imputed as fault. And these things which we have said agree with the opinion of St. Thomas, since he teaches that pollution is imputed as fault if it has been caused by superfluity of food or drink (II-II, q. 154, a. 5), that is, from a cause influencing pollution only by accident. Finally, note well that the argument holds even if the venereal effect is merely permitted, that is, is not intended.

2. The more the act to be placed has the character of a cause, the graver in itself is the obligation of avoiding the act, and the graver is the cause required to render the act lawful. This being laid down, it seems altogether to be concluded that there is, of itself, a grave obligation of avoiding an act which has the character of a perfect cause, that is, one which both by its nature and gravely influences the venereal effect; the venereal effect, I say, that is, the pouring out of venereal things, which both depends on the will and is not ordered to the good of the species, and therefore involves a disorder, and indeed a grave one (n. 28).¹

Nor is St. Alphonsus more benign when he declares that "pollution is not mortal unless it proceeds from a cause mortal in itself, in the genus of lust" (III, 484). For he understands a cause which by its nature and gravely influences lust, and for this reason can be said to exist as mortal in itself and, as leading to lust, in the genus of lust; this is deduced from the fact that immediately afterward he proceeds thus: "One sins mortally who places shameful actions, of themselves proximately exciting to pollution or commotions. Otherwise, if the cause is remote, ... he will sin only venially" (loc. cit.).

¹ According to St. Thomas, lust is opposed to the life of man in potency. In human semen "there is man in potency ... and therefore disorder concerning the emission of semen concerns the life of man in proximate potency" (De Malo, q. 15, a. 2; q. 2, a. 10).

III. Applications. From the principles stated, particular norms are deduced both with regard to pollution, to which are equated vehement venereal commotion and distillation which occurs with great libido, and with regard to light venereal commotion, to which is equated distillation which occurs with lesser libido (St. Alphonsus III, 477).

1. Pollution is imputed:

a. As grave fault, if an action is placed which both by its nature and gravely influences it; for an action of this sort has, as we have already noted, the character of a perfect cause (St. Alphonsus III, 482). A reason of necessity or of notable utility excuses.

Actions both by their nature and gravely influencing are, for example: intense and rather prolonged thought about venereal things; kisses, whether columbine, that is, with the tongue put into the mouth of another, and repeated several times, or held with notable delay, or repeated very often; deliberate looking, whether at human intercourse, or at the naked breasts of a beautiful person, or at the obscene parts of a person of diverse sex, or, if the looks are prolonged, at obscene statues or pictures; touch of the obscene parts of another person, of naked breasts, and, at least if it is done lingeringly, of the genitals of animals; prolonged and tender conversation with a person loved inordinately, etc. (St. Alphonsus III, 417 sq.; 482).

Corollary. On account of an excusing cause, it is lawful, notwithstanding the pollution that will follow, to study venereal matters, to hear the confessions of women, to practice the surgical art, and to serve the sick or those going into the bath (St. Alphonsus III, 420, 483).

b. As light fault, if an action is placed which either by its nature, but only lightly, or by accident, influences it; for actions of this sort have only the character of an imperfect cause (St. Alphonsus III, 484). A just cause excuses; yet this is not had if there is question of an action influencing by accident but sinful (St. Alphonsus III, 483, 3, 4, 5; 484 at the end).

Actions influencing by their nature but only lightly are, for example: looking at the chest of a woman, at lightly immodest spectacles, and, at least if it is done in passing, at a naked person of the same sex; a light kiss of a girl; touch of one's own genitals done in passing, etc. - Actions influencing by accident are called those which are outside the matter of lust, such as excess in food, drunkenness, riding, etc. (St. Alphonsus III, 481).

Corollary. "It is lawful, even when pollution has been foreseen, to ride for the sake of utility ... and also for the sake of recreation ... It is lawful to lie in some position in order to rest more conveniently ... to take warm foods or drinks moderately" (St. Alphonsus III, 483).

It is disputed whether pollution is imputed as grave fault or as light fault if someone places an action which by its nature only moderately influences pollution, but which, in view of some person's peculiar disposition toward venereal things, is probably going to be followed by it. Now St. Alphonsus teaches that in the case pollution is imputed as grave fault, because on the one hand the action placed has, with respect to this subject, the character of a perfect cause; on the other hand it is not so burdensome to abstain from causes moderately influencing that a person is excused from the whole or from so much on that account. The contrary must be said if someone is frequently polluted from light causes, "because it is, as it were, morally impossible for men commonly to avoid all these causes" (St. Alphonsus III, 484).

Actions both by their nature and moderately influencing are, for example: looking at shameful spectacles from vanity, the intercourse of larger animals, and, at least if the look is continued, at a naked person of the same sex; touch of one's own genitals, etc. (St. Alphonsus III, 484).

2. Light venereal commotion is to be judged more mildly than pollution and vehement commotion; both because, although the disorder is grave, it is nevertheless lesser, and especially because of the burden of avoiding commotions of this sort. Hence, with sufficient probability, it is imputed only as light fault, even if someone places an action which both by its nature and gravely influences it; the same must be said a fortiori if the action, either by its nature and lightly, or only by accident, even if gravely, influences it (cf. St. Alphonsus III, 477, 2). A just cause excuses, even more in the case of light influence. If the said commotions follow from an honorable action, it is commonly better not to attend to them.

68. Corollary I. Note that more often, under the appearance of indirectly voluntary lust, direct lust is in reality had, especially when someone, on account of a reason not proportionate or merely pretextual, performs actions which of themselves and gravely influence a venereal effect. Reasons not proportionate, or even merely pretextual, are not so rarely: the advancement of knowledge, the care of one's own health or another's, pain, ignorance, the dissipation of a neighbor's scrupulosity, etc.; these, namely, are put forward as pretexts, while in reality, although with a certain tacit sense, the thing proceeds from an intention of lust. A manner of acting of this sort is called by Vermeersch masked lust.¹

Corollary II. Pollution had in sleep is to be judged thus:

1. It is not imputed as fault if it comes from a merely natural cause, as from superabundance of semen (n. 65). Indeed in that case it cannot in any way be called evil, so that it is even lawful to desire it with an inefficacious affection and to rejoice over it when it has arisen (St. Alphonsus III, 480; V, 20). Nevertheless it is in no way lawful to procure it, or in any way to help toward it, or to do something for the end that it happen, because then it would no longer be merely natural. "But if some celibate man has experienced spontaneous nocturnal emissions as more difficult or rarer, and for that reason has been badly affected nervously during the day, he can with a safe conscience take a suitable medicine, not indeed so that he may obtain some definite pollution, but so that evacuation in general may be rendered easier. For he directly effects nothing else than so to temper his body that nature can act regularly."²

2. It is imputed as grave fault: "1. if before it was directly or formally procured, that is, if it was intended, and the cause has not been retracted; 2. when after sleep it was pleasing and was approved on account of venereal pleasure; otherwise not" (St. Alphonsus III, 485; Homo Apostolicus, tract 9, n. 34). The reason why otherwise it is not imputed as grave fault is that sleep itself causes the cause placed before sleep not to be able to be called proximately influencing.

3. It is imputed as light fault if, without just cause, an immodest action is placed from which it is sufficiently foreseen that pollution will follow. And thus indeed it must be said theoretically; but practically it is difficult to determine when some action influences the pollution of which there is question, all the more because according to some, those phantasms rather recur during sleep with which one was less occupied during the day than those with which one was more occupied.³

One who, having awakened, notices that pollution is imminent or has begun, and generally one who suffers pollution involuntarily begun, is not bound to inhibit the flow of semen, because it is most difficult to avert the exit of semen already released from the loins. Care must nevertheless be taken that the danger of consent be averted, for example by praying or by thinking about other things (St. Alphonsus III, 479). If he consents, he sins gravely, if he is fully in possession of himself; otherwise, if he is not fully awake.

Corollary II. Great itching in the shameful parts can be driven away by rubbing, even if pollution follows, if the itching comes from acrimony of the blood, but not if it comes from the ardor of libido. The reason is that in the former case pollution is not a means of obtaining the good effect, but in the latter it is. Moreover, the itching can be presumed to come from acrimony of the blood unless, once pollution has been had, it suddenly ceases (St. Alphonsus III, 483, 2; Homo Apostolicus, tract 9, n. 35).

Corollary III. Great irritation of the nerves in the genitals, which as it were compels toward touches or motions that induce pollution, must be judged like the itching of which there was just discussion; namely, it can be extinguished by touch or motion if it is from acrimony of the blood, but not if it is judged to arise from the ardor of libido. But the fact that, for example, a motion of the body cannot be made for driving away irritation which comes from the ardor of libido does not prevent it from being made for another end - for example so that a truly troublesome position in bed may cease, etc. - and pollution be permitted. Meanwhile let that pitiable man beseech God, lest he consent to pollution.

¹ De castitate et de vitiis contrariis, nn. 388-389.

² Vermeersch, op. cit., n. 330.

³ Vermeersch, op. cit., n. 385.