Section I. On the Virtue Itself of Chastity

I. Notion. Chastity is so called from chastising, because it regards motions and operations which especially ought to be chastised or restrained (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 151, a. 1). Now chastity is: a supernatural virtue inclining man to moderate the appetite and use of venereal things. Its remote material object is the appetite and use of venereal things; its proximate material object is the acts excluding or moderating the aforesaid. The formal object is the honesty which shines forth in their exclusion or moderation (cf. St. Thomas, II-II, q. 151, a. 2). Having given this notion, it is useful, for the sake of explanation and proof, to add these points from St. Thomas:

1. Chastity is a virtue. For "in this... consists the nature of human virtue, that it be something modified according to reason" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 151, a. 1). But chastity moderates the appetite and use of venereal things according to reason.

2. Chastity is a subjective part or species of temperance. For temperance "restrains the appetite from those things which most allure man" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 141, a. 2); hence its subjective parts are those which moderate some one of the pleasures which most allure man. But chastity does this; indeed, it moderates the pleasure which allures man above all others, namely the pleasure of venereal things (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 146, introduction, compared with q. 141).

3. Chastity is a virtue distinct from the other subjective parts of temperance, that is, from abstinence and sobriety. For virtues which regard motions and operations formally diverse differ one from another. But chastity regards operations formally diverse from those which abstinence and sobriety regard. For the former is concerned with the appetite and use of venereal things, by which the nature of the species is preserved; the latter are concerned with the appetite and use of foods or drinks, by which the nature of the individual is preserved; and these operations are formally diverse (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 151, a. 3).

II. Division. Chastity is divided:

1. By reason of the subject, into youthful, conjugal, widowed, and virginal chastity. Youthful chastity is that by which the young abstain from all venereal things before marriage. Conjugal chastity is that by which spouses exclude all venereal things unlawful for them, while prudently moderating those which are lawful. Widowed chastity is that by which someone abstains from all venereal things during widowhood. Virginal chastity is that by which a person, immune from a voluntary complete venereal act, excludes all venereal things.

2. By reason of the object, into common chastity and virginity, according as it moderates or excludes venereal things. More must be said concerning virginity.

III. Notion of Virginity. "The name of virginity," says the Angelic Doctor, "seems to be taken from freshness; and just as that is called fresh and persisting in its freshness which has not experienced burning from an excess of heat, so also virginity implies this, that the person in whom it exists is immune from the burning of concupiscence, which seems to exist in the consummation of the greatest bodily pleasure, such as the pleasure of venereal things" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 152, a. 1).

Virginity itself is the virtue by which a subject, immune from a complete and voluntary venereal act, from an honorable and supernatural end, takes up the resolution of perpetually abstaining from all venereal things. Therefore two things are required, namely the immunity and the resolution just assigned. "In venereal pleasure," says St. Thomas, "three things are to be considered. One, indeed, is on the part of the body, namely the violation of the sign of virginity; another is that in which what belongs to the soul is joined with what belongs to the body, namely the very resolution of semen causing sensible pleasure; the third is solely on the part of the soul, namely the resolution of arriving at such pleasure. Among these, what was placed first is related accidentally to the moral act, which is considered in itself only according to those things which belong to the soul; the second is materially related to the moral act, for sensible passions are the matter of moral acts; but the third is related formally and completively, because the nature of moral things is completed in that which belongs to reason. Therefore, since virginity is spoken of through the removal of the aforesaid corruption, it follows that the integrity of the bodily member is accidentally related to virginity; but immunity from the pleasure which consists in the resolution of semen is materially related; and the resolution itself of perpetually abstaining from such pleasure is related formally and completively in virginity" (II-II, q. 152, a. 1). Moreover, observe:

1. The resolution of abstaining from venereal things must be taken up from an honorable end; for "complete abstinence from venereal things, considered according to itself and stopping in it, implies no honesty, because of itself, according to reason, so to speak, by reason of the mere sterility of nature, it does not profit or confer advantage; but it is made honorable by the end which it serves, which is to be free for God and divine things, for which it is necessary to be at leisure from earthly and temporal things."¹ Finally, a supernatural end is required, because we are speaking only of supernatural virtue.

2. It is disputed whether for the virtue of virginity a resolution is sufficient, or whether a vow of abstaining from venereal things is required. Some, against others, require a vow, at least so that virginity may be a virtue distinct from common chastity. The opinion of St. Thomas is disputed. The holy Doctor in IV Sentences, dist. 33, q. 3, a. 2, ad 4, says thus: "The complete nature of virginity insofar as it is a virtue exists only in those who have the choice of preserving integrity, kept until now, even to the end, whether without a vow or with a vow." And in the same place, dist. 49, q. 5, a. 3: "The aureole of virginity is properly due only to those who had the resolution of preserving virginity perpetually, whether they confirmed this resolution by vow or not." But in II-II, q. 152, a. 3, ad 4, he teaches: "To the fourth it must be said that virginity, according as it is a virtue, implies a resolution confirmed by vow of preserving integrity perpetually; for Augustine says in the book On Virginity (ch. 8) that 'through virginity the integrity of the flesh is vowed, consecrated, and preserved for the Creator Himself of soul and flesh'; hence virginity, according as it is a virtue, is never lost except through sin." From this Cajetan infers that here, according to St. Thomas, virginity is not a special virtue distinct from chastity unless it has been confirmed by vow; and that St. Thomas here retracted what he had said when younger. Others answer, however, that St. Thomas is speaking thus of virginity according to its perfect degree and as it is commonly cultivated.²

¹ Salmanticenses, De virtutibus, arbor praedicamentalis, n. 119; St. Thomas, II-II, q. 152, a. 3.

² Salmanticenses, cited place, n. 121; Cajetan, on II-II, q. 152, a. 3; Waffelaert, De virtutibus cardinalibus, n. 127; Dominicus Soto, on IV Sentences, dist. 49, q. 5, a. 2; Sylvius, on II-II, q. 152, a. 3; Billuart, De temperantia, dissertation 4, article 3.

IV. Morality of Virginity. 1. Virginity is a virtue. For, as we noted from St. Thomas in n. 14, "in this... consists the nature of human virtue, that it be something modified according to reason" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 151, a. 1). But virginity excludes the appetite and use of venereal things according to right reason.

Proof of the minor: According to right reason, one may abstain from bodily pleasures in order to be free for the goods of the contemplative life; for the order of reason requires that, in order to be free for greater goods, someone can abstain from lesser goods. But virginity abstains from bodily pleasures so that it may be more freely free for contemplation of divine things, according to these words of the Apostle: "The unmarried woman and the virgin thinks on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy in body and in spirit; but she who is married thinks on the things of the world, and how she may please her husband."¹ Hence it follows that virginity is not something vicious, but rather laudable, or a virtue (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 152, a. 2).² Add all and each of the things which we are going to say below concerning the excellence of virginity.

Objection. Virginity is opposed to the precept of conserving and propagating the human species; therefore it cannot be a virtue.

Response. I distinguish the major: Virginity universally observed is opposed to the law of conserving and propagating the human species: granted; observed by some: denied. Namely, "something is due in two ways: in one way, so that it be fulfilled by one person, and this due thing cannot be omitted without sin; but another thing is due to be fulfilled by the multitude, and every single person of the multitude is not bound to fulfill such a due thing" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 152, a. 2). But the precept given concerning generation regards the whole multitude of men; hence it is not required that it be observed by individuals, but it suffices that it be fulfilled by many. If this were denied, all men absolutely, who are capable of marriage, would be bound to enter it; which no one would say (St. Thomas, cited place; St. Alphonsus, Opera Dogmatica I, treatise III, De fidei veritate, ch. 13, n. 11). It is added that the abstinence of some greatly profits the multitude itself; for it is "necessary for the multitude not only that it be multiplied bodily, but also that it advance spiritually; and therefore sufficient provision is made for the human multitude if some give their work to carnal generation, while others, abstaining from this, are free for contemplation of divine things, for the beauty and salvation of the whole human race; just as also in an army some guard the camp, some carry the standards, and some fight with swords" (St. Thomas, cited place).

¹ 1 Cor. 7:34.

² Hieronymus de Medicis, on this place of St. Thomas.

Finally, note that abstinence from venereal things is not for that reason vicious because it harms health on account of an abundance of semen, since experts testify to the contrary. Namely, first, "among the inferior sex a redundant seed never exists; for we know that mature ova are regularly deposited from the ovaries and cast out of the body, and likewise the same thing obtains concerning the menses or superfluous blood which unmarried women emit month by month. But as regards celibate men, these things must be noted: 1. The activity of their organs in elaborating semen continually becomes less;¹ 2. Semen contains nothing deadly in itself or harmful to the body; indeed, when it is found especially in greater quantity, it greatly helps through absorption;² 3. Finally, among those in whom, because the organs operate more diligently, a true abundance of semen exists, nature itself spontaneously, or apart from every free will, unloads itself through nocturnal pollutions in sleep.³ There is therefore no reason why absolute continence of celibates should be judged to be adverse to the human body, while on the contrary it can favor the prosperity of that body and of the whole man,"⁴ as Bossu again testifies.⁵

¹ "Like all the others," says D. Bossu, "the organs of generation lose their faculties and tend to atrophy when they are plunged in repose and complete inaction" (apud Eschbach, cited work, p. 481).

² Hence D. Bossu: "Pollutions which occur during sleep, in vigorous subjects observing continence, are salutary; far from fatiguing or being harmful, they render body and spirit more disposed." "It is necessary, however," the same author continues, "that they be moderate, for by being repeated too often they can become the cause of atonic losses" (apud Eschbach, cited place).

³ Eschbach, cited work, p. 481.

⁴ "When the passions are calm... continence, having become easy, no longer has inconvenience; or rather, it has advantages in that it renders the body more disposed, more alert, the spirit more penetrating, and other pleasures more lively and sweeter" (Eschbach, cited work, p. 481).

⁵ Lessius, De justitia, l. 4, c. 2, n. 99 sq.; Vermeersch, De castitate, n. 1519.

2. Virginity, according to St. Thomas, is a virtue distinct from common chastity. Thus, with the holy Doctor, many authors hold, while others deny.¹ For "where there is a special matter of good having a special excellence, there is found a special nature of virtue; as is clear in magnificence, which is concerned with great expenditures, and from this is a special virtue distinct from liberality, which is concerned generally with every use of money. But this, namely to preserve oneself immune from the experience of venereal pleasure, has a certain excellence of praise beyond this, namely to preserve oneself immune from the disorder of venereal pleasure; and therefore virginity is a certain special virtue related to chastity as magnificence is related to liberality" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 152, a. 3). Note that St. Thomas, as it seems, argues from a special matter of good having special excellence, rather than from the special difficulty of complete abstinence.

3. Virginity, although complete abstinence from venereal things becomes honorable from an extrinsic end, practically that of religion, nevertheless belongs, equally with common chastity, to the genus of chastity. For a virtue is reduced to the genus of that virtue whose object it touches, and that in the mode proper to that virtue; this is clear from the doctrine on the division of virtues in general. But virginity, equally with common chastity, is concerned with the object of chastity, namely venereal things, and it touches them in the mode proper to chastity, namely under the aspect of temperance.

So too St. Thomas; this is deduced from the fact that he "does not take the aforesaid distinction from something pertaining to religion or to another virtue outside the genus of chastity, but from the proper matter of virginity within the aforesaid genus, which is complete continence from venereal things."² It is added that he confirms his argument by the example of magnificence in relation to liberality; "which example he also uses in the reply to the fifth, where, after making a comparison with conjugal and widowed chastity, he concludes: virginity alone is posited as a special virtue above chastity, as magnificence is above liberality. But that magnificence and liberality are distinguished essentially, in the way of St. Thomas, according to their proper matter, no one doubts."³ Finally, q. 152, a. 2 has these words: "Something can be called most excellent in two ways; in one way, in some genus; and thus virginity is most excellent, namely in the genus of chastity."

¹ The denial is attributed in the footnote to other authors, including Lessius and Vermeersch; see previous note.

² Salmanticenses, cited place.

³ Salmanticenses, cited place.

V. Excellence of Virginity. Virginity is preferred to the matrimonial state. This is of faith from the Council of Trent, session 24, canon 10. It is proved first from Sacred Scripture. "His disciples say to Him: If the case of a man with his wife is so, it is not expedient to marry. He said to them: Not all receive this word, but those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs,... who have castrated themselves for the kingdom of heaven. He who can receive it, let him receive it."¹ "Therefore he also who joins his virgin in marriage does well; and he who does not join her does better."²

It is proved secondly from the Holy Fathers, who perpetually, and even in whole works, extol the state of virginity above the state of marriage with splendid praises. "By divine right," says St. Augustine, "continence is set before wedlock, and pious virginity before nuptials."³ And elsewhere: "But virginal integrity, and immunity from all intercourse through pious continence, is an angelic portion, and in corruptible flesh a meditation upon perpetual incorruption. Let all fruitfulness of the flesh, all conjugal modesty, yield to this."⁴ So too (Pseudo?) St. Clement of Rome,⁵ Athenagoras,⁶ St. Athanasius,⁷ St. Cyril of Jerusalem,⁸ St. Gregory Nazianzen,⁹ St. Epiphanius,¹⁰ St. Gregory of Nyssa,¹¹ St. John Chrysostom,¹² St. Aphraates,¹³ Theodoret,¹⁴ St. John Damascene,¹⁵ Tertullian,¹⁶ St. Cyprian,¹⁷ St. Ambrose,¹⁸ St. Jerome,¹⁹ and St. Fulgentius.²⁰

It is proved thirdly by reason: "both because a divine good is preferable to a human good; and because the good of the soul is preferred to the good of the body; and also because the good of the contemplative life is preferred to the good of the active life. But virginity is ordered to the good of the soul according to the contemplative life, which is to think on the things that are of God; while marriage is ordered to the good of the body, which is the bodily multiplication of the human race; and it pertains to the active life, because man and woman living in marriage necessarily have to think on the things of the world, as is clear through the Apostle in 1 Cor. 7. Hence, without doubt, virginity is to be preferred to conjugal continence" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 152, a. 4; cf. St. Alphonsus, Opera Dogmatica I, p. 644 sq.).

¹ Matt. 19:10-12.

² 1 Cor. 7; cf. ibid. 25-40 and Apoc. 14:1-4.

³ De sancta virginitate, c. 1, n. 1.

⁴ Ibid., c. 13, n. 12.

⁵ Epistle 1 to virgins, c. 4.

⁶ Legatio pro Christianis, n. 33.

⁷ Apologia ad Constantium, n. 33.

⁸ Catechesis 4, c. 24-25.

⁹ Oration 37, c. 10-11 and c. 13.

¹⁰ Adversus haereses, exposition of faith, c. 21.

¹¹ De virginitate, passim.

¹² De virginitate, c. 9-10.

¹³ Demonstration 18, De virginitate et sanctitate, n. 8.

¹⁴ On 1 Cor. 7:26 and 38.

¹⁵ De fide orthodoxa, l. 4, c. 24.

¹⁶ Book 1, Ad uxorem, c. 2-4 inclusive.

¹⁷ De habitu virginum, c. 3-4 and c. 23.

¹⁸ Book 2, De virginibus, c. 3, nn. 11 and 13; De viduis, c. 12, n. 72.

¹⁹ Epistle 22, nn. 19-20; Against Jovinian, passim.

²⁰ Epistle 3, c. 9-10, nn. 14-17 inclusive.

VI. The Special Reward of Virginity. To virginity there belongs a special reward, which is called an aureole. Now then:

1. Aureole, by the force of the word, sounds the same as a lesser golden crown. For since, according to Sacred Scripture, the life of man on earth is warfare¹ or contest² for obtaining the kingdom of heaven,³ or even a racecourse in which one must run in order to seize the prize,⁴ and therefore heavenly beatitude is proposed in the manner of a crown of justice⁵ and of unfading glory,⁶ theologians have been accustomed to call essential beatitude a golden crown, or even simply gold. But since in Sacred Scripture to some, on account of a certain signal victory not common to all, a certain special reward is promised, such a reward, as being less than essential beatitude, is called an aureole by theologians. This, according to the mind of St. Thomas (cf. Supplement, q. 96, a. 1), is defined by St. Alphonsus as: "An accidental joy or reward, added on account of an excellent victory" (Opera Dogmatica II, Dissertationes de novissimis, § VIII). This joy will also redound into the body of the blessed, producing a certain special beauty (St. Thomas, Supplement, q. 96, a. 10; St. Alphonsus, cited place).

2. Three aureoles are distinguished, namely those of virgins, martyrs, and doctors. Thus many Holy Fathers; likewise theologians commonly, relying on certain texts of Sacred Scripture.⁷ "It must be said," says the Angelic Doctor, "that an aureole is a certain privileged reward corresponding to a privileged victory; and therefore, according to privileged victories in the three battles which threaten every man, three aureoles are taken. For in the battle which is against the flesh, he obtains the chief victory who completely abstains from venereal delights, which are chief in this genus; such a one is a virgin, and therefore an aureole is due to virginity. But in the battle which is fought against the world, that is the chief victory when we sustain persecution from the world even unto death; hence to martyrs, who obtain victory in that battle, a second aureole is due. But in the battle which is fought against the devil, that is the chief victory when someone removes the enemy not only from himself, but also from the hearts of others; this is done through doctrine and preaching; and therefore to doctors and preachers a third aureole is due" (Supplement, q. 96, a. 11).

"Some, however, distinguish the three aureoles according to the three powers of the soul, so that the three aureoles are said to correspond to the chief acts of the three powers of the soul. For the chief act of the rational power is to diffuse the truth of faith also in others, and to this act the aureole of doctors is due. But the chief act of the irascible power is to overcome even death on account of Christ, and to this the aureole of martyrs is due. But the chief act of the concupiscible power is to abstain wholly from the greatest delights of the flesh, and to this the aureole of virgins is due" (cited place).

"Others distinguish the three aureoles according to those things by which we are most nobly conformed to Christ; for He was mediator between the Father and the world; therefore He was a doctor, according as He manifested to the world the truth which He had received from the Father; He was a martyr, according as He suffered persecution from the world; and He was a virgin, insofar as He preserved purity in Himself; and therefore doctors, martyrs, and virgins are most perfectly conformed to Him; hence to such persons an aureole is due" (cited place).

3. In order that a right to the aureole be acquired, besides the state of grace and immunity from a complete and voluntary venereal act, there is required a resolution of perpetually abstaining from venereal things. It is disputed whether a vow is also required (n. 16). Moreover, a resolution, or vow, suffices even if someone, whether by privilege, as the Blessed Virgin Mary, or from another cause, does not experience the stimulus of the flesh, and therefore lives and dies without battle; likewise if someone elicits the resolution, or vow, of abstaining from venereal things after he has awaited marriage in vain, provided, however, that the resolution, or vow, has been elicited truly and from a supernatural motive.

¹ Cf. Job 7:1.

² Cf. 2 Tim. 4:7.

³ Cf. Apoc. 5:10; Matt. 5:10 and 19:12.

⁴ Cf. 1 Cor. 9:24-25; Phil. 3:14.

⁵ Cf. 2 Tim. 4:8.

⁶ Cf. 1 Pet. 5:4.

⁷ Cf. Dan. 12:3; Apoc. 7:4; 14:3-4.

VII. Loss of Virginity. Virginity perishes:

1. Irreparably, by the very fact that the material element of the virtue is voluntarily lost, that is, through a voluntary complete venereal act, whether voluntary in itself or in its cause. For virginity requires immunity from the voluntary experience of venereal pleasure (n. 16). But it cannot happen that "one who has experienced venereal pleasure becomes one who has not experienced it" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 152, a. 3, ad 3). Through a complete venereal act virginity perishes, even if the sign of virginity were to remain intact. It is disputed whether virginity is lost irreparably through consent in a complete act while it is taking place, the act itself having arisen apart from the will. Some affirm it; namely, in their opinion, consent to the present fact of the resolution of semen suffices.¹ To others, the contrary must be admitted, or rather the voluntary effecting of the said fact seems necessary, in order that virginity be lost irreparably.²

Virginity irreparably lost can nevertheless be repaired in a certain respect, as is said, namely according to the formal element of the virtue. "It must be said," says St. Thomas, "that virtue can be repaired through penance as to that which is formal in virtue, but not as to that which is material in it; for if a magnificent man has consumed his riches, his riches are not restored to him through repentance for the sin; and similarly, one who has lost virginity by sinning does not recover the matter of virginity through penance, but he recovers the resolution of virginity" (II-II, q. 152, a. 3, ad 3).

2. Virginity perishes reparably through the resolution of entering marriage and consummating it; likewise through any mortal sin of lust which does not destroy the material element of virginity, for example through an internal act, or through venereal commotion which does not reach a complete act (cf. St. Thomas, in IV Sentences, dist. 33, q. 3, a. 1, ad 4). There is dispute concerning the one who induces another to a sin of lust. Some affirm, and judge that the resolution of abstaining from venereal things, required for virginity, extends itself to any sin against chastity.³ Others think that the said resolution extends itself only to directly proper acts.⁴

Question: whether virginity perishes irreparably or reparably through libidinous acts which of themselves lead to a complete act, if in fact the complete act does not follow.

Some seem to assert irreparable loss.⁵ Others distinguish and judge that virginity is lost irreparably in this case by those who are capable of the complete act; likewise by those who have been made incapable only accidentally, as some sick persons, or by design, as eunuchs; but reparably by boys, who are by nature unfit for the complete act. The reason alleged is that in the former persons the material element of virginity remains only accidentally. But it seems that one should say that in the proposed case virginity is never lost irreparably, since in fact, while the material element of the virtue remains, it seems always to be restored when the formal element is added.

St. Thomas has these words: "If lust against nature anticipates the time of perfect age, since there is not present the discharge of semen, and consequently neither the complete pleasure suffocating the mind, virginity is not lost as to that which is material in it" (in IV Sentences, dist. 33, q. 3, a. 1, ad 4).

3. Virginity in no way perishes through injury to the sign of virginity which does not occur through intercourse but in another way, for example through dancing or medical treatment. Nor is it lost through involuntary pollution or intercourse extorted by force, to which the virgin does not consent. Through subsequent complacency concerning intercourse involuntarily had, virginity indeed perishes, but reparably, as we said above.

¹ Eschbach, cited work, p. 501 sq.

² Vermeersch, De Castitate, n. 142.

³ Waffelaert, cited work, n. 123.

⁴ Vermeersch, cited work, n. 142.

⁵ Vermeersch, cited work, n. 142.

VIII. Recovery of Virginity (reparably lost). If virginity has been lost through the resolution of entering and consummating marriage, it is recovered through the renewal of the resolution of abstaining from all venereal things. If it has been lost through sin, it is recovered through penance together with the aforesaid resolution.

¹ Cajetan, on II-II, q. 152, a. 1; Billuart, De Castitate, art. 5; Eschbach, cited work, p. 502.