Offenses against chastity

Contra castitatem offensae

2351 Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.

2351 Luxuria est inordinata cupiditas vel intemperans delectatio voluptatis venereae. Voluptas sexualis moraliter est inordinata, cum per se ipsam quaeritur, a procreationis et unionis dissociata finibus.

2352 By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. “Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action” (CDF, Persona humana 9). “The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.” For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of “the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved” (CDF, Persona humana 9).

2352 Masturbationis nomine intelligere oportet voluntariam organorum genitalium excitationem, ad obtinendam ex ea veneream voluptatem. « Revera tum Ecclesiae Magisterium — per decursum constantis traditionis — tum moralis christifidelium sensus sine dubitatione firmiter tenent masturbationem esse actum intrinsece graviterque inordinatum ». « Quaecumque est ipsa agendi causa, deliberatus usus facultatis sexualis extra rectum coniugale commercium essentialiter eius fini contradicit ». Delectatio sexualis tunc quaeritur extra relationem sexualem, « quae ordine morali postulatur, quae nempe ad effectum deducit integrum sensum mutuae donationis ac humanae procreationis in contextu veri amoris ». ²³⁶

To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability.

Ad aequum iudicium de responsabilitate morali subiectorum efformandum et ad pastoralem actionem recte ducendam, perpendentur immaturitas affectiva, vis habituum contractorum, angustiae status vel alia elementa psychica vel socialia, quae possunt moralem minuere, fortasse etiam ad minimum reducere, culpabilitatem.

Chastity and homosexuality

Castitas et homosexualitas

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity (Cf. Gen 191-29; Rom 124-27; 1 Cor 6:10; 1 Tim 1:10), tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” (CDF, Persona humana 8). They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2357 Homosexualitas relationes designat inter viros vel mulieres qui sexualem experiuntur allectationem exclusive vel praevalenter erga eiusdem sexus personas. Per saecula et culturas, formas induit valde diversas. Eius psychica origo manet magna ex parte non explicata. Traditio, sacra nitens Scriptura, quae eos tamquam graves depravationes praesentat, ²³⁸ semper declaravit « actus homosexualitatis suapte intrinseca natura esse inordinatos ». ²³⁹ Legi naturali sunt contrarii. Actum sexualem dono praecludunt vitae. E vera complementaritate affectiva et sexuali non procedunt. Nullo in casu possent accipere approbationem.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2358 Virorum et mulierum numerus non exiguus tendentias homosexuales praesentat profunde radicatas. Haec propensio, obiective inordinata, pro maiore eorum parte constituit probationem. Excipiendi sunt observantia, compassione et suavitate. Relate ad eos vitandum est quodlibet iniustae discriminationis signum. Hae personae vocantur ad voluntatem Dei in sua vita efficiendam, et, si ipsae christianae sunt, ad coniungendas cum Sacrificio crucis Domini difficultates quas in facto suae condicionis possunt invenire.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

2359 Personae homosexuales ad castitatem vocantur. Ipsae, dominii virtutibus quae libertatem educant interiorem, quandoque amicitiae gratuitae auxilio, oratione et gratia sacramentali, possunt et debent ad perfectionem christianam gradatim et obfirmate appropinquare.