Lust

LUST. —

I. NOTION

L. (from luxus, luxuriance, exuberance), in an improper sense, denotes every excess in food, drink, and the like, and is also said of animals and plants. Properly, as it is understood here, insofar as it is a capital vice opposed to temperance, it is the disordered desire for venereal or carnal pleasure, that is, for that delight which arises in the sensitive appetite from the agitation and alteration of the organs and humors that serve generation. This carnal pleasure, characterized precisely by and deriving from the aforesaid agitation, must not be confused with the pleasure produced by an object agreeable to the senses but without agitations of this kind, whether such an object is capable of provoking carnal pleasure (in which case there is sensual pleasure) or is by its nature incapable of doing so (sensible pleasure). Carnal pleasure, like the generative faculty and the use

of it, is given directly to man for the sole purpose of the procreation of offspring, which is lawful only between legitimate spouses. L. therefore consists in seeking carnal pleasure exclusively, either outside Marriage or within Marriage itself, but in such a way that, owing to the nature of the act, the procreation of offspring cannot be achieved.

II. MALICE

Among married persons, it is a grave fault only to seek those satisfactions or perform those acts which by their nature are contrary to the end of Marriage; whereas it is licit to desire the pleasure attached to it and the acts that lead to the same end. Acts that are neither contrary nor conducive to the end of Marriage are, at most, a venial fault (Denz-U, 1159, 2231).

Among the unmarried, any use of the generative faculty is illicit, both because, in the human species, the procreation and education of offspring cannot be achieved without that indissoluble cooperation found only between parents in Marriage, and because, if the use of this faculty outside Marriage were admitted, man would seek pleasure where it is not accompanied by the burdens arising from the married state. This would lead to promiscuous love and consequently to the abandonment of unwanted offspring and the extinction of human society (ibid., 2230). The reasons given apply not only to consummated external acts, but also to unconsummated acts and to internal acts themselves—desires and indulgences—because implicit in them is already the will to violate the most serious law of nature, and they constitute a proximate danger of grave sin. Therefore it must be said that outside legitimate Marriage every venereal pleasure deliberately sought in itself and with full awareness is always a mortal sin (ibid., 717 g. 2230). Venereal pleasure, when sought only indirectly, may be merely a venial fault. This is the case when the pleasure is foreseen but not desired by the will, when it does not at the same time constitute, in the concrete case, a proximate danger of grave sin, and when there is a reason proportionate to the danger for performing the action from which the prohibited pleasure is foreseen to arise. The opinion that directly intended carnal pleasure can be only a slight fault is speculatively unfounded and practically scandalous, and is therefore condemned (ibid., 1140).

Freudian doctrine, which places libido at the centre of all human activity, is philosophically and morally unacceptable in its universality; yet it seems beyond doubt that in no field of moral life, as in this one of l., do the subject’s biological predispositions, normal or otherwise, carry a more or less decisive weight in altering his responsibility. It must also be noted that, owing to coarseness, environment, or education, ignorance may extend over a broad field, especially with regard to internal acts—and not only to these, but to the entire domain now under consideration. Likewise, in evaluating the culpability of indirect l. in concrete cases, one must take into account the gravity of the danger in itself and especially in relation to the subject and to the causes contesting the action. In any case, this capital vice is the most reprehensible form of intemperance, because, through its vehemence, which almost absorbs the entire soul, it darkens reason and enervates the will more than any other vice (Rom. 1, 24-26; Eph. 4, 19).

III. CONSUMMATED LUST

A distinction is made between consummated lust, which reaches complete pleasure, that is, the emission of semen in the man and of vulvo-vaginal secretion in the woman, and non-consummated lust, which does not reach this point. Consummated lust may be according to nature or against nature:

it is according to nature when generation may result from it, and it comprises six kinds of sins which, in addition to the malice common to every grave fault of lust, contain another grave malice against a second virtue, namely: personal sacrilege, incest, adultery, abduction, rape, and fornication (cf. the individual entries). Consummated lust against nature, which is the most serious, occurs when generation is excluded from II. It is further divided into voluntary pollution or masturbation, onanism, sodomy, bestiality, each constituting a distinct species of moral malice (Denz-U, 1124). To these aberrations, which violate nature through the frustration of generation and through the inversion inherent in the pursuit of lust among individuals of the same sex, must be added others in which the perversion lies in the manner in which lust is satisfied: exhibitionism, fetishism, sadism, masochism, Satanism, zoophilia, necrophilia.
IV. L. CONSUMMATED AGAINST NATURE. — Here is the degrading picture of animalis homo. Pollution (from the Latin pollutio, stain, filth), in the broad sense, is the voluntary or involuntary emission of the semen without carnal union; but, in the strict sense, it is the complete satisfaction, in either sex, of impure pleasure without sexual union. Pollution is natural when it is neither deliberately willed nor approved, as may be the case with nocturnal pollution; in other cases it is voluntary, and is then also called solitary sin or vice, masturbation (mana stupratio or manuturbatio: Gen. 38, 9). It is simple if it has only the malice of pollution; qualified if, in addition to its own malice, it has another on account of the subject, the intention, scandal, etc. Voluntary pollution “in itself,” whether willed or merely approved, accompanied or not by pleasure, however procured, and willed as an end or as a means (e.g., in order to examine the ejaculated semen), is always a grave sin against the natural law (I Cor. 6, 10; Denz-U, 1199, 2201, 2239–41), because it is directly willed l. It is therefore always illicit to counsel masturbation, whatever the end pursued. Voluntary pollution in causa will be culpable or not, gravely or lightly, according to the existence and proportionate gravity of the reason for placing the cause from which pollution is foreseen. It must be admitted that boys and young men may be invincibly and for a long time ignorant of the malice of this vice. The intrinsic reason for the malice of pollution is sought by some in the seminis frustranea emissio, but with greater foundation Vermersch sees it in the fact of diverting to one’s exclusive pleasure an act which by its nature is destined for the good of the species. Confirmation of this reason is found in consideration of the social inconveniences that would result from not prohibiting pollution sub gravi: fewer marriages, fewer births, the progressive disappearance of humanity. Pollution is sometimes sought in aberrant forms by certain perverts. The exhibitionist experiences particular delight, which may extend to pollution, in displaying his own organs; the fetishist, in looking at or touching garments belonging to a particular person; the necrophile, in performing libidinous acts, which may extend to an attempt at union, upon or in the presence of a corpse. In these cases the elements of a crime under canon criminal law are often present, and frequently also under the criminal laws of civilized nations. Thus, in Italy, the exhibitionist falls under Articles 527 and 529 of the Penal Code for obscene acts committed in public. The same applies to the fetishist, agalmophile, etc., when the acts are performed in public. In the case of the necrophile, the crimes of insulting a corpse and violating tombs are applicable under canon law (can. 2328) and under Italian criminal law (Articles 407–413).

Almost an aggravated form of pollution, or rather a double and combined pollution between persons of different sexes, is onanism. In medical language it is the same as pollution; but in theological language it is the vicious use of carnal union obtained with the precise purpose of frustrating generation. It derives its name from Onan, who is spoken of in Gen. 38, 9–10. However practiced, with or without contraceptives, such actions are by their nature gravely sinful and therefore never licit. Indeed, on 21 May 1851 the Holy Office condemned the following proposition as scandalous, erroneous, and contrary to the natural law of Matrimony:

as scandalous, erroneous, and contrary to the natural law of Matrimony the following proposition: «Ob rationes honestas coniugibus uti licet Matrimonio eo modo quo usus est Onan». Likewise, on 19 April 1853, the Holy Office declared the onanistic use of Matrimony illicit.

Sodomy (so called from the city of Sodom, mentioned in Gen. 19, 4–14) is a sexual inversion that seeks complete venereal satisfaction between individuals of the same sex (viri cum viro vel feminae cum femina) or of different sexes, but “in vase innaturali.” More commonly today one speaks of male homosexuality (also uranism, pederasty) or female homosexuality (also tribadism, lesbianism, sapphism). A modern medical tendency, founded on an element of truth but marked by evident exaggeration, would tend to include homosexuality among intersexual states, as manifestations of a morbid nature. Here it is necessary to note the gravity of the sin, undoubtedly greater than that of simple pollution, as is revealed by the Apostle’s strong words of condemnation (Rom. 1, 24–27; I Cor. 6, 10), which classify it among the sins that exclude one from the kingdom of God, and by the analogy with the positive-divine law for the Jewish world (Lev. 20, 13), which imposed death upon the guilty party for such a crime.

Bestiality, or erotic zoophilia, is the perversion of those who engage in carnal union with animals. It is a grave sin (Lev. 20, 15–16; Ex. 22, 19), indeed the gravest of the sins of l. consummated against nature (Sum. theol., 2°–2°c, q. 154, a. 12 ad 4), and is specifically distinct from the other species of unnatural aberrations (Denz-U, 1124).

In some cases such perversions may be the consequence of a psychopathic condition in epileptics, the feebleminded, and those suffering from other pre-demential forms; but apart from these cases, the two grave sexual aberrations of sodomy and bestiality are regarded as crimes both in canon law and in Italian criminal law. The history of canon and state criminal law indeed shows that in the past particular severity was exercised against these two crimes, with many statutes adopting from Jewish criminal law (Lev. 20, 13 and 15–16) the death penalty for the guilty.

Today the CIC imposes infamy, with exclusion from public acts after conviction (can. 2357), and shows particular severity toward clerics, for whom the penalties may extend to removal from the clerical state in the case of minorists (can. 2358) and to deposition in the case of clerics constituted in maioribus (can. 2359 § 2). The current Italian Penal Code, although it does not expressly provide for sodomy and bestiality, does not leave them unsanctioned when violence (Articles 519–21) or publicity (Article 527) is involved.

V. PERVERTIMENTI

Sometimes, as has been said, the aberration is inherent in the manner in which lust is gratified between individuals of different sexes. The perversions are then called sadism when carnal pleasure is experienced only if accompanied by mistreatment inflicted upon the person with whom one has relations; masochism when carnal pleasure is induced by pain suffered through blows, wounds, or humiliations. It is also called passive algolagnia (pleasure from pain), whereas active algolagnia is the inverse form of sadism.

A series of sins, however, involves satanism in itself, which consists in sexual orgies accompanied by the desecration of objects of worship, parodies of sacred functions (Black Masses, etc.), and blasphemies.

It is evident that no clear boundaries exist between the various forms of sexual perversion, which often interpenetrate one another, giving rise to mixed aberrations. As a therapeutic measure outside Marriage, the physician cannot recommend extramarital sexual union; it is dangerous to recommend Marriage to inverts or perverts, because of the remedy’s fallaciousness and the danger of making other creatures unhappy; the castration of such subjects is likewise of doubtful efficacy and morally inadvisable (v. MUTILAZIONE).

VI. UNCONSUMMATED LUST

The sins of unconsummated lust are reduced to carnal movements and acts of immodesty. As a consequence, they bring about: the blinding of the intellect, thoughtlessness, rashness, inconstancy, love of the senses, hatred of God, love of temporal goods, and aversion to spiritual and eternal goods (Sum. Theol., 2a-2ae, q. 153, a. 5). Thus unconsummated lust directly harms prudence and consequently all the other cardinal virtues; moreover, it easily poisons one’s entire outward conduct and, in particular, conversation, leading to foul language, vulgarity, improper jokes, and foolish talk.

VII. LEGAL EFFECTS

It has been seen that lust sometimes assumes the special character of a crime in the CIC; the latter also deals with acts or conditions related to this vice in canons 133 (clerics’ cohabitation with women), 232 § 2 no. 1, 331 § 1 no. 1, 320 § 2, 1117, 1363 § 1, 984 no. 1, 991 § 3 (illegitimacy); 984 no. 4, 2356 (bigamy); 1059 (cognation); 1074, 2353, 2354 § 1 (abduction); 1078 (concubinage and public propriety); 1075 nos. 1–2, 1129, 2357 § 2, 2359 § 2 (adultery); 2176–81, 2359 § 1 (procedure and penalties against clerical concubinaries); 2357 § 1 (corruption of minors, rape, sodomy, incest, and procuring); 2367 (absolution of an accomplice in an unchaste sin); 2388 (attempted civil marriage).

Moreover, on 16 May 1943 the S. Congregation of the S. Office published certain norms to be followed by confessors in dealing with sins of lust. The penalties that the Church frequently imposes for such offenses are, in the case of laymen, infamy and exclusion from legitimate acts, as if to emphasize the moral unworthiness that compels her to remove the guilty from God’s altar; in the case of clerics, the penalties naturally become more severe, extending to degradation from the clerical state in the case of those in minor orders, and to deposition in the case of those ordained in maioribus (canons 2358, 2359).

VIII. REMEDIES

Remedies of a supernatural order are prayer and frequent reception of the Sacraments, especially Confession and Communion; those of a natural order are: 1) in at least pathological cases, recourse to a wise and prudent physician of unquestioned morality; 2) flight from proximate occasions, or, if these are necessary, care to make them remote, that is, less dangerous, bearing in mind that the steps down the slippery slope are normally: looks, thoughts, delectation, consent, and actions (Sum. Theol., 1a-2ae, q. 72, a. 7, ad 3), and that total avoidance is more necessary here than in any other sphere of moral life; either occasions are avoided as far as possible, or otherwise shipwreck will be inevitable. From occasions, fantasies naturally arise, which, through a biological-psychological concatenation of stimuli and reflexes, produce in individuals carnal agitation, which so dangerously solicits consent. It should also be noted that in this field the danger may exist even without the subject’s knowledge: it may exist with regard to the future, even if not at the present moment, in a period of particular susceptibility or of diminished grace; hence, too, everyone’s obligation to remain vigilant, and the duty of parents and educators to conduct themselves accordingly. 3) Mortification is necessary, both specifically of the senses that can most easily place one in danger—sight, touch, and the imagination—and generally, as an exercise by which the will governs life and does not allow itself to be taken by surprise or overcome; particularly necessary forms of mortification are flight from idleness, exercise, and work. These means presuppose certain profound convictions: concerning the gravity of this vice and its ravages in intellectual and moral life; concerning the possibility of succeeding in the struggle, provided that the means just indicated are used fully, remembering also that the opposite virtue, chastity (v.), consists not merely in the physical omission of forbidden carnal acts, but above all in the resolve to avoid every forbidden sensual pleasure; and finally concerning the weakness and inability to avoid contamination of anyone who places himself, without proportionate reason, in danger. Whoever claims to find no danger even in the most sordid things and situations too often, unless he is ill, is lying or is already a slave to vice.

Giuseppe Pistoni