VIRGINITY. — Virginity, as a virtue, consists of two elements: material and formal. In the material sense it is immunity from every complete sexual satisfaction; in the formal sense, it is the firm resolve never to consent to such satisfactions (Sum. Theol., 2a-2ae, q. 152, a. 1).
Understood in this way, virginity is distinguished from and adds something more perfect to ordinary and common chastity; its characteristic, in fact, is to attain a singular and unique degree of perfection and excellence in its own sphere, because it absolutely and irrevocably renounces the aforementioned satisfactions by way of an unbreakable vow, whereas common chastity simply avoids whatever is disordered in the pursuit of such satisfactions according to the state of life in which the person finds himself, whether celibate, married, or widowed.
Consequently, the virtue of virginity does not achieve perfection in the absolute sense of its twofold material and formal element except in those who have steadfastly committed themselves to abstain forever from the pleasures inherent in the use of the senses in the order of marital relations and have never in fact yielded (ibid., a. 1, ad 4°). For those, however, who have not maintained their resolve, deliberately yielding to temptation, virginity is no longer recoverable in its material element, but only in its formal element, through repentance for the fault and the renewal of the resolve.
**Virginity and Matrimony.** — The state of virginity, taken in itself, is undoubtedly superior in excellence to the married state, as is clearly evident not only from the example of Christ Himself but also from His words to the disciples (Mt. 19:12) and the words of St. Paul: “With regard to virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy... He who marries his virgin does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better” (1 Cor. 7:25, 35). This explains why virginity has been held in the highest honor from the earliest Christian times and why the holy Fathers have devoted special works and encomiums to it, e.g.: St. Cyprian, *De habitu virginum* (PL 4, 451-58); St. Augustine, *De sancta virginitate* (PL 40, 397-428); St. Basil, *De vera virginitatis integritate* (PG 30, 781-84); St. Jerome, *Contra Jovinianum* (bk. I, no. 12: PL 23, 226-48); and especially St. Ambrose, *De virginitibus* (PL 16, 108-244) and *De virginitate* (ibid., cols. 279-316).
The reason is that the state of virginity better fosters the higher goods of the soul, especially in the contemplative life, than does the married state, which is more oriented toward the pursuit of bodily goods and the active life. Yet this superiority of one state over the other does not necessarily imply a superiority of holiness or perfection in the persons who practice it, for it is quite possible for a married person to be more perfect and more holy than one who lives in the state of virginity (ibid., a. 4 ad 2°).
This high honor accorded to virginity even degenerated into the tendency to regard the state of virginity as obligatory for anyone wishing to be and to show himself a true Christian, thereby depressing the married state, which God Himself had instituted from the beginning of the human race. This tendency, known by the name of “encratism” (v. ENCRATISTS), was opposed by the holy Fathers (cf. Irenaeus, *Adv. haer.*, I, 28: PG 7, 690-91; St. Epiphanius, *Haer.*, XLVI-XLVII: PG 41, 839-53) as heretical and gravely dangerous to the Church and society. On the other hand, against Lutheran doctrines the Council of Trent anathematized those who would teach that the married state is to be preferred to the state of virginity and celibacy and that it is not a better and happier thing to remain in virginity and celibacy than to contract marriage (sess. XXIV, *De reform. matrim.*, can. 10).
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