
Sins of impurity in the Catholic Church are those that go against purity and chastity. These include sins of lust, whether internal or external. Internal sins of lust are those that are not carried out in practice but are instead thoughts or desires, such as taking pleasure in sexual imaginative representations or desiring unlawful sexual pleasures. External sins are those that are carried out in practice. When confessing sins of impurity, Catholics are asked to specify whether they are married or unmarried and if they have taken a vow of chastity or celibacy. They must also specify the nature of the sin and how many times it was committed. While impure thoughts and dreams are not considered sins unless they are willed, masturbation is considered a grave sin.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Type | Internal or external |
Internal | Imaginative representations, previous experiences, unlawful sexual pleasure |
External | N/A |
Nature | Grave or mortal |
Circumstances | With a married or unmarried person, natural or unnatural intercourse, with a person of the same sex, alone, with a prostitute, with a consecrated person, by force, in public |
Frequency | How many times |
Thoughts | Impure thoughts are not necessarily sinful |
Dreams | Dreams are not necessarily sinful |
Masturbation | Grave matter for sin |
Pornography | Injustice |
What You'll Learn
Sins of impurity are not a great evil
It is important to note that not all impure thoughts and dreams are sinful. Acts can only be considered sinful if they are willed. An impure thought only becomes a sin when it is desired and acted upon. Christ's teaching that "every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:28) highlights the gravity of impure thoughts and desires. However, it is the choice to entertain and act upon these thoughts that constitutes a sin.
Furthermore, while the Catholic Church considers masturbation to be a grave matter, it is important to recognize that there are mitigating factors that can reduce moral culpability. The Catechism of the Catholic Church acknowledges that factors such as affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety, and other psychological or social factors can lessen the moral responsibility of individuals who struggle with masturbation.
Additionally, it is worth considering the context of societal changes when evaluating the statement "sins of impurity are not a great evil." In today's world, the idolatry of sexual pleasure is prevalent in all aspects of life, from fashion and customs to advertising and education. In such a context, it is understandable that the Church would want to emphasize other serious sins that may be overlooked or downplayed due to the excessive focus on sexual impurity.
In conclusion, while sins of impurity are indeed mortal sins, they are not necessarily a great evil when compared to other sins that directly harm or oppress others, such as social injustice or slander. The statement "sins of impurity are not a great evil" should be understood within the context of promoting a more balanced perspective on sin and encouraging a deeper examination of other serious sins that may be overlooked in the fixation on sexual impurity.
The Bible and Writing: Sin or Salvation?
You may want to see also
Internal and external sins of lust
In Roman Catholic theology, lust is considered one of the seven deadly sins. It is defined as the "disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure". Lust is considered a sin when sexual pleasure is sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes. While lust can take many forms, such as the lust for power or material things, in its moral and spiritual usages, the term typically refers to sexual activities.
Internal Sins of Lust
Internal sins of lust refer to the thoughts or desires that are not carried out in practice. They can take various forms, such as taking pleasure in sexual imaginative representations, complacently enjoying previous sinful venereal experiences, or desiring unlawful sexual pleasures. These thoughts and desires are considered sinful even if they are not acted upon. This is because, according to Catholic theology, the object or action of affection in lust is improperly ordered according to natural law. The appetite for the particular object, such as sexual desire, governs the person's will and intellect rather than the other way around.
External Sins of Lust
External sins of lust, on the other hand, refer to the consummated acts of lust. These are the physical or actual manifestations of lustful thoughts or desires. Examples of external sins of lust include fornication, adultery, incest, criminal assault, abduction, and sodomy. Each of these acts has its own specific malice and is considered a mortal sin, provided it is voluntary and fully deliberate.
Both internal and external sins of lust are considered grave matters in Catholic theology. They are believed to lead to other sins and immoral behaviours, such as adultery, which is considered a mortal sin. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, lust can be overcome through the practice of chastity.
Understanding Eternal Sins: Unforgivable Transgressions Against God
You may want to see also
Impure thoughts and dreams
Christ said, "Every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:28). This is a violation of the ninth Commandment and a grave sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the Ten Commandments "reveal, in their primordial content, grave obligations. They are fundamentally immutable, and they oblige always and everywhere. No one can dispense from them."
An impure thought entering the mind is a temptation to lust, but is not lust itself. It only becomes a sin when it is willed. As taught by the ninth Commandment, an impure thought is grave matter. Desiring that impure thought, willingly and knowingly, offends against love of neighbour and love of God. The same principles would apply to dreams, which are generally involuntary, and not willed.
Deliberately entertaining impure thoughts is a sin that must be confessed. However, one need not go into detail about the impure thoughts, only the kind of sin it was, and how many times it was committed.
Saint Augustine says that though the unchaste may grow old, the vice of impurity does not grow old in them. According to Saint Thomas, there is no sin in which the Devil delights so much as in this sin, because there is no other sin to which nature clings with so much tenacity.
To summarise, impure thoughts and dreams are not in themselves sinful, but if dwelled upon, and willed, they become a grave sin.
Christianity and Body Piercing: What Does Religion Say?
You may want to see also
Masturbation
The Church's teaching on masturbation is based on the belief that human sexuality is meant by God to be shared between a man and a woman in marriage. Masturbation, therefore, contradicts the meaning of human sexuality as it is a solitary act. It strips sexual activity of its purposes of unity and procreation, making it a selfish act of self-centredness.
According to the Catechism, both the Magisterium of the Church and the moral sense of the faithful have firmly maintained that masturbation is gravely disordered. It is considered a grave sin when it is done deliberately, with full knowledge that it is wrong, and without any attempt to resist. However, the Church also recognises that psychological factors such as adolescent immaturity, lack of psychological balance, and ingrained habit can influence a person's behaviour and may lessen or eliminate moral responsibility.
The Church encourages those who struggle with masturbation to seek guidance from a confessor, a priest who can provide judgment and guidance based on individual circumstances. While some professionals may encourage masturbation, the Church warns against this and emphasises the importance of striving to live according to God's ways and resisting sin.
In conclusion, masturbation is considered a sin of impurity in the Catholic Church due to its contradiction of the meaning of human sexuality as intended by God. It is a grave sin when committed deliberately and with full knowledge, but the Church also acknowledges the influence of psychological factors and encourages those struggling to seek guidance and support.
Burlesque and the Bible: Sinful or Sensual?
You may want to see also
Clericalism and clerical sexual abuse
Sins of impurity in the Catholic Church are often referred to as sins of lust, whether internal or external. Clericalism is a factor contributing to clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Clericalism is a structure of power that isolates and elevates the clergy, granting them excessive authority and trust while diminishing the agency of laypeople and religious figures. It is often characterised as an individual phenomenon, but it can be internalised by laypeople and religious figures and is not limited to ordained members of the Church.
Clericalism is perpetuated by both priests and laypeople and is tied to a top-down, overly authoritarian configuration of the Church. It is reinforced by the idea that fullness of spiritual attainment is reserved only for ordained religious leaders, treating them as holier than the rest. This isolates priests by their moral and spiritual status, and they are no longer in open, equal, vulnerable human relationships with their flock. Instead, they are seen as shamans or gurus.
Clericalism is also linked to a lack of transparency, as was characteristic of the abuse in Pennsylvania. It creates a culture in which non-abusing priests cannot openly apologise or be seen as morally flawed, and they become captives of their own false beatification. Clericalism hides the psychology of the priest behind a veil of pseudo-beatification.
Pope Francis has warned against clericalism, stating that it "nullifies the personality of Christians" and "leads to the functionalization of the laity, treating them as 'errand boys [or girls]'". He has also said that clericalism is tied to a lack of transparency and that "to say 'no' to abuse is to say an emphatic 'no' to all forms of clericalism".
The Morality of Insect Termination: A Sinful Act?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Sins of impurity are those of lust, whether internal or external. Internal sins of lust are those that are thought about but not carried out, such as taking pleasure in sexual imaginative representations. External sins are those that are carried out.
Adultery, idolatry, and masturbation.
Taking pleasure in sexual imaginative representations, complacently enjoying previous sinful venereal experiences, desiring unlawful sexual pleasures.
When confessing sins of impurity, one should be sorry for all of their grave sins without exception. The Church asks that these sins are confessed "by number and kind", meaning what the sin was and how many times it was committed.