4. You have heard that it was said, “You shall not
commit adultery.” But I say to you that every one
who looks at a woman lustfully has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. ."The sixth
commandment upholds chastity as a moral virtue, a
gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort.
5. Jesus came to restore creation to the purity of its
origins ... The tradition of the Church has understood
the sixth commandment as encompassing the whole
of human sexuality
6. All the baptized are called to chastity. The Christian has 'put on Christ,'
the model for all chastity ... Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate
enjoyment of sexual pleasure ... Fornication is carnal union between an
unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the
dignity of persons and of human sexuality ... Prostitution does injury to
the dignity of the person who engages in it, reducing the person to an
instrument of sexual pleasure. The one who pays sins gravely against
himself: he violates the chastity to which his Baptism pledged him and
defiles his body, the temple of the Holy Spirit.”
7. Adultery refers to marital infidelity. When two partners, of whom at least
one is married to another party, have sexual relations—even transient
ones—they commit adultery. The Catholic Catechism begins its teaching
on this commandment with a positive summary of God’s creation of men
and women and his purposes for sex within marriage. These purposes
include unifying husband and wife, demonstrating unselfish, even
generous love between them, and producing children. "God created man
in his own image . . . male and female he created them. He blessed them
and said, "Be fruitful and multiply …” (Genesis 1:27-28).
8. According to the Catechism, those who are engaged must refrain from
sexual relations until after the marriage ceremony. This exercise of
restraint in order to keep the commandment against adultery is also seen
as important practice for fidelity within marriage: Those who are engaged
to marry are called to live chastity in continence. They should see in this
time of testing a discovery of mutual respect, an apprenticeship in
fidelity, and the hope of receiving one another from God. They should
reserve for marriage the expressions of affection that belong to married
love. They will help each other grow in chastity.
9. Chastity for the married Catholic is not abstention from sexual relations,
but the enjoyment of God-given sexuality within marriage only. The
tradition of the Catholic Church has understood the commandment
against adultery as encompassing the whole of human sexuality and so
pornography is declared a violation of this commandment. Several other
sexual activities that may or may not involve married persons are also
directly addressed and prohibited in the Catechism.
Adultery is viewed not only as a sin between an individual and God but
as an injustice that reverberates through society by harming its
fundamental unit, the family:
10. Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in
his commitment. He does injury to the sign of the covenant
which the marriage bond is, transgresses the rights of the
other spouse, and undermines the institution of marriage by
breaking the contract on which it is based. He compromises
the good of human generation and the welfare of children
who need their parents' stable union.
11.
12.
13. Chastity is a moral virtue. It is also a gift from God, a
grace, a fruit of spiritual effort. The Holy Spirit
enables one whom the water of baptism has
regenerated to imitate the purity of Christ.
Chastity
14. To be chaste means to use our sexuality according to
the will of God. Those who are married must love
their spouse, be faithful, and have children. Those
who are not married must not abstain from any sexual
activity. Chastity is possible with the help of prayer,
self-control, and avoidance of the occasions of sin.
15. The chaste man will always be happy and blessed by God.
As the Scriptures proclaim: “Happy are all those who fear
Yahweh and follow in his paths. You will eat what your
hands have worked for, happiness and prosperity will be
yours. Your wife: a fruitful vine on the inner walls of your
house. Your sons around your table like shoots round on
olive tree” (Psalm 128:1-3)
16. Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the
person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual
being. Sexuality, in which man’s belonging to the bodily and
biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human
when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another,
in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman.
The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of
the person and the integrality of gift.
17.
18. Lust
It is a disordered uncontrolled desire for or inordinate
enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is
Morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from
its procreative and unitive purposes.
19. Masturbation
It is a sin because it is against the proper use of
sexuality, which implies love for the spouse and
opening to the gift of life.
20. 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.
21. Pornography
To sell, buy, or use pornographic material is a sin,
because it reduces the human body, which is the temple
of the Holy Spirit, to a depraved means of arousal and
pleasure.
22. Pornography consists in removing real or simulated
sexual acts from the intimacy of the partner, in order to
display them deliberately to third parties. It offends
against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the
intimate giving of spouses to each other. It immerses all
who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is
a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the
production and distribution of pornographic materials.
23. Prostitution
To buy and sell the human body for the sake of profit
and pleasure is a scandalous sin, which the Scriptures
compare to idolatry. As St. Paul said: “Your bodies are
members making up the body of Christ; do you think I
can take parts of Christ’s body and join them to the body
and join them to the body of a prostitute? Never!” (1
Corinthians 6 : 15).
24. Prostitution does injury to the dignity of the person who
engages in it, reducing the person to an instrument of sexual
pleasure. The one who pays sins gravely against himself: he
violates the chastity to which his baptism pledged him and defiles
his body, the temple if the Holy Spirit. Prostitution is a social
scourge. It is usually involves women, but also men, children and
adolescents (the latter two cases involve the added sin of
scandal). While it is always gravely sinful to engage in
prostitution, the imputability of the offense can be attenuated by
destitution, blackmail or social pressure.
25. Fornication
It is the sexual union between man and woman outside
the sacrament of Marriage. Those who practice pre-
marital sex, who live-in, or who have only civil
marriage, are also guilty of fornication. Before having
intercourse, the faithful must be married, as Jesus said:
“A man must leave father and mother, and the two
become one body” (Mark 10:7).
26. Fonication is carnal union between an unmarried man
and unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the
dignity of persons and of human sexuality which is
naturally ordered to the good of spouses and generation
and education of children. Moreover, it is a grave
scandal when there is corruption of the young.
27. Homosexuality
Whoever has a sexual relation with a person of the same
sex is committing a very serious sin, as St. Paul said:
“The sodomites will never inherit the kingdom of God”
(1 Corinthians 6 : 9-10).
28. Child Abuse
To have sexual relations with minor is a hateful sin; as
Jesus said: “Anyone who is an obstacle to bring down
one of these little ones who have faith, would be better
thrown into the sea with a great milestone round his
neck” (Mark 9 : 42).
29. Rape
It is the forcible violation of the sexual intimacy of another person.
It does injury to justice and charity. Rape deeply wounds the
respect, freedom and physical and moral integrity to which every
person has a right. It causes grave damage that can mark the victim
for life. It is always an intrinsically evil act. Graver still is the rape
of children committed by parents (incest) or those responsible for
the education of the children entrusted to them
30. Artificial Birth Control
Married couples who use contraceptives commit sin
because they deprive the family, the Church, and the
society, of the society, of the gift of children. Every
marital act must express love and be open to life. To
restricts the number of children for selfish reasons
betrays the mission received from God, who said: “Be
fruitful and multiply: (Genesis 1 : 28).
31. Catechism of the Catholic Chrurch
My First Cathecism
http://www.gotquestions.org
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.christianitytoday.com
http://www.webmd.com
https://www.childhelp.org
