Questo articolo è disponibile anche in:
Italian
English
Question
Dear father Angelo,
First of all, I wanted to send you my warmest compliments for your answers, which are clear and comprehensive as always. I often read some of the questions raised by the website visitors, since I’m fascinated by all the topics related to moral theology.
My name is Daniele, and I’ve always been a particularly kind and calm guy. I attend Mass and go to Confession frequently. I also do voluntary work when possible. I usually spend at least one hour in prayer per day; however, like any other human being, I have my weaknesses. And what weakness could it be other than autoeroticism?
Talking with my friends, but also with a lot of other people, I noticed that masturbating is seen as a regular day-to-day activity. If only they knew what they’re missing! Since I’ve started attending Holy Mass more frequently, strengthening my faith, I don’t share that common opinion anymore, because after committing such acts I immediately feel repentant, impure and unworthy before God.
I also wasn’t fully aware of this matter in the past, and I was oblivious to how much I sinned in the last years!
Since I have gained knowledge about all this, I’ve been trying to live more chastely and to avoid falling into error and temptation: I must say that it’s going very well (and I’m pleased about that).
But here’s my question: I wasn’t aware of the fact that masturbating is a sin, but did I gravely offend God anyway?
Moreover, I would like to benefit again from your knowledge. As I was trying to further the relation between Religion and Sexuality, I came across the following passage from the Scriptures: «When a man has an emission of seed, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until evening.
Any piece of cloth or leather with seed on it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening.
If a man lies carnally with a woman, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening» (Leviticus 15, 16-18).
In verse 16 there is a reference to the emission of seed, but not from sexual intercourse, therefore it is an explicit reference to the practice of auto-erotism. In this respect, the text states “he shall bathe his whole body”, with no sentiment of shame attributed to it. How can this passage of scripture be interpreted?
Thank you in advance, father!
Answer
My dear,
1. I’m happy to highlight the fact that you pray every day for one hour. I’m sure that for you prayer is like quenching thirst and hunger.
The encounter with God through Christ is always satiating.
2. In this regard, I like to remember what the holy Curé d’Ars used to say to his parishioners:
«Prayer is nothing but the union with God.
When someone is pure of heart and united with God, he is taken by a certain suavity and sweetness that inebriates, he is purified by a mysterious light shining around him.
In this intimate union, God and the soul are like two pieces of wax fused together that no one can separate anymore.
How beautiful this union between God and His little creature is!
This is a Happiness that can’t be understood.
We had become unworthy of praying. In His goodness, however, God allowed us to talk to Him.
Our prayer is incense, all the more welcome by Him.
My children, your heart is little, but prayer expands it, giving the possibility to love God.
Prayer is an anticipation of Heaven, like something coming down from Paradise. Prayer never leaves us without sweetness.
Prayer is honey dripping in the soul, making everything sweet» (A.Monnin, Espirit du Curé d’Ars, pp. 87-88).
3. I would like to underline another thing in your email.
You wrote: «I talked with my friends, but also with a lot of other people, and I noticed that masturbating is seen as a regular day-to-day activity…
Since I’ve started attending Holy Mass more frequently, strengthening my faith, I don’t share that common opinion anymore, because after committing such acts I immediately feel repentant, impure and unworthy before God».
4. Well, I’ll comment on your words with what the Magisterium of the Church said in the declaration “Persona Humana” (29.XII.1975) from the Congregation for the doctrine of the faith: «both the Magisterium of the Church – in the course of a constant tradition – and the moral sense of the faithful have declared without hesitation that masturbation is an intrinsically and seriously disordered act.
The main reason is that, whatever the motive for acting this way, the deliberate use of the sexual faculty outside normal conjugal relations essentially contradicts the finality of the faculty.
For it lacks the sexual relationship called for by the moral order, namely the relationship which realizes “the full sense of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love” (Gaudium et Spes 51).
All deliberate exercise of sexuality must be reserved to this regular relationship» (PH 9).
5. The Magisterium of the Church matches your words “after committing such acts I immediately feel repentant, impure and unworthy before God” by affirming that this act is perceived as wrong without hesitation by the moral sense of the faithful.
As you can see, it is specified that masturbation is perceived as wrong by “the faithful”, i.e. those who started living the union with God through grace.
In fact, it can happen that others don’t perceive anything.
6. You ask me if you still gravely offended God since you didn’t know that those actions were sinful.
I’ll answer you with this teaching by Saint John Paul II: «It is possible that the evil done as the result of invincible ignorance or a non-culpable error of judgment may not be imputable to the agent; but even in this case it does not cease to be an evil, a disorder in relation to the truth about the good. Furthermore, a good act which is not recognized as such does not contribute to the moral growth of the person who performs it; it does not perfect him and it does not help to dispose him for the supreme good» (Veritatis Splendor 63).
7. Lastly, let me answer your question on biblical matters.
It must be said that this passage doesn’t refer to moral but ritual purity.
This text is all about the cleanness required for worship, and not about sins.
For ancient Jews, even any dispersion of blood, such as menstruations, were the cause for impurity.
One became impure also by touching corpses.
However, this wasn’t a moral impurity, and therefore a sin, but it simply related to the ritual cleanliness which was required to access worship.
In this passage from Leviticus, the emission of seed is the one of marital intimacy or the natural phenomenons of pollution which ancient Jews believed unfitted for worship, therefore ensuing the need for purification. It has nothing to do with auto-erotism.
All these ritual norms dropped with the New Testament because the only purity Our Lord wants is that of the heart.
I thank you for the precious testimonies you offered.
I wish you many good things from the Risen Lord, I bless you and assure you of remembrance to Him in prayer.
Father Angelo