44 Sins Against the Sacrament of Marriage (Part IV)

18. Fornication

This is the carnal union between an unmarried man and an 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 the generation and education of children. Moreover, it is a grave scandal when there is corruption of the young. [C.C.C. # 2353]

The lost of one’s virginity prior to being married because of a sexual relationship with someone prior to marriage, even if that person is the spouse to be, offends the Sacrament of Marriage.

19. Gender Selection 

(Also known as Sex Selection). In 1987, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a negative judgment on sex preselection. Quoting from the “Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation (Donum Vitae)”

Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities. These manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his or her integrity and identity. Therefore in no way can they be justified on the grounds of possible beneficial consequences for future humanity. Every person must be respected for himself: in this consists the dignity and right of every human being from his or her beginning.”

Sex selection, the method by which an offspring can be chosen uses reproductive technologies which attempt to achieve the conception of a child of a particular sex, such leading to the abortion of a child of an unwanted sex. As such, it is condemned by the Catholic Church!

A newborn is God’s Divine gift to the mother. Unknown to us, there is a reason in God’s Divine Plan as to why the mother is called to conceive a boy or a girl. To go against God’s Divine Plan is to elevate oneself, not only equal to God, but over and above God, by over-ruling his Divine decision. Such is bound to draw the wrath of God.

20. Homosexuality 

Refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has alwasys declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual acts to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.” [C.C.C. # 2357]

The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual conditions; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition. [C.C.C. # 2358]

Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.” [C.C.C. 2359]

21. Incest 

Consist of an intimate relations between relatives or in-laws within a degree that prohibits marriage between them. [Lev. 18:7-20] St. Paul stigmatizes this especially grave offense: “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you… for a man is living with his father’s wife… In the name of the Lord Jesus… you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh…” [1 Cor. 5:1, 4-5] Incest corrupts family relationships and marks a regression toward animality.” [C.C.C. # 2388]

“Connected to incest is any sexual abuse perpetrated by adults on children or adolescents entrusted to their care. The offense is compounded by the scandalous harm done to the physical and moral integrity of the young, who will remain scarred by it all their lives; and the violation of responsibility for their upbringing. [C.C.C. # 2389]

22. Lust 

It is a disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.” [C.C.C. # 2351]

23. Masturbation

“By mastubation 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 intrisically and gravely disordered action.’ The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose. For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation is the context of true love is achieved.

To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety, or other psychological or social factors that lessen or even extenuate moral culpability.” [C.C.C. # 2352]

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