The Virtue of Chastity

1093. Positively, what is called for is purity of heart, or the virtue of chastity. All Christians
have the vocation to chastity (cf. CCC 2348). Chastity here refers to the wholesome integration
of ones sexuality within ones person. This creates in us an inner harmony and unity of body
and spirit that grounds our integrity as persons and in our self-giving in love (cf. CCC 2337-47).
As St. Paul wrote to his beloved Thessalonians: It is Gods will that you grow in holiness: that
you abstain from immorality, each of you guarding his member in sanctity and honor, not in
passionate desire as do the Gentiles who know not God (1 Thes 4:3-5).

1094. Admittedly, chastity is a difficult virtue, but it surely is not just a series of negative donts
which some pretend it to be. John Paul II wrote:

In the Christian view, chastity by no means signifies rejection of human sexuality or lack of
esteem for it: rather, it signifies spiritual energy capable of defending love from the perils of
selfishness and aggressiveness, and able to advance it towards its full realization (FC 33).

1095. Chastity deals with our external acts but precisely as expressing the inner yearnings of
our heart. At the root, purity of heart is a positive power for authentic human freedom and love,
not a repressive denial of the true value and exercise of our sexuality. This is proclaimed in the
Sixth Beatitude, Blessed are the pure-hearted, for they shall see God (Mt 5:8). The pure of
heart designates those who direct their hearts, bodies and mind toward God, in charity, or purity
of heart (cf. 2 Tim 2:22); in chastity, or purity of body (cf. Col 3:5); and in or-thodoxy, or purity
of faith (cf. 2 Tim 2:26). St. Paul sums this up: what we are aiming at is. . . love that springs
from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith (1 Tim 1:5).

1096. Despite its bad press and reputation today, even among many Christian Filipinos, chastity,
or purity of heart, exercises key functions in the daily, maturing process of following Christ.
Chastity puts order into our sexual drives, much as telling the truth orders our speech. This
means, that it channels our sexual energies toward a positive, affirmative service of love and
fostering of life. Toward that goal, chastity seeks the limits in our behavior within which our
passions can be directed so that they give rise to joy and peace, not pain, guilt and heartbreak.
Thus, purity of heart, demands that we develop a certain self-control to meet the temptations and
challenges presented by community daily life. Such self-control constitutes a good part of what it
means to grow up toward becoming mature, responsible men and women and disciples of Jesus
Christ.

1097. Chastity or purity of heart, then, can be a major, decisive factor in Christian growing
up. The self-control developed by a chaste heart frees us from our selfish self-centeredness, and
opens us to the penetrating realization of our need for others. Whether we fulfill this need
through marriage or a celibate life, does not alter the basic truth: our sexuality clearly tells us we
are incomplete without others. Growing up to being fully a man or woman means learning to
respect and nourish positive attitudes towards others. Thus, St. Paul urged the Galatians: Let us
do good to all men but especially those of the household of the faith (Gal 6:10). If we do not
seek the good of others, we harm the Body of Christ. To respect and nourish relations with others
means being willing to sacrifice our time and selves for them, encouraging them, helping them
when we can.

1098. Growing up to full maturity involves discernment. We learn when to say yes to an
opportunity for positive growth and fuller relationships, and when to say a definite no to the
dark urges playing on our vulnerable weaknesses. Being a mature man or woman involves the
ability to discern true, authentic love from its many counterfeits of infatuation, desire, or simple
lust. Christian purity of heart, strengthened and supported by a fervent sacramental and prayer
life, greatly helps this discernment by its simplicity, its greater clarity of understanding and
firmness of will, and its genuine openness to the other as gift.

B. Education for Chastity

1099. But in order for the value of sexuality to reach its full realization, education for chastity is
absolutely essential, for it is a virtue that develops a persons authentic maturity and makes him
or her capable of respecting and fostering the nuptial meaning of the body. . . . Fruit of the
grace of God and of our cooperation, chastity tends to harmonize the different components of the
human person, and to overcome the frailty of human nature, marked by sin, so that each person
can follow the vocation to which God has called (EGHL 18).

1100. What is of utmost importance in the education and practice of chastity is motivation. This
means taking seriously our imagination, which is the key factor in arousing or controlling the
human sexual drive. It means focusing on the values of our sexuality which ground the moral
norms values such as: personal growth in interpersonal dialogue and the gift of self in love,
creative fecundity and the transmission of human life. Only when such values are appreciated
can personal responsibility in controlling our sexuality be effectively taught.

1101. Teachers are urged in particular not to separate knowledge from cor-responding values,
which give a sense and orientation to biological, psychological and social information.
Consequently, when they present moral norms, it is necessary that they show their raison detre
and value (EGHL 89).

1102. From a specifically Christian perspective, then, we can see that:

affective sex education must relate to the totality of the person and insist on the integration of
the biological, psycho-affective, social and spiritual elements. This integration has become more
difficult because the believer also bears the consequences of sin from the beginning. A true
formation is not limited to informing the intellect, but must pay particular attention to the will, to
feelings and emotions [and to] virtues such as modesty, temperance, respect for self and for
others, openness to ones neighbor (EGHL 35)[cf. CCC 2341; 2521-24].

1103. Especially for the Filipino, this long process of education in chastity ought to be centered
in the family. This is so because chastity is FOR LOVE. It opens out naturally in friendship (cf.
CCC 2347). Now, in our culture the family is the first and most natural setting wherein the
Filipino experiences being loved and loving. John Paul II develops this:
Chastity for both married and single also combats the search for solitary sexual pleasure in
masturbation (cf. CCC 2352). This complex and delicate problem has repercussions on the
integral growth of the person. Masturbation is an abuse of our sexual powers because it lacks the
sexualitys essential relationship which is ordered towards self-giving love and the service of life
according to Gods design. Often it is a result of deficient affective growth, and/or a symptom of
much deeper personal problems.

1112. Thus, while recognizing the objective moral gravity of masturbation, it is most important
to look into its psychological and emotional factors. Attention should be focused more on the
heart of the person rather than on the mechanics of the act. Chastity helps those caught in the
habit of masturbation to look into their hearts and reflect on their values and supposed needs that
cause such acts. For the Christian, the Body of Christ is not promoted by those who turn in on
themselves and hoard one of their most precious God-given gifts instead of sharing it with others
in responsible interpersonal relationships.

1113. Understanding human sexuality correctly includes recognition of heterosexuality as

normative, while respecting the personhood of those with homosexual tendencies (NCDP 287).
Homosexuality represents another grave impediment to the integral sexual growth of a person.
St. Paul condemns both male and female homosexual acts as Gods punishment for idolatry, the
worship of unnatural lust (cf. Rom 1:18-32). But care must be taken to distinguish between a
condition of homosexual orientation, for which the homosexual cannot be held responsible, and
homosexual acts (cf. CCC 2357-59).

1114. Like everyone else, the homosexual is called to chastity. Chastity here rejects homosexual
acts as lacking the essential openness to service of life. But, as with the solitary abuse of
masturbation, while recognizing its grave objective moral disorientation, it is important to seek
the factors impelling the persons homosexuality. Among such conditions one can cite the
absence of supportive parental relationships, false education, lack of normal sexual development,
poor habits and even peer pressure.

1115. Finally, the virtue of chastity and purity of heart stand in direct opposition to prostitution
and pornography (cf. CCC 2354-55). In the Philippine context, both present extreme cases of
exploitation and injustice, foisted on the poor by the affluent. Rather than primarily a problem in
sexual morality, both are too often simply the consequences of dire poverty and destitution. Yet,
both constitute a dehumanizing, self-centered and immoral use of our God-given sexuality.

A prostitute is robbed of his/her dignity as a person by being reduced to a mere means for the
selfish pleasure of the buyer. There is absolutely no commitment, no love, no service of life.

Pornography propagates the sexually obscene and licentious in a dehumanizing and

exploitative manner. By reducing persons to sex objects for illicit pleasure, it substitutes self-
centered, commitment-less Playboy fantasies, for genuine loving interpersonal relationships.
Both prostitution and pornography flourish as parasites on a society that has become morally sick
and sexually confused.
How does the Sixth Commandment protect our sexuality?

You shall not commit adultery prohibits married persons from entering into sexual union
with someone other than their spouse.

In thus protecting the family and marriage, with their two ends of procreation and human
completeness, the Sixth Commandment touches on the very nature of human sexuality and the
full range of man-woman relationships.

How does the Ninth Commandment protect human sexuality?

You shall not covet your neighbors wife goes to the interior root and source of the
disorders of the flesh by prohibiting cov-etousness, or evil desires of the heart. It also rejects the
many effects of this covetousness common in modern sexist consumerist society.

What does the virtue of chastity do?

Chastity

puts order into our use of sexuality;

channels our sexual energies toward the positive service of love;

seeks the proper limits within which our passions can be reasonably directed toward authentic
joy and peace; and

demands that we develop the needed self-control for married as well as single persons.

1130. What does growing up to maturity mean?

Growing up toward authentic integration of our sexuality entails:

freeing ourselves from our own natural self- centeredness, to realize our intrinsic need for
others;

learning to respect and nourish positive attitudes towards others, and

discerning when to say No, and the difference between true authentic love and its many
counterfeit imitations.

1131. What does education for chastity involve?

Education for chastity involves:

 developing a strong motivation through positive focus on the authentic values of our
sexuality;

the importance of our imagination, and the family context, and

the integration of the biological, affective, social and spiritual elements of sexuality.

What is the Churchs position on masturbation, homosexuality, pornography and prostitution?

Chastity for married and single alike fosters integral sexual growth of the person. Both
masturbation and homosexuality hinder achieving such sexual maturity by turning away from the
self-giving love and service to life that is the nature of human sexuality from the Christian view.

Likewise, pornography and prostitution dehumanize and exploit human persons, robbing
them of their true dignity by reducing them to sex-objects. Neither offers any authentic
commitment, love, or service of life.