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GENERAL AUDIENCE OF WEDNESDAY, 24 OCTOBER 1984
At the general audience of Wednesday, 24 October, Pope John Paul II
resumed his series of reflections based on "Humanae Vitae", taking up
the subject of the virtue of continence. Following is our translation of the
Holy Father's address.
1. In keeping with what has already been said, today we will take up the
analysis of the virtue of continence.
Continence, which is part of the more general virtue of temperance.
Continence consists in the capacity to dominate, control and direct drives of
a sexual character (concupiscence of the flesh) and their consequences, in
the psychosomatic subjectivity of man. Insofar as it is a constant disposition
of the will, this capacity, merits being called a virtue.
We know from the previous analyses that concupiscence of the flesh, and the
corresponding desire of a sexual character aroused by it, is expressed with a
specific impulse in the sphere of somatic reaction and also with a
psycho-emotive excitement of the sensual impulse.
The personal subject, in order to succeed in mastering this impulse and
excitement, must be committed to a progressive education in self-control of the
will, feelings and emotions. This education must develop beginning with the most
simple acts in which it is relatively easy to put the interior decision into
practice. As is obvious, this presupposes the clear perception of the values
expressed in the law and the consequent formation of firm convictions. If
accompanied by the respective disposition of the will, these convictions
give rise to the corresponding virtue. This is precisely the virtue of
continence (self-mastery). This virtue is seen to be the fundamental condition
for the reciprocal language of the body to remain in the truth and for the
couple to "defer to one another out of reverence for Christ,"
according to the words of Scripture (Eph 5:21). This "deferring to one
another" means the common concern for the truth of the language of the
body; rather, deferring "out of reverence for Christ" indicates
the gift of the fear of God (a gift of the Holy Spirit) which accompanies the
virtue of continence.
2. This is very important for an adequate understanding of the virtue of
continence and especially of the so-called "periodic continence" dealt
with in the Encyclical Humanae Vitae. The conviction that the virtue
of continence is set against the concupiscence of the flesh is correct, but
it is not altogether complete. It is not complete especially when we take into
account the fact that this virtue does not appear and does not act abstractly
and therefore in isolation. But it always appears and acts in connection with
the other virtues (nexus virtutum), and therefore in connection with
prudence, justice, fortitude and above all with charity.
In the light of these considerations it is easy to understand that continence is
not limited to offering resistance to the concupiscence of the flesh. But
through this resistance it is open likewise to those values, more profound
and more mature, inherent in the spousal significance of the body in its
femininity and masculinity, as well as in the authentic freedom of the gift in
the reciprocal relations of the persons. Concupiscence of the flesh itself,
insofar as it seeks above all carnal and sensual satisfaction, makes man in a
certain sense blind and insensitive to the most profound values that spring from
love and which at the same time constitute love in the interior truth that is
proper to it.
Linked to power of love
3. In this way also the essential character of conjugal chastity is
manifested in its organic link with the power of love, which is poured out into
the hearts of the married couple along with the consecration of the sacrament of
marriage. In addition, it becomes evident that the call directed to the couple
that they "defer to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph
5:21) seems to open that interior space in which both become ever more
sensitive to the most profound and most mature values that are connected
with the spousal significance of the body and with the true freedom of the gift.
Conjugal chastity (and chastity in general) is manifested at first as the
capacity to resist the concupiscence of the flesh. It later gradually reveals
itself as a singular capacity to perceive, love and practice those
meanings of the language of the body which remain altogether unknown to
concupiscence itself. Those meanings progressively enrich the marital dialogue
of the couple, purifying it, deepening it, and at the same time simplifying it.
Therefore, that asceticism of continence, which the encyclical speaks of (cf. HV
21), does not impoverish affective manifestations. But rather it makes
them spiritually more intense and therefore enriches them.
No contradiction
4. Analyzing continence in this way, in the dynamics proper to this virtue
(anthropological, ethical and theological), we see that that apparent
contradiction disappears, which is often an objection to the Encyclical Humanae Vitae and to the doctrine of the Church on conjugal morality. That is, there
would be a contradiction (according to those who offer this objection) between
the two meanings of the conjugal act, the unitive meaning and the procreative
meaning (cf. HV 12), so that if it were not licit to separate them, the couple
would be deprived of the right to conjugal union when they could not responsibly
be permitted to procreate.
The Encyclical Humanae Vitae gives an answer to this apparent
contradiction, if one studies it in depth. Pope Paul VI confirms that there is
no contradiction but only a difficulty connected with the whole interior
situation of the "man of concupiscence." Rather, precisely by reason
of this difficulty, there is assigned to the interior and ascetical
commitment of the couple the true order of conjugal life. In view of this
order, they become "strengthened and, one might say, consecrated" (HV
25) by the Sacrament of Marriage.
Adequate meaning
5. That order of conjugal life means in addition the subjective harmony
between responsible parenthood and personal communion, a harmony created by
conjugal chastity. The interior fruits of continence mature in it. Through this
interior maturing, the conjugal act itself acquires the importance and
dignity proper to it in its potentially procreative meaning. At the same time,
all the affective manifestations acquire an adequate meaning (cf. HV 21). They
serve to express the personal communion of the couple in proportion to the
subjective richness of femininity and masculinity.
Particular affection
6. In keeping with experience and tradition, the encyclical reveals that the
conjugal act is also a "manifestation of affection" (HV 16). But it is
a "manifestation of particular affection" because at the
same time it has a potentially procreative meaning. As a result, it is
oriented to express personal union, but not only that. At the same time
the encyclical indicates, although indirectly, many manifestations of affection,
effective exclusively to express the personal union of the couple.
The role of conjugal chastity, and still more precisely that of continence, lies
not only in protecting the importance and dignity of the conjugal act in
relation to its procreative meaning, but also in safeguarding the
importance and the dignity proper to the conjugal act as expressive of
interpersonal union, revealing to the awareness and the experience of the couple
all the other possible manifestations of affection that can express this
profound communion of theirs.
It is indeed a matter of not doing harm to the communion of the couple in
the case where for just reasons they should abstain from the conjugal act. Still
more, this communion, continually being built up, day by day, through suitable
affective manifestations, may constitute a vast terrain on which, under
suitable conditions, the decision for a morally right conjugal act matures.
Taken from: L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO - English Edition -- Reprinted with Permission -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana - The Holy See