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The Permissibility of Sexual Stimulation Outside the Conjugal Act Between Spouses: A Response to Ronald Conte
In response to Catholic blogger Ronald Conte’s claim that all sexual stimulation outside penetrative intercourse is gravely sinful, this article examines the teaching of St. Alphonsus Liguori and the broader Catholic moral tradition. It explains why incomplete sexual acts and marital foreplay between spouses have historically been treated far less restrictively than Conte suggests.
Can Spouses Sexually Stimulate Themselves to Prepare for the Marriage Act?
Can Catholic spouses engage in self-stimulation as preparation for the marital act? Drawing on the Catechism and the traditional consensus of Catholic moral theologians, this article explains why self-stimulation ordered toward conjugal relations with one’s spouse is not considered masturbation in the morally condemned sense.
Top Theologian Who Helped Paul VI Write Humanae Vitae Defends the Role of Pleasure in Marital Sexuality
Is it sinful for Catholic spouses to engage in marital intimacy simply for pleasure? In this excerpt, renowned moral theologian Fr. John C. Ford, S.J., examines the traditional Catholic concern with acting ob solam voluptatem (“for pleasure alone”) and explains why, in light of various papal decrees, seeking sexual pleasure within rightly ordered marital intimacy need not be sinful or contrary to the purposes of marriage.
Catholic Teaching On Sexual Pleasure in Marriage: Excerpts From Amoris Laetitia
In Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis shares many beautiful insights about the goodness of sexual pleasure within the marital act, which are combined with appropriate warnings against seeking only pleasure to the exclusion of love and all other honorable ends, and in sharing these insights, contributes to an overall positive view of the Magisterium of sexual pleasure in the marital act and in marriage.
Open Floor! Ask Your Catholic Sexual Morality Questions! We Will Answer!
Every so often we like to open the floor to your questions!
Have a question about Catholic sexual morality? Ask anything from challenging marital intimacy questions to moral questions about NFP, or even about chaste dating. All questions will receive a thoughtful, faithful reply.
NFP is Not Contraception
In this article, Theo McManigal discusses the difference between natural family planning and contraception, and why they are morally different.
What a Renowned Catholic Moral Theologian Taught About Amplexus Reservatus, or Incomplete, Non-Orgasmic Sexual Intercourse
As part of our ongoing release of excerpts from renowned Catholic moral theologians, we turn here to Fr. John J. Lynch, S.J., and his treatment of the morality of amplexus reservatus (or, incomplete sexual intercourse where orgasm is deliberately withheld from both parties) within marriage. Drawing on traditional principles governing incomplete conjugal acts, Lynch explains why many respected theologians regarded the practice as morally licit under certain conditions. The full compendium of these classical moral theology texts is available to our Patreon members.
Should Catholic Husbands Worry About Pre-Ejaculate During Foreplay? Is it Sinful?
Catholic spouses may wonder whether pre-ejaculatory fluid during foreplay is sinful. Classical Catholic moral theologians addressed this question directly, distinguishing harmless distillation from pollution and offering clear guidance for married couples struggling with scrupulosity.
Did St. Thomas Aquinas Teach Against Oral Stimulation in the Summa Theologiae? Taking a Closer Look
Was St. Thomas Aquinas actually opposed to oral stimulation within marriage? This article examines what St. Thomas truly taught about marital intimacy, the “natural manner of copulation,” and whether his writings can legitimately be cited to condemn oral stimulation between spouses.
Answering a Reader’s Questions about Anal Stimulation, Sexting, and Sexy Photos/Videos Within Marriage
Some of the questions you as our readers ask are so valuable that we would like to take the opportunity to broaden the audience for their answers. In this article, we are answering a reader’s questions about anal stimulation, sexting, and the exchange of sexy photos and videos within marriage.
A Reflection on Natural Family Planning Awareness Week by Fr. Thomas Loya, M.A., S.T.B.
The following reflection was written by Fr. Thomas Loya, a Byzantine Catholic priest who is the pastor of Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Parish in Homer Glen, Illinois, and the Director of Pro Life and Marriage and Family Ministry for the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma. He is also the pastor of the parish attended by Theo McManigal, our social media manager. The following reflection was shared in the parish bulletin and the weekly eparchial newsletter and is reprinted here with Fr. Loya’s permission.
Open Floor! Ask Your Catholic Sexual Morality Questions Here!
Every so often we like to open the floor to your questions!
Have a question about Catholic sexual morality? Ask anything from challenging marital intimacy questions to moral questions about NFP, or even about chaste dating. All questions will receive a thoughtful, faithful reply.
Am I Using My Spouse for Pleasure?
What does it really mean to “use” your spouse as a means to an end during sex? This article brings John Paul II’s personalistic language into conversation with traditional Catholic moral theology to clarify when the pursuit of sexual pleasure remains within conjugal love—and when it risks reducing a spouse to an instrument.
Must Couples Intend to Conceive Each Time They Have Intercourse?
Must Catholic married couples intend to conceive every time they have sex? This article examines recent magisterial teaching on procreation, conjugal love, and why openness to life does not require an explicit intention to achieve pregnancy in every marital act.
Why Should You Trust Our Apostolate on Catholic Sexual Ethics?
With conflicting Catholic voices offering competing views on sexual morality within marriage, finding a trustworthy source can be difficult. This article explains how our Apostolate grounds its guidance in Church teaching, rigorous moral theology, and the wisdom of trusted Catholic moralists.
Can an Orgasm Outside of Sex Be Permitted if the Other Spouse Asks?
Can a Catholic spouse ever permit an unintended orgasm outside of sex when the other spouse asks for sexual affection? This article examines a difficult question in marital chastity, the principle of double effect, and why Catholic moral theology distinguishes between deliberately procuring orgasm and tolerating an unintended one for a proportionately serious reason.
The Moral Significance of Aftercare after Sex
Aftercare after sex is more than emotional intimacy; it can carry serious moral weight in marriage. This article explains how tenderness after the marital act helps safeguard spouses from treating one another as mere sources of pleasure, a disposition that can risk grave sin.
Can Catholic Spouses Try Different Sex Positions Other than Missionary?
Few questions about Catholic teaching on marriage are surrounded by as many jokes, rumors, and half-remembered medieval claims as the morality of sexual positions. Is missionary position uniquely “approved,” or can married couples licitly choose other forms of intercourse? This article provides an answer!
Another Renowned Moral Theologian on Sexual Acts Outside Intercourse
Periodically, we plan on dropping excerpts from highly esteemed traditional moral theologians on questions pertaining to marital chastity and sexual morality. Many of these are taken from our Compendium which you can access here. Today’s excerpt is from renowned moral theologian Benedict Merkelbach, O.P.
Can a Catholic Wife Pursue Breast Augmentation in Marriage?
A Catholic look at the morality of breast augmentation, weighing intention, medical need, beauty, marriage, modesty, and chastity through the lens of Catholic moral theology.