The Catholic Church Against Pornography: Encroachment on Chastity

The Catholic Church has many concerns with the world of pornography. In studying the influence of pornography, the Catholic Church tends to discuss the definition of pornography, what the concerns the Catholic Church has with it, the impact it has and how we can help those who struggle with pornography addiction.

As stated, “Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public) since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world.” Manufacturing or using pornography is gravely wrong.

This grave sin requires the Lord’s forgiveness and it should be confessed through the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. It damages oneself, relationships, society, and the Body of Christ needs healing. Pornography is always wrong and it can be never justified. It does not just exist as visual photos (it can be real or artificial or computer-generated), but it can also be in the form of literature or audio forms. Examples include erotic literature, conversations on the phone, social media, and videos online. Pornography is sometimes classified as “soft” or “hard-core” pornography. This is a synthetic divide because all forms of pornography are wrong. Although the effects on a person may differ due to the intensity of the content, pornography is not art. Pornography can and will abbreviate a person’s moral accountability.

The Catholic Church has many concerns about the world of pornography. Pornography is a grave offense against chastity and human dignity. Pleasure and sexual intimacy that comes from it are blessings from God that should stay personal, private, and enjoyed between the sacred bond of marriage. This type of intimacy should not be put on display, as Jesus once said through His teaching, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. Pornography dehumanizes the people involved and makes them into objects of use.

Pornography is also linked to other sins. The use of pornographic material is usually connected to sins like masturbation. “By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure.” Masturbation seeks sexual pleasure outside of the mutuality of self-giving to one’s spouse in marriage, which is against chastity. Engaging in acts of masturbation will have neurological effects that will eventually turn into highly addictive behavior.

Every person involved in pornography is someone’s daughter or son. This ruins their image as they are used for others’ pleasure. Pornography has ties to sex trafficking and exploitation. The majority of victims are children and women that were driven into prostitution. All actors involved in pornographic films face the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are consequences that come from the culture of pornography. By interacting with pornographic material, men and women start to view other human beings as sexual objects, rather than individuals who deserve to be cherished and respected. Specifically, women may begin to present oneself as sexual objects, dress, or act in a sexual matter. At a young age, women can even pursue an idealized falsified version of female beauty standards that can lead to the degradation of their bodies; for example, an eating disorder. The majority of pornographic material is abusive, and if for example when men view pornography, they are more likely to sexually exploit a girlfriend or wife.