St. Mary Parish at 212 W. Hanover, Marshall , MI 49068 US - From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

(Pages 564-565, SECTIONS #2348 - #2354)

The various forms of chastity

2348 All the baptized are called to chastity. The Christian has "put on Christ,"¹³⁴ the model for all chastity. All Christ's faithful are called to lead a chaste life in keeping with their particular states of life. …

2349 "… Married people are called to live conjugal chastity; others practice chastity in continence …

2350 Those who are engaged to marry are called to live chastity in continence. They should see in this time of testing a discovery of mutual respect, an apprenticeship in fidelity, and the hope of receiving one another from God. They should reserve for marriage the expressions of affection that belong to married love. They will help each other grow in chastity.

(NOTE: Cohabitation –living to together before marriage – is a violation of the virtue of chastity and is seriously sinful.   It’s acceptance by many Catholics and society in general does not change that fact.)

Offenses against chastity

2351 Lust is 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.

2353 Fornication is carnal (sexual) 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.

2354 Pornography … 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 … since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It is a grave offense.