53                    TRUE

The Church's moral code is immutable, and what was yesterday vanity or near occasion of scandal or sin is still so today and will be tomorrow. That is why the Church will never approve of modern dances, public or mixed swimming pools, co-ed sports, public women's games or sports, etc., and she will always praise those persons who refrain from make-up and from everything that betokens vanity and worldliness.

FALSE

It is normal for traditional religious associations such as Marian Congregations, Pious Associations of Mary's Children, etc., to advise their members against the use of make-up, attending dances, mixed picnics, etc. On the contrary, Catholic Action, formed according to the latest moral positions of the Church, must authorize, promote, and encourage these attitudes which make its members fit into the world in which we live and thus capable of carrying out works of the apostolate.

Explanation: The refuted sentence would be logical if it admitted the supposition of a new moral code in the Church, freer and more convenient, which would be introduced by Catholic Action. On the contrary, it is only right and fitting that this organization, which has received so many honorable encouragements and blessings from the Sovereign Pontiffs, hold itself entirely in agreement with the practice of the most rigorous principles of Christian modesty. There is no other meaning that can be given to the various allocutions made by the Sovereign Pontiff to the Young Women's Catholic Youth Organization.⁶

As for dances, in the encyclical Ubi Arcano Dei, Pope Pius XI said: "We lament, too, the destruction of purity among women and young girls as is evidenced by the increasing immodesty of their dress and conversation and by their participation in shameful dances...."⁷ Even earlier, Benedict XV deplored the indecency of women's clothing and the lack of modesty and reserve in dances. After deploring "the blindness of so many women" and "the indecency of their clothing," he adds, concerning the dances: "And We speak not of those exotic and barbarous dances recently imported into fashionable circles, one more shocking than the other; one cannot imagine anything more suitable for banishing all the remains of modesty."⁸

As regards public girls' and women's sporting events, the Sacred Congregation of the Council published an instruction in the following terms: "Let fathers keep their daughters away from public gymnastic games and contests; but if their daughters are compelled to attend such exhibitions, let them see that they are fully and modestly dressed. Let them never permit their daughters to don immodest garb."⁹ The Holy Father spoke in the same vein when speaking to doctors and physical education professors on November 8, 1952.¹⁰

54                    TRUE

The human body was created by God and, as every being, is good in itself. But since original sin, it is disordered by concupiscence. For this reason it is necessary to cover the body to keep it from being an occasion of sin.

FALSE

The wearing of low-cut garments, knit shirts, and other styles of clothing which leave the body exposed should not be forbidden, for the body is good in itself, and was created by God and should not be concealed.

Explanation: The refuted sentence derives from a fundamentally anti-Catholic naturalism.

55                        TRUE

Christian obedience consists in respect for all orders emanating from legitimate superiors as long as they do not command sin. It is not right for subjects to disobey an order simply because they do not deem it prudent.

FALSE

One must not blame persons who approach the rail to receive Communion wearing make-up, low-cut bodices or short sleeves, or without stockings. It would be uncharitable to refuse them the sacraments because they have acted without malice, and otherwise they might stop going to church altogether. Moreover, to see evil in such things is equivalent to blaming God Himself, the Creator of the human body.

Explanation: The human body is good in itself as is every creature of God. The reason man must not expose it comes from the unleashing of the instincts, a consequence of original sin, not from the human body as God created it. That is why the Church recommends modesty in dress.

The sense of shame cause by the immodest display of the human body cannot be called malice, but modesty. For the notion of the difference between good and evil is not a defect, but, on the contrary, the foundation of all the virtues. Consequently, to reprimand persons who dress immodestly is to awaken in them the sense of virtue, not vice. That is why the Church's legislation obliges priests to refuse the sacraments to persons who present themselves immodestly.⁶

The fallacious sentence considers the problem as if humanity were not in the state of fallen nature. Moreover, it denies the existence of an objective good and evil. In our concrete case, evil would not be found in an objective fact, the immodesty of dress, nor in the transgression of the precept which forbids immoral dress, but rather in the subjective state of mind of the one who sees nudity as being immoral.

A concrete application will show to what point such a view is opposed to the true mind of the Church. The saints have always distinguished themselves by their acuteness in perceiving and rejecting all that would oppose, ever so remotely, the angelic virtue. According to the erroneous sentence, that would be the quintessence of malice whereas the Church sees in it the quintessence of modesty. Regarding feminine vanity, see the precious recommendations of St. Paul and St. Peter, as well as those of Isaias.⁷

56                       TRUE

It is illicit to put oneself in a proximate occasion of sin under the pretext of apostolate. Since the carnival festivities constitute a proximate occasion of sin, the faithful must abstain from them.

FALSE

It is fitting that the members of Catholic Action participate in the carnival festivities for apostolic reasons. That is why spiritual retreats which separate the members of Catholic Action from the world should not take place during carnival days.

Explanation: Brazil's carnival is notorious in the whole world for its accompanying immoralities, and everything suggests that it is getting worse. Were the faithful to participate in these immoral amusements, this would constitute, not only a danger for their soul, but also a grave scandal for their neighbor. On the contrary, to isolate oneself in recollection and prayer during these three days edifies and is in itself an excellent apostolate.

The erroneous proposition seems to ignore the existence of the proximate occasion of sin, at least for the one who pretends to do apostolic work. Regarding the loosening of morals, see the following proposition condemned by Innocent XI: " It is permitted to seek directly the proximate occasion for sinning for a spiritual or temporal good of our own or of a neighbor. The proximate occasion for sinning is not to be shunned when some useful and honorable cause for not shunning it occurs."⁸

57                       TRUE

It is licit to accept the alms of public sinners. But it is scandalous to admit them into the committees established to collect donations for pious works, because this would give them a prominent place in Christian society.

FALSE

Divorced persons who remarry can be allowed to participate publicly in fundraising drives for spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Explanation: The refuted sentence implicitly denies the moral unity of man, since it seems to distinguish within the same person two aspects entirely separate from each other: on the one hand, in domestic life, the blameworthy public sinner, and, on the other hand, in public or social life, the honorable politician, businessman, or "philanthropist." And the Church would be turning a blind eye to one aspect of his life while recommending the other. This way of considering man's behavior is erroneous, as Our commentary in proposition 50 shows.

58                      TRUE

Although all honest acts accomplished with a right intention are meritorious before God, sexual relations, in the present historical order of fallen nature, are in such a way tied to disordered concupiscence that they cannot constitute an object likely to awaken or elevate piety.

FALSE

Since the sexual union is an image of the relations of the intimate life of the Blessed Trinity, it is reasonable to use erotic themes to awaken piety.

Explanation: The sensually mystic literature is one of the plagues of our time. Pius XII gave repeated warnings on the matter. During the previous pontificate, the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office took a special measure against such writings in its Instruction of May 3, 1927.⁹ One of the serious shortcomings of this literature is that it lends itself to the use of expressions that lead to pantheistic mysticism. Claiming to nourish piety with sensually mystic considerations runs counter to the Church's tradition, which has always striven to inculcate in all the faithful the spirit of purity, which prepares man for his future life where "they will neither marry nor be married."¹⁰

As an argument in favor of such literature, some have blasphemously cited the Canticle of Canticles. The Church, the only authentic interpreter of Sacred Scripture, has always condemned the erotic interpretation of these poems. What is certain is that the phraseology does not allude to man's carnal life. However, because the loving union of the soul with God is described in a rather vivid way, its reading was allowed among the Jews only after the age of thirty. Such is the prudence which is demanded by this subject.

59                      TRUE

In the formation of adolescents with a view to marriage, one must take into account the baneful consequences of original sin which make this subject especially dangerous at this age. That is why one must underline the importance of supernatural means, and always avoid giving this education an improper publicity contrary to the reserve demanded by such questions.

FALSE

The formation of adolescents for marriage must be modern. It should occur in large groups, with a lively, realistic, lighthearted, and even amusing presentation. The arguments should be based on nature. It is necessary not to attack sentimentality, but rather to show sympathy towards it.

Explanation: In his allocution to fathers of families of Sept. 18, 1951, Pius XII condemns the way in which many Catholic writers treat this question without the discretion it requires, and he recommends the same precautions prescribed by Pius XI in the encyclical Divini Illius Magistri.¹¹ It has been completed by the reply of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office regarding sex education and initiation. We judge it useful to transcribe here these recommendations:

In the education of youth the method to be followed is that hitherto observed by the Church and the Saints as recommended by His Holiness the Pope in the encyclical dealing with the Christian education of youth, promulgated on December 31, 1929. The first place is to be given to the full, sound and continuous instruction in religion of both sexes. Esteem, desire and love of the angelic virtue must be instilled into their minds and hearts. They must be made fully alive to the necessity of constant prayer, and assiduous frequenting of the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist; they must be directed to foster a filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin as Mother of holy purity, to whose protection they must entirely commit themselves. Precautions must be taken to see that they avoid dangerous reading, indecent shows, conversations of the wicked, and all other occasions of sin.¹²

After giving this advice to indicate how sexual education must be conducted, the Sacred Congregation censured those books which promote the new method of education, including those written by Catholics. The fact that this determination of the Holy See has been forgotten, as it had been done by the Jansenists, can be seen by the singularly energetic way in which Pius XII refers to those Catholic authors in the aforesaid allocution.

60                      TRUE

As regards the choice of a state of life, the educator's role is: 1) to instruct and help the students so as to enable them to make a choice in conformity with God's will; 2) to keep the ambiance at the school from impeding vocations which require greater generosity, like the priesthood and the religious life. Consequently, one must energetically combat romantic involvements that are premature or not aimed at marriage, because this is pure sensuality, contrary to both the priestly and the religious vocations and to Christian preparation for marriage.

FALSE

By a design of Divine Providence, most people are destined to live in the married state. School girls who flirt are just following their natural course and should not be prevented from doing so.

Explanation: Although as a rule men lean towards the married state, it is necessary to consider the personal vocation of each student. The inexact sentence seems to consider the school atmosphere as destined to prepare all students for marriage, without taking into consideration the special vocation to the priesthood or the religious life.

Moreover, it is ambiguous because it does not distinguish between the flirting which aims at a proximate marriage and that which is done out of simple carnal pleasure. It does not distinguish either between precocious flirting and that which is done at the appropriate age. Such an ambiguity is especially dangerous since the word "flirting" admits varied interpretations.

Finally, the refuted sentence ignores original sin by pretending that all that is natural is good in itself. Such a proposition can be admitted only if one denies original sin. Because of all its ambiguities and falsities, the sentence refuted is a stimulant to sensuality and to lack of discipline in the school.