Opera Omnia

HEADING IX
PERFECT CONTINENCE - CELIBACY - MARRIAGE
Perfect continence

From Frassinetti, I transcribe some sentences: The priest shall not be satisfied with preaching frequently and warmly against the woeful of vices: dishonesty. It shall be more convenient that he does not forget the most beautiful among the virtues and does tell the people his praises, so that they might love and practice it and that many creatures be happy about it. It is the virtue of virginity and perfect continence, of which, because of a very serious prejudice, most rarely are their preciousness and merit emphasized.¹ This prejudice says that this is a virtue difficult to keep, that should not be embraced by anyone, without a special vocation from God: and that it is proper only for priests, friars, nuns... It is believed that it goes beyond the strength of ordinary people... as it happens with mystical theology and arcane and divine communications... (Manuale del parroco novello = Manual of the new parish priest).² He proceeds with proving that such a prejudice is contrary to the Sacred Scriptures and particularly to the teachings of St. Paul;³ it is contrary to the teachings of the Fathers; it is contrary to the practice of the Church. Hence, with an eloquent statistics he proves the absurdity

of such prejudice so that: in fact, with due abstraction done as regards those under the twelve and⁴ fourteen years of age, such a virtue ought to be professed by at least half of mankind. More so since obliged to it are: all young persons from twelve-fourteen years of age until the time of marriage: a number that grows every day,⁵ in spite of the lack of love for this beautiful virtue of celibates, voluntary or forced: the widowers: so many single ladies. Now a virtue, of which, in fact not a great number of persons cannot be dispensed; on the other hand, so many persons in the world find themselves obliged to it under the pain of serious sin and amidst so many seductions: could this virtue be so difficult to observe without a particular vocation from God? Is it a virtue proper only to priests, monks and nuns? ... Could a virtue, which is observed by only a few chosen persons, be required from all?...
Two effects would a more frequent preaching on perfect continence: that those who cannot, or who shall not get married, making a virtue out of necessity, may willingly and meritoriously keep it: that the number of those who embrace it willingly might increase. More so because it is among them that the Lord chooses priests, missionaries, religious, so many pious ladies in the world who zeal for God's honor, who consecrate their own energies and material things for the good

of the Church. It is as much beneficial that the love for perfect continence is extended among unmarried women, called by Providence these times to a quasi-priesthood and to a true apostolate unknown to the past centuries. It is the apostolate of thousands of sisters who are spreading everywhere: it is the apostolate of so many single ladies, who in almost every nation, spread the perfume of their virtue and often become a true help and strength for the priest.
The confessional, allowing persons to go to more details, more than does the pulpit, thus encouraging greater intimacy, and enveloped by an aura of spirituality, turns out even better in infusing love for this virtue, beautiful among virtues. With sobriety and prudence, the confessor can describe it in its most attractive forms: he could give the preventive and medicinal means for it; he could forewarn as regards dangers. His voice shall have the sound of authority of Jesus Christ himself; it shall be accepted, through the special dispositions that the penitent bears; it shall be more convenient for the state of soul and for the particular circumstances of each one's life.

Christian Celibacy and Marriage

Christian celibacy, voluntary or imposed by particular circumstances and personal defects, is a condition, a state of virtue. But there is a celibacy that could be called pagan, chosen only for the purpose of a greater freedom in giving an outlet to the more brutal

passions, without one having to bear the burden of a family. It is a real social plague, an immeasurable evil for souls! It is inspired by the most shameless doctrine that today, having crossed the Alps, have spread also among us: it is nourished by a boundless and nauseating thirst for pleasures.
What of St. Paul's words: Melius est nubere quam uri?...⁶ One should say that: Animalis homo non percipit quae sunt spiritus Dei!⁷ Now, before the young lady reaches that state of using her reasoning in order to be more libidinous than the animals, it behooves to prevent her and make her fall in love with the virtue of continence. And this is more urgent after the fact that, for some time now, also among the weaker gender such a doctrine is becoming more widespread, what, one day, was gaining ground only among men. Having kept one's heart innocent, or at least, not yet extinguishing the love for this beautiful virtue, the young woman shall come to understand and listen to the words of St. Paul as the confessor shall believe to tell her: Melius est nubere quam uri.⁸
When, then, can the confessor advice celibacy to persons who intend to live in the world? It is not the case of repeating here what is explained by authors of pastoral and moral theology: when there are certain physical defects, when there are certain sicknesses, when there are no necessary means of