Is masturbation ALWAYS considered a mortal sin?

[OraLabora]

Unless you’re unconscious (= not freely consenting), being forced to against your will, by someone else (= not freely consenting), or “didn’t know” (now erased), yes, it is always a mortal sin.

No, the Church does not teach what you said:

For the Nth time:

2352 By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. “Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action.” “The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.” For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of “the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved.”
To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety, or other psychological or social factors that lessen or even extenuate moral culpability.

(source: Catechism of the Catholic Church, emphasis is mine).

If in doubt, indeed take it to confession. In fact always take it to confession. That’s where you’ll understand your true moral culpability, not from the opinions of posters on an anonymous forum. And regardless of your moral culpability, at confession you’ll receive absolution whether you were mortally sinning or not.

 

[Elizabeth502]

No, the Church does not teach what you said

It most certainly does. I don’t need you to quote again the CCC to me. Nor to talk down to me. I’m clear on my facts. I’m dealing with these facts, presented by the OP, not the theoreticals in the CCC.

Given what the OP said, it is definitely, every time, a sin, unless the doer is unconscious, forced, or unknowing – which now he is not. Case over. I’m not talking about what happened prior to his knowledge, or whether he was in a half-knowing/suspecting state, whatever. Only the priest in confession can counsel on that. Going forward, he knows now.

Not an opinion. A fact of moral theology, given the circumstances and activities described.

Don’t need a lecture from you.

 

[OraLabora]

It most certainly does. I don’t need you to quote again the CCC to me. Nor to talk down to me. I’m clear on my facts. I’m dealing with these facts, presented by the OP, not the theoreticals in the CCC.

Given what the OP said, it is definitely, every time, a sin, unless the doer is unconscious, forced, or unknowing – which now he is not. Case over. I’m not talking about what happened prior to his knowledge, or whether he was in a half-knowing/suspecting state, whatever. Only the priest in confession can counsel on that. Going forward, he knows now.

Not an opinion. A fact of moral theology, given the circumstances and activities described.

Don’t need a lecture from you.

Nor I from you.

By what authority do you teach, and thumb your nose at the CCC, if I may ask?

 

[Patrick_Ambrose]

Please, to all on this thread (and beyond), put your focus on Christ. All these things that are being stated are doing nothing more than displaying how far we, as a society, have let our focus go from Christ. If one is in a serious relationship (and I’ve had my share before marriage), there’s NEVER a need for sexual expression if you truly care for one another because your focus is on the other and their complete and true well being. And, in that case, the subject becomes mute and the true love experienced between a man and a woman can grow in the ways it needs to for a successful marriage (if that’s the end result). And, if it didn’t come to marriage, at least, there is one less element of confusion for either person. Those who have experience before marriage and are married will have one more element of confusion to get through (believe it or not - especially after having children).

When speaking of masturbation, it’s a habit forming action that puts us in a very gravely serious place we don’t want to be, plain and simple; and it does relate to our sexuality as a whole (whether you believe it or not).

This is NOT a judgment on anyone! These are things that I have seen over and over again. The only thing we can do, is live our lives for Christ and it is amazing the change He will bring upon all of us.

Finally, to all those who have decided to use this subject for jokes, please, let it go and find another source for your entertainment. What you are doing seems innocent enough but the effects are real.

 

[Shine67]

If you are experiencing pain. . There is something that needs to be done. Like going to see a doctor.

Been there done that. I think I need to find a Catholic doctor because the two I have seen about this (both Christian, one practicing) suggest masterbation :crying:

I saw them about 5 years apart - one before I was baptized Catholic and one after, both because I was trying to give up masturbation and found my perineum got really sore after 4-5 days. They examined me thoroughly and both came to the same conclusion that my prostate was swollen and recommended that if I didn’t naturally ejaculate through wet dreams I should masturbate!

Does this mean I get a pass because I have a doctors note?

That’s just a joke - I want to give it up for all the other reasons given in this thread so far.

BTW, I am married but my wife’s SD has been near non-existent (maybe once a month) since our last child was born 12 years ago. She has in the past masturbated me for relief (in the spirit of 1st Cor 7) but that’s still a sin. We tried the “reverse withdrawal” method to make it “open to life” but she found it completely “weird and nauseating” and can’t bring herself to do it again.

 

[Bookcat]

It is always a grave matter (a mortal/grave sin objectively)

Though not always a mortal sin…subjectively.

But one should not presume that such is the case in their case…

(so confess it…and it one has doubt…as to if one committed a mortal sin thus…tell the priest that there is doubt of course)

 

[Elizabeth502]

By what authority do you teach, and thumb your nose at the CCC, if I may ask?

Well, unlike you , it appears that I am actually “teaching” (transmitting) exactly what the CCC says, and nothing else, in the context of the OP’s words, not in the context of a hypothetical different case. It’s this case we’re discussing, not generally, possibly, other cases. The CCC section covers additional cases which may change the nature of the habit, not this case, as communicated by the OP.
Have a nice day.

 

[Elizabeth502]

By what authority do you teach, and thumb your nose at the CCC, if I may ask?

The “authority” is the CCC, , not you, nor I. I am doing the opposite of thumbing my nose. I am applying the CCC precisely to the OP’s situation. The CCC generalizes to include other possible situations, which in this case, seemingly according to the OP, would not be relevant.

If the conditions I listed above were not in play, then it was a sin, it is mortal, and the CCC does not waiver on that. This is not rocket science, not something obscure.

Have a nice day anyway.

 

[shinytoy]

i confessed doing this and the priest didnt think it was gravely sinful, only unhelpful and it was more useful to pray or read or do something else.

doesnt everyone m@struabte?

also…for those of us who are unmarried. if you stay celibate and dont rub one out AT ALL, and you dont get married until you are like 35, surely your bits will be so disused you wont like sex anymore? how would you last that long? i ve preserved my viginity for my husband with the help of five vibrators. without regular serviceing i couldtnt manage and wold definately shag a hottie.

i think most people on here are married so they arent celibate.
how many people on this thread are single and celibate and under 40? and of those people how many honestly say they NEVER fiddle the diddle? exactly. i suggest most of the hypocrites on this thread take a long hard look at themselves.

 

[Elizabeth502]

doesnt everyone m@struabte?

i think most people on here are married so they arent celibate.
how many people on this thread are single and celibate and under 40? and of those people how many honestly say they NEVER fiddle the diddle? exactly. i suggest most of the hypocrites on this thread take a long hard look at themselves.

Not one person here is even implying that. How could you conclude that? People are talking about the teaching of the Church, not our own individual actions & temptations. The OP asked about the teaching, not about a survey of frequency or lack thereof.

Let me ask you something: Because people lie, steal, commit adultery, fornicate, swear falsely, envy each other, physically assault each other and maliciously gossip a lot, do you think the Church should override the 10 Commandments and pronounce these evil activities non-sinful as well?

The Church is a refuge for sinners. Even the declared saints were sinners. It’s how they responded to their sins that was important. The Church doesn’t expect sinlessness in any area, including sexually, from anyone except Mary our Mother.