You are presently wrong.
Now, if we are Catholic, we also believe in the Magisterium of the Church. We base this on scripture, how Christ rose from the dead, said all authority in heaven and earth had been given to him. He turned to Peter, had changed his name from Simon, to mean “Rock” on which he would establish his Church, that the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
Christ gave Peter authority, in Christ’s absence, the keys to the kingdom. Christ said that whatever Peter held bound would be held bound in heaven, as well. What Peter loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven. Christ asked Peter, 3 times, and him alone to shepherd the Church. Christ said Peter would need to go back later to strengthen his bretheren.
Christ gave the apostles special authority and power, breathing on them, saying to them, and them alone, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, that what they forgave would be forgiven. He sent the apostles out saying that whomever rejected them, rejected Christ. Whomever rejected Christ, rejected him who sent Christ…God the Father.
Now, when Judas committed suicide, he was replaced by Matthew. The apostles had what we would now call “offices”, and we believe these offices were divinely inspired. So, we Catholics believe that the Catholic Church had authority to make whatever rules and laws it found necessary to function then, and in the future, in a global Church.
One of the things which the Catholic Church has come up with is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. If you are Catholic, in order to be a good, practicing Catholic, you must adhere to what the Church teaches, as well.
Masturbation was mentioned as the sin of Onan in the Bible, as well. However, the Church elaborates on that position, clarifying it.
See below for what the Church really says on masturbation and pornography and why:
Scroll down to 2325 & 2354
vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm
I think some begin masturbation and pornography for a lot of reasons…loneliness, boredom, stress, but still, we are to seek solutions to those issues outside of self pleasuring.
We are temples of the Holy Spirit, created in the image and likeness of God, and God has made it clear he considers masturbation and pornography beneath our dignity. We are made in the divine image and are to adhere to only the highest standards, even if we are surrounded by a culture which accepts this, we are not to follow these customs. “…because everybody else is doing it” is not an acceptable excuse.
It’s easy to turn inward, but we are to use these kinds of expressions towards loving expressions, with a spouse. This is a violation of the 6th commandment.