St. Alphonsous on Love Stories?

[Ben_Sinner]

I saw a quote by St. Alphonsous Ligouri that struck me. I wouldn’t say surprised, because some other past quotes from him I’ve seen have been pretty intense.

‘But some one may say, What harm is there in reading romances and profane poetry when they contain nothing immodest? Do you ask what harm? Behold the harm: the reading of such works kindles the concupiscence of the senses, and awakens the passions; these easily gain the consent of the will, or at least render it so weak that when the occasion of any dangerous affection occurs the devil finds the soul already prepared to allow itself to be conquered. A wise author has said that by the reading of such pernicious books heresy has made, and makes every day, great progress; because such reading has given and gives increased strength to libertinism. The poison of these books enters gradually into the soul; it first makes itself master of the understanding, then infects the will, and in the end kills the soul. The devil finds no means more efficacious and secure of sending a young person to perdition than the reading of such poisoned works.’

So is to say that it is a sin to watch love stories and romance films?

 

[animalis]

It certain consists in vanity: against right reason toward our supreme end.

“If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.” (Mt 19:21)

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.” (Mt 22:37)

‘If you would be quite sure of your salvation, strive to be among the fewest of the few. Do not follow the majority of mankind, but follow those who renounce the world and never relax their efforts day or night so that they may attain everlasting blessedness.’ (St. Anselm, Doctor of the Church)

 

[Dorothy]

It seems to me that love stories and romance films would be conducive to temptations of sexual fantasies.

 

[egretps]

I’m in agreement with the Saint.

Although, I don’t lump every ‘romantic’ book together. Jane Eyre is not the same as a Barbara Cartland Harlequin romance. And the Bronte sisters books are more moral stories than Danielle Steele.

I know that when I was a young college girl, reading sweet Regency Romances skewed my perception on what love was. I had a stable family with parents who loved each other. They were a better guide for romantic and yes, married love. Not the ‘romances’.

I think romance is sometimes a sweet part of courtship and married love, but most ‘romance’ packaged in movies and books is not quite good enough.

 

[Genesis315]

To be fair, in context he is giving advice to nuns (he does make a passing reference to unvirtuous laywomen in the paragraph about more explicitly bad books).

ourladyswarriors.org/saints/ligoread.htm