What the Catechism Has to Say About Pornography

Our age holds the infamous distinction of making pornography universally accessible with an internet connection. Arguably, pornography lies behind our tolerance of immodest summer fashions and the hyper-sexualized LGBTQ movement. In this essay, I’d like to break down what the Catechism says about this scourge. In the words of the Catechism, “Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties” (2354). It is also worth discussing why pornography is wrong–why it is wrong to deliberately move the private to the public. All my quotes unless noted come from paragraph 2354 of the Catechism. This section is itself part of a section on the sixth commandment.

Perverted Actions

First, the Catechism says that pornography “offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other.”  Pornography offends against chastity by making the private, public. It perverts in the sense of misuse. According to Merriam Webster’s online dictionary, pervert means “to cause to turn aside or away from what is good or true or morally right.” Hence,  perverted actions lead away from God’s intention. Without an intended use of human sexuality, pornography is just a matter of breaking customs and squeamishness. Pornography, fornication, immodesty, homosexuality, and many other sexual sins only pervert human sexuality because it has a true end. Part of that end has to do with fostering intimacy and privacy between spouses.

Loss of Dignity

Secondly, the Catechism says that pornography “does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others.” Dignity is probably a misunderstood concept.  Dignity is “the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed.” This suggests that humans are worthy of honor and respect and that sex may or not communicate this dignity. Rape clearly violates this human quality and does grave injury, often physically and spiritually. According to the Catechism in paragraph 2353, fornication also results in a  loss of dignity–no matter if mutually consenting.

Even without our awareness, actions may be “gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality.” However, I do think most people are aware that watching pornography is degrading. Likewise, it is hard to argue that anyone truly sees pornographic actors with dignity. They are barely even seen as fully human. I also doubt that anyone feels truly “dignified” after watching.

Societal Loss of Dignity

Pornography isn’t just the sin of a lonely individual.  Indeed, pornography strips the actors, vendors, and the public watching the pornographic material of their proper dignity as all become “objects of base pleasure and illicit profit.” As viewers share pornography and pornographic attitudes with others, the pollution spreads and begins to shape societal views towards modesty and sex. Rightly, the Catechism describes profit from pornography as both immoral and unlawful.

Our culture recognizes the horror of physical slavery and its lingering effects even years after abolition. However, it often seems to fail to see anything wrong with the effects of spiritual slavery to pornography. Our culture recognizes the illicitness of profiting from the sale of humans.  It struggles to see how popular pornographic videos (or even styles of dress)  are illicit and also offend human dignity. 

Culturally, it may seem equally difficult to vilify and forbid the public of pleasure on the grounds of its baseness. Indeed, LGBT advocates often suggest that pleasure is just pleasure, neither noble nor base.  As long as it is consensual (whatever that means) and within the right age range (for now), it is fine if it makes you feel “good.” However, the Catechism believes that some pleasure and some profit are wrong by their nature. Pleasure does not make something good.

Illusory Worlds

The Catechism continues by stating pornography “immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world.” Pornography does not educate teens or married couples, as some might argue. Regardless of how the actors may feel or the treatment of the women (not to discount this point entirely), pornography presents an unreal world, a rabbit hole. Instead of stopping at a “reasonable” point, porn-watchers dig deeper into dark material as they seek to stimulate addicted and dulled neuropathways. Pornography does not give us an easy “reset” or “moment of relaxation.” What seems like innocent, self-contained, cost-free and even helpful pleasure becomes addictive and more and more perverted.

The Beed for Government Intervention

Finally, the Catechism says “Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials.” This last point raises important questions about what should and shouldn’t be legal. For the Catechism, pornography damages us so greatly that it cannot be tolerated. It is not a reality that we should simply accept as we do today. The corrosive quality of pornography is such that it should become a matter of civil intervention. The internet will reassure you that pornography is harmless and even good or educational at times. As a result, the public hardly knows the true effects of porn consumption. Pornography fosters a view of sexuality and the opposite sex that is demeaning and centered on “base pleasure and illicit profit.” It also breeds isolationism and a false sense of independence. It is not hard to see the effect of these things in the world.

Final Thoughts on Pornography

In conclusion, I’ve examined what the Catechism has to say about pornography and opened up the door to other topics. The question of why pornography is wrong raises questions about the God-intended use of human sexuality. It also raises the question of licit and illicit profit. This challenges the idea that sins against chastity are isolated events. Finally, we have to ask what role the government should take in controlling pornography. Here, we see that the facts about pornography are often obscured. Clearly, pornography is an important topic and one that relates to other sins against chastity that have become commonplace.