Sensuality and Catholic spirituality

The principles of lust...

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There is a tendency amongst some Catholics to exult in what they term the "sensuality of Roman Catholicism". Indeed, the senses are encompassed in Catholic spirituality and worship, nevertheless, scripture and the witness of the saints teaches that our sensuality needs to be mortified, lest our sensual appetites wreak havoc and war against the spirit; once weakened, the spirit becomes bloated by self-indulgence and worldly concerns, leaving us once again enslaved to our passions. As Christians, we may not use our freedom to return to the slavery of the flesh.

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Chapter 8 of Paul's letter to the Romans teaches these truths clearly. The teaching of St. John of the Cross expounds upon the necessity of self-denial throughout his work, The Ascent of Mt. Carmel. Though written for contemplatives seeking perfection, his doctrine can be accommodated by the ordinary Christian when guided by a good spiritual director. The saint devotes entire passages to demonstrating the harm incurred through sensuality as well as the need to mortify the appetites which arouse it.

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I am not qualified to explain the doctrine of John of the Cross, nor do I want to spend much time on this subject of sensuality. Although I would like to say that I believe some Catholics deceive themselves, believing they are devout and spiritual, seeking God and living the Gospel, while indulging their sensual appetites in vanities. For instance, a few people may find more satisfaction in the smells and bells and elaborate vestments of a Latin Mass than they do in the worship of God. Others may rejoice and pay more attention to the splendid architecture of churches and finely crafted and ornamented statues than to the saint represented, or the Real Presence within the sanctuary. Still others become inordinately enamored by the physical gifts, grace and beauty they see in their self or another, which left unchecked, can lead directly to sensuality.

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Sense and sensibility.

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Now don't get me wrong, such joys are legitimate, some more or less according to one's state in life, nevertheless, all Christians need to practice a certain detachment in their use or enjoyment of sensible goods, and direct one's will to God alone. Christ gave us the sacraments precisely because we are sensible creatures. In fact sensibility is a more precise term than sensuality; I believe sensibility is compatible with virtue, while sensuality degenerates to self-gratification and self-indulgence. Of course, everything created is a grace which should direct our affections to God as our last end. However, what some practice or propose really focuses the affections upon the creature rather than the Creator.

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I should stop here to explain that I'm actually writing this as a reaction to a post I read on another person's blog, praising the inherent sensuality of Catholicism. It happens to be a very deceptive post.

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The author shares his views on another writer saying, "Boisvert’s saints are “tactile and sensual,” and their bodies, real or imagined, play a significant part in his religious and erotic life. “My saints are the men of my dreams,” he writes. “They are the companions of my imaginary voyages and my quest for spiritual fulfillment.”

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His Boisvert seems to understand the saints thus, "Saints are sensual beings, and the forms of piety that they elicit can be equally sensual and sometimes even sexual, in form and content. Anyone who has had the opportunity to observe the veneration of saints’ statues in intensely Catholic cultures – such as Latin ones, for example – is struck almost immediately by the care and attention heaped upon them. They are clothed and bathed, covered with flowers or dripping in bright red droplets of blood, gaudy and almost comical in their painted features, and lit by a reflective glow of a thousand votive candles." - Sanctity and Male Desire, A Gay Reading of the Saints

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Man, this stuff just twists a whole lot of doctrine and morality around. It is simply bogus spirituality. First of all, devotion to the saints, especially in Latin countries can sometimes be corrupted by superstition or practices long condemned by the Church - this has always been the case, which is why the Church regulates popular piety and devotion. Yes the saints were sensual beings, and most who were not martyrs practiced great self-denial and mortification, sacrificing themselves for Christ and the Gospel. For example, St. Francis of Assisi rolled himself in thorny rose bushes to quell a sudden temptation to sensuality. Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta lived in poverty and continual self denial in her service to the poorest of the poor. I believe the intent of such erroneous "doctrine" as I found on that blog is to generate an illusion of a Catholic homosexual spirituality, wherein homosexual acts are considered good and not sinful. That borders on idolatry. Sorry guys.

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Finally, the poor man finished his post with quotes from Anne Rice on sensuality and loving.

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Be on guard against such foolish teachings - just as I once warned about misinterpretations of JPII's Theology of the Body - the devil prowls like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

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If you want to read John of the Cross on this subject, start at Book III, Chapter 16 of the Ascent of Mt. Carmel. Better yet - if you have questions about what I wrote here - ask your confessor. This stuff isn't easy to interpret sometimes, and I do not mean this post to be an exhaustive study by any means.