The Saints, the Popes and Scripture on Modesty
Introductory words …
Immodesty is grave matter because it is scandalous and can excite others to lust. The first theological position is that humans are affected by what is called concupiscence. This is a tendency towards sin that humans inherit from the Fall. It can be known as a slippery slope. Logically we can see that immodesty can lead to further sins. Those why deny this bring to mind 1 Timothy 4-3 and those "Speaking lies in hypocrisy, and having their conscience seared” .. “Now the Spirit manifestly saith, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error, and doctrines of devils”. The conscience is the God-given moral consciousness within each of us (Romans 2:15). What is permissible must always be considered in light of charity. 1 Corinthians 8:13 states “12 Now when you sin thus against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Wherefore, if meat scandalize my brother, I will never eat flesh, lest I should scandalize my brother.”
The context in the Pagan Ancient World was whether a Christian could eat meat that had been initially sacrificed to idols. The Christian pragmatists didn’t care and simply saw it as food, but there were other Christians who refused to handle food that had been involved in pagan religious ceremony. The Apostle acknowledges both positions, but takes the side of charity. We shouldn’t partake of such food if it upsets other Christians. This is what was traditionally known as ‘Scandal’ - an action or attitude that leads another to sin (such as to upset Christians to the point of affecting their Faith). Similarly with immodesty.
It is said that modesty is subjective. The Catechism holds
“2521 Purity requires modesty, an integral part of temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.
2524 The forms taken by modesty vary from one culture to another. Everywhere, however, modesty exists as an intuition of the spiritual dignity proper to man. It is born with the awakening consciousness of being a subject. Teaching modesty to children and adolescents means awakening in them respect for the human person.
2525 Christian purity requires a purification of the social climate. It requires of the communications media that their presentations show concern for respect and restraint. Purity of heart brings freedom from widespread eroticism and avoids entertainment inclined to voyeurism and illusion.”
Even if modesty has subjective elements, care must be taken for Brethren who would be needlessly scandalized. Concepts of culture, fashion and even comfort cannot take priority over immodesty within Christendom as a whole. Even Christians within universal society should avoid behavior that makes them look ridiculous and gives critics an opportunity to deprecate the faith. Unwise Christians have been laughed to scorn for ridiculous behavior in public. Avoiding these occasions is necessary for the good of the Faith.
Titus 2:7-8
In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, /and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.
1 Peter 2:11-12
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul. Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
Romans 12:17
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
Arguments in favor of immodesty often involve convenience or comfort. Similarly in the Ancient Pagan World with the pagan-food dispute. It was more convenient to partake of food that was offered to idols, even if one did not believe in those idols. It was more comfortable than making a generous meal oneself. However, because some other Christians (those who had formally been pagans for instance) were upset by this, the Apostle said it was not right to eat the food because it upset one’s neighbour. There were other meals available. Similarly, there are other fashions available that are not so divisive.
In the times of the Maccabees, secular Jews had become Hellenized. They enjoyed pagan pursuits more than religious ones. The pagan rulers supported them and encouraged them. Thus, leading Jews engaged in gymnasium sports with immodesty, freely attending pagan festivals and became ashamed of their religion to the point of engaging in foreskin restoration. Not so the faithful Jews who opposed this paganism and fought bravely and admirably against all these assaults on their faith. The final straw being the pagan authorities offering a pig sacrifice on the altar of the Temple in Jerusalem in an attempt to forcibly suppress the unique Jewish religious practices and force Hellenization on the Jewish people. This was an attempt to make Judaism just one of many religions and to remove its special character. The faithful Jews could not tolerate this and engaged in a form of guerilla warfare to restore their faith and religion. They were persecuted harshly, but ultimately prevailed. The Maccabees successfully reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem, re-establishing Jewish worship, and eventually achieved independence. This was much like the Communist persecution of religious Jews in the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn wrote of rabbis being forced to perish in the freezing snow by Commissars. The Communists destroyed Synagogues in Russia and Jewish religious institutions throughout the Soviet Union. The Communists tried to destroy Jewish life and force Judaism and Christianity to lose its special character. Ultimately, the Communists did not prevail.
We live in a very visual world. Perhaps there is no greater output of pornography since Roman times. There are two commandments concerning lust - adultery and coveting. One is physical the other is a mental process of desiring. It means more than simply desiring another spouse for one’s own. In Matthew 5:28, Jesus says that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Adultery includes looking with lust between/inclusive of physical adultery and mental desire. Coveting means to yearn to desire something. It is more than desiring another man’s wife as one’s own. It includes passing desire that is equal to adultery. The act of adultery does not simply mean wishing another man’s wife as one’s own. Adultery can be a temporal act. Not every act of adultery requires permanent desire. The German phrase augenblick (blink of an eye) is relevant here. There are therefore at least 4 types of adultery. Physical adultery, desiring another man’s wife to be one’s own, desiring another man’s wife for temporary sin and looking at a woman with lust for however long a period of time (even an augenblick). Of course, there is overlap. However, theological splitting of hairs ignores the purpose of these scriptural quotes. There is a forbidden desire and a forbidden lust. Mental gymnastics to find an exception clause for what is palpably sinful can only be the machinations of evil. Again, for example, adultery is more than wishing Judith to be one’s wife. It includes desiring Judith for non-permanent sexual relations. This can be manifested in the physical act, or by thought. Adultery is not limited to to wife-stealing, seducing for a second marriage or planning for divorce and re-marriage. Adultery would then mean something else and more specific - do not desire to re-marry another man’s spouse. That would mean sex with a married woman would be fine as long as one didn’t wish to steal her away from her husband permanently and marry her. Adultery also means transient affairs as in Proverbs 7:19 (below) and Matthew 5:28. The legal issue of remarriage was dealt separately by Jesus - Mark 10:11-12: And he said to them, 'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her’. Adultery has two fields - what is known as ‘affairs’ and then the issue of divorce and re-marriage. The mental part (or lustful thought) similarly involves these two aspects - sexual thoughts for a temporary liaison and a permanent desire for a wife along with sexual relations with her. God is not fooled. Due to the powerful associations between sex and the body it is cognitive dissonance to assume the two are not linked. The mental association with lust and immodesty is such that only a form of asexuality or some psychological deficiency would fail to appreciate the link.
The Battle for Purity is not simply limited to adultery. Sex outside of marriage is listed as sexual immortality in the Epistles. It is a concept known a fornication. Society sees fornication as a victimless act between consenting adults. However, the Apostle reminds us strongly of the primacy of the marriage bed. The Apostle encourages marriage, defends marriage, and prioritizes marriage as the highest form of intimate love. Seeing fornication as a threat to the greatness of marriage by minimizing its importance, it is listed as sexual immorality. Fornication is encouraged in society as a form of expression and a form of adventurism. However, the negative impact on the possibilities of higher forms of love as seen in marriage is evident. In modernity this is considered stifling and suffocating. Nevertheless, a strong and exclusive marriage must be superior to countless fornications or uncommitted relationships. By quality and condition, loyal marriage outstrips all other forms of relationships. That is why it is encouraged in the Bible, and other relationships considered inferior, spiritually harmful and a weak imitation of the marriage bond. It is only for the good of souls and to ensure the best possible life for those called to wedlock that the Saints counsel marriage and reject fornication as a base form of relationship.
Proverbs 7
21She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
22Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and as a lamb playing the wanton, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds
Romans 14
15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.
Catholic Encyclopedia on Concupiscence (1908)
“A short but important statement of the Catholic doctrine on this point may be quoted from Peter the Deacon, a Greek, who was sent to Rome to bear witness to the Faith of the East: "Our belief is that Adam came from the hands of his Creator good and free from the assaults of the flesh" (Lib. de Incarn., c. vi). In our first parents, however, this complete dominion of reason over appetite was no natural perfection or acquirement, but a preternatural gift of God, that is, a gift not due to human nature; nor was it, on the other hand, the essence of their original justice, which consisted in sanctifying grace; it was but a complement added to the latter by the Divine bounty. By the sin of Adam freedom from concupiscence was forfeited not only for himself, but also for all his posterity with the exception of the Blessed Virgin by special privilege. Human nature was deprived of both its preternatural and supernatural gifts and graces, the lower appetite began to lust against the spirit, and evil habits, contracted by personal sins, wrought disorder in the body, obscured the mind, and weakened the power of the will, without, however, destroying its freedom. Hence that lamentable condition of which St. Paul complains when he writes:
I find then a law, that when I have a will to do good, evil is present with me. For I am delighted with the law of God, according to the inward man: but I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin, that is in my members. Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:21-25)”
Catholic Encyclopedia on Occasions of Sin (1908)
Occasions of sin are external circumstances--whether of things or persons--which either because of their special nature or because of the frailty common to humanity or peculiar to some individual, incite or entice one to sin.
It is important to remember that there is a wide difference between the cause and the occasion of sin. The cause of sin in the last analysis is the perverse human will and is intrinsic to the human composite. The occasion is something extrinsic and, given the freedom of the will, cannot, properly speaking, stand in causal relation to the act or vicious habit which we call sin. There can be no doubt that in general the same obligation which binds us to refrain from sin requires us to shun its occasion. Qui tenetur ad finem, tenetur ad media (he who is bound to reach a certain end is bound to employ the means to attain it).
De Lugo defines proximate occasion (De poenit. disp. 14, n. 149) as one in which men of like calibre for the most part fall into mortal sin, or one in which experience points to the same result from the special weakness of a particular person.
It is certain that one who is in the presence of a proximate occasion at once voluntary and continuous is bound to remove it. A refusal on the part of a penitent to do so would make it imperative for the confessor to deny absolution.
Catholic Encyclopedia on Scandal (1908)
According to St. Thomas (II-II:43:1) scandal is a word or action evil in itself, which occasions another's spiritual ruin. It is a word or action, that is either an external act—for an internal act can have no influence on the conduct of another—or the omission of an external act, because to omit what one should do is equivalent to doing what is forbidden; it must be evil in itself, or in appearance; this is the interpretation of the words of St. Thomas: minus rectum. It is not the physical cause of a neighbor's sin, but only the moral cause, or occasion; further, this moral causality may be understood in a strict sense, as when one orders, requests, or advises another to commit the sin (this is strictly inductive scandal, which some call co-operation in a broad sense), or in a large sense, as when a person without being directly concerned in the sin nevertheless exercises a certain influence on the sin of his neighbor, e.g. by committing such a sin in his presence (this is inductive scandal in a broad sense). For scandal to exist it is therefore essential and sufficient, with regard to the nature of the act and the circumstances under which it takes place, that it be of a nature to induce sin in another; consequently it is not necessary that the neighbour should actually fall into sin; and on the other hand, for scandal strictly so-called, it is not enough that a neighbour take occasion to do evil from a word or action which is not a subject of scandal and exercises no influence on his action; it must be a cause of spiritual ruin, that is of sin, consequently that is not scandal which merely dissuades the neighbour from a more perfect act, as for instance, prayer, the practice of the Evangelical virtues, the more frequent use of the sacraments, etc. Still less can that be considered scandal, which only arouses comment, indignation, horror etc., for instance blasphemy committed in the presence of a priest or of a religious; it is true that the act arouses indignation and in common parlance it is often called scandalous, but this way of speaking is inaccurate, and in strictly theological terminology it is not the sin of scandal. Hence scandal is in itself an evil act, at least in appearance, and as such it exercises on the will of another an influence more or less great which induces to sin. Furthermore, when the action from which another takes occasion of sin is not bad, either in itself or in appearance, it may violate charity (see below), but strictly speaking it is not the sin of scandal. However, some authorities understanding the word scandal in a wider sense include in it this case
NB: Immodesty can have a heretical element. Those who deny the effects of original sin namely concupiscence deny that there is any objective standards as to modesty. This creates a relativism that denies that there are indeed objective standards. Our original parents lost their innocence after the fall.The consequences of original sin, includes concupiscence (Aquinas, Summa, Question 82).
“A mortal sin of scandal is committed by women who go about with their bosom immodestly exposed, or who expose their limbs improperly.” St Alphonsus Ligouri
“Either we must speak as we dress, or dress as we speak. Why do we profess one thing and display another?” St Jerome
‘Avoid failing, not only against purity, but even against the least rules of an exact modesty.’ St Paul of the Cross
“There always exists an absolute norm to be preserved, no matter how broad and changeable the relative morals of styles may be…Style may never give a proximate occasion of sin, and clothing must be a shield against disordered sensuality.” Pope Pius XII November 8, 1957
“The virtue of modesty is particularly regarded as the guardian of purity in thought, word, and action… things are seen here and there which are certain to prove offensive to anyone who has retained some respect and regard for Christian virtue and human modesty […] Because of this, the young particularly, whose minds are easily bent towards vice, are exposed to the extreme danger of losing their innocence, which is, by far, the most beautiful adornment of mind and body …Well did not the ancient poet say of this matter: ‘Vice necessarily follows upon public nudity’ (Ennius).” Pope Pius XII – August 15, 1954 delegated Cardinal Ciriaci to issue a letter on modesty.
Acta Apostolicae Sedis (Acts of the Apostolic See) to the Bishops and Ordinaries under Pope Pius XI:
“In virtue of the Supreme Apostleship which he exercises in the universal Church, His Holiness, Pius XI, has never ceased to inculcate in word and writing that precept of St. Paul (1 Tim. 2:9-10): ‘Women also in decent apparel; adorning themselves with modesty and sobriety… as it becometh women professing godliness, with good works.’
“And on many occasions, the same Supreme Pontiff has reproved and sharply condemned the immodesty in dress which today is everywhere in vogue, even among women and girls who are Catholics; a practice which does grave injury to the crowning virtue and glory of women, and moreover unfortunately leads not merely to their temporal disadvantage, but, what is worse, to their eternal ruin and that of other souls.
“It is no wonder, then, that Bishops and other Ordinaries of places, as becomes ministers of Christ, have in their respective dioceses unanimously resisted in every way this licentious and shameless fashion, and in doing so have cheerfully and courageously borne the derision and ridicule sometimes directed at them by the ill-disposed.
“Accordingly, this Sacred Congregation for the maintenance of discipline among clergy and people, in the first place accords merited approval and praise to this vigilance and action on the part of the Bishops, and moreover earnestly exhorts them to continue in the purpose and undertaking they have so well begun, and to pursue them with even greater vigor, until this contagious disease be entirely banished from decent society.
“That this may be accomplished with greater ease and security, this Sacred Congregation, in pursuance of the orders of His Holiness, has determined upon the following regulations on the subject:
“I. Especially pastors and preachers, when they have the opportunity, must, according to those words of St. Paul (2 Tim. 4:2): ‘be instant, reprove, entreat, rebuke,’ to the end that women may wear clothes of beocming modesty, which may be an ornament and safeguard of virtue; and they must also warn parents not to permit their daughters to wear immodest clothes.
“II. Parents, mindful of their very grave obligation to provide especially for the moral and religious education of their children, must see to it with special care that their girls receive solid instruction in Christian doctrine from their earliest years; and they themselves must by word and example earnesily train them to a love of modesty and chastity. After the example of the Holy Family they must strive so to order and regulate the family that every member of it shall find at home a reason and inducement to love and to cherish modesty.
“III. Parents should also prevent their daughters from taking part in public drills and athletic contests. If the girls are obliged to take part in them, the parents must see to it that they wear a costume that is entirely modest, and must never permit them to appear in immodest dress.
“IV. Heads of girls’ schools and colleges must strive so to imbue the hearts of their girls with the love of modesty that they may be induced to dress modestly.
“V. They shall not admit to the schools or colleges girls who are given to immodest dress; and if any such have been admitted, they shall be dismissed unless they change their ways.
“VI. Nuns, in accordance with the Letter of 23 August 1928, of the Sacred Congregation of Religious, shall not admit to their colleges, schools, oratories, or amusement centers, nor allow to remain there any girls who do not observe Christian modesty in dress; and in the education of their charges they shall take special care to sow deeply in their hearts a love of chastity and Christian modesty.
“VII. Pious associations of women shall be established and fostered for the purpose of restraining by counsel, example, and activity, abuses regarding immodest dress, and of promoting purity of morals and modesty of dress.
“VIII. Women who wear immodest clothes should not be admitted to these associations; and those who have been admitted, if they afterward commit any fault in this regard and fail to amend after being warned, shall be expelled.
“IX. Girls and women who are immodestly dressed are to be refused Holy Communion and excluded from the office of sponsor in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, and in proper cases are even to be excluded from the church.
“X. On such feasts throughout the year as offer special opportunities for inculcating Christian modesty, especially on the feasts of the Blessed Virgin, pastors and priests who have charge of pious unions and Catholic associations should not fail to preach a timely sermon on the subject, in order to encourage women to cultivate Christian modesty in dress. On the feast of the Immaculate Conception, special prayers shall be recited every year in all cathedral and parish churches, and when it is possible there shall also be a timely exhortation by way of a solemn sermon to the people.
“XI. The diocesan Council of Vigilance, mentioned in the declaration of the Holy Office, 22 March 1918, shall at least once every year treat especially of the ways and means of providing effectively for modesty in women’s dress.
“XII. In order that this salutary action may proceed with greater efficacy and security, Bishops and other Ordinaries of places shall every third year, together with their report on religious instruction mentioned in the Motu proprio, Orbem Catholicum of 29 June, 1923, also inform this Sacred Congregation upon the situation as regards women’s dress, and upon the measures that will have been taken in pursuance of this Instruction.”
"By no means are women to be allowed to uncover and exhibit any part of their bodies, lest both fall – the men by being incited to look, and the women by attracting to themselves the eyes of men." St Clement of Alexandria
“Happy the husband of a good wife…choicest of his blessings is a modest wife, priceless her chaste person” Sirach 26: 1, 15
SACRA PROPEDIEM ENCYCLICAL OF POPE BENEDICT XV 1921
19. From this point of view one cannot sufficiently deplore the blindness of so many women of every age and condition; made foolish by desire to please, they do not see to what a degree the in decency of their clothing shocks every honest man, and offends God. Most of them would formerly have blushed for those toilettes as for a grave fault against Christian modesty; now it does not suffice for them to exhibit them on the public thoroughfares; they do not fear to cross the threshold of the churches, to assist at the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, and even to bear the seducing food of shameful passions to the Eucharistic Table where one receives the heavenly Author of purity. And We speak not of those exotic and barbarous dances recently imported into fashionable circles, one more shocking than the other; one cannot imagine anything more suitable for banishing all the remains of modesty.
Sacred Congregation of the Council [Decree of the Congregation of the Council (by the mandate of Pope Pius XI), 1930 A.D.]
“The parish priest, and especially the preacher, when occasion arises, should according to the words of the Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 4:2), insist, argue, exhort and command that feminine garb be based on modesty and womanly ornament, and be a defense of virtue. Let them likewise admonish parents to cause their daughters to cease wearing indecorous dress.”
“The good of our soul is more important than that of our body; and we have to prefer the spiritual welfare of our neighbor to our bodily comforts…
If a certain kind of dress constitutes a grave and proximate occasion of sin, and endangers the salvation of your soul and others, it is your duty to give it up…
O Christian mothers, if you knew what a future of anxieties and perils, of ill-guarded shame you prepare for your sons and daughters, imprudently getting them accustomed to live scantily dressed and making them lose the sense of modesty, you would be ashamed of yourselves and you would dread the harm you are making for yourselves, the harm which you are causing to these children, whom Heaven has entrusted to you to be brought up as Christians.
Christian mothers, if only you knew the future of distress and peril, of shame ill-restrained, that you prepare for your sons and daughters in imprudently accustoming them to live hardly clothed and in making them lose the sense of modesty, you should be ashamed of yourselves and of the harm done the little ones whom heaven entrusted to your care, to be reared in Christian dignity and culture.” Pope Pius XII – July 17, 1954
Dom Bernard Marechaux
"The evil of our day is this: that the line of demarcation between Christian and non-Christian, between Christian and heretic, between Christian and idolater, is gradually fading away. The cancer of Liberalism attacks everyone and we must be careful not to be infected ourselves. Those who still call themselves Catholic live, too often, like those who have renounced this title. Women who go to church dress just the way women who do not go to church dress; they read the same books and magazines as these women; they go to the same - often immoral - shows as these women; they no longer pray or do penance. It is a confusion of license and worldliness. As a result of these customs, the Church is beginning to disappear in the world. Christianity is being lost. Only rarely does one find Catholics to whom the following words of Saint Paul can apply: "...be blameless and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom you shine as lights in the world". (Phil.2:15). The early Christians stood out among the pagans like shining torches in the dark, and the example of their courage and their virtue attracted the pagans strongly to the Faith. This is something which we do not see today, except in rare cases. Everything is a mish-mash of unrestraint."
Archbishop of Toledo Spain, Enrique Cardinal Pla y Daniel, 1959
A Pastoral letter
"A special danger to morals is represented by public bathing at beaches, in pools and riverbanks...MIXED BATHING between men and women which NEARLY ALWAYS IS A PROXIMATE OCCASION OF SIN AND A SCANDAL MUST BE AVOIDED
Pope Pius XII, August 15, 1954
Delegated Cardinal Ciriaci to issue a letter on modesty.
"Everyone knows that during the SUMMER MONTHS particularly, things are seen here and there which are certain to PROVE OFFENSIVE TO ANYONE WHO HAS retained some respect and REGARD FOR Christian virtue and human MODESTY. On the beaches, in country resorts, almost everywhere, on the streets of cities and towns, in private and public places, and, indeed, often in buildings dedicated to God, an unworthy and indecent mode of dress has prevailed. Because of this, the young particularly, whose minds are easily bent towards vice, are exposed to the extreme danger of losing their innocence, which is, by far, the most beautiful adornment of mind and body. Feminine adornment, if it can be called adornment, FEMININE CLOTHING, 'if that can be called clothing which contains nothing to protect either the body or modesty.' (Seneca) are at times of such a nature that they seem to SERVE LEWDNESS RATHER THAN MODESTY. What we are discussing here is obviously most serious, since it vitally concerns not only Christian virtue but also the health and vigor of human society . Well did not the ancient poet say of this matter: 'Vice necessarily follows upon public nudity' (Ennius)."
Pope Pius XI 12 Rules on Dress Published Feb. 17, 1930 in the New York Times -
ROME, Feb. 16.—Pope Pius XI has on several occasions strongly condemned current feminine fashions and similar action has been taken by Catholic Bishops both in Italy and other countries, but the papal criticism has never been accompanied by regulations to remedy the situation. The instructions now being sent to Catholic Bishops and laymen by the Sacred Congregation of the Council, which controls the observance of precepts of the Church, are important as being the first definite outline of policy by the Church in the matter of women's dress. Following is a translation of the complete text of the instructions, a summary of which was printed in THE NEW YORK TIMES Saturday:
INSTRUCTIONS TO ORDINARIES OF DIOCESES ON WOMEN'S IMMODEST FASHION OF DRESS.
By virtue of the supreme apostolate which he wields over the Universal Church by Divine will, our most holy father Pope Pius XI has never ceased to inculcate, both verbally and by his writings, the words of St. Paul [I Timothy, xi, 9, 10], namely, "Women adorning themselves with modesty and sobriety * * * * and professing godliness with good works."
Very often, when occasion arose, the same Supreme Pontiff condemned emphatically the immodest fashion of dress adopted even by Catholic women and girls, which fashion not only deeply offends the dignity and adornment of woman but is conducive to the temporal ruin of the said females and, what is still worse, to their eternal ruin, miserably dragging others in their downfall. It is not surprising, therefore, that bishops and other ordinaries, as is the duty of ministers of Christ, should all in their own dioceses unanimously have opposed this depraved licentiousness and promiscuity of manners, often bearing with fortitude the derision and mockery leveled against them for this cause.
Therefore this Sacred Council, which watches over the discipline of clergy and people, while cordially commending the action of the Holy Bishops, most emphatically exhorts them to persevere in their attitude and increase their activities in so far as their strength permits, in order that this unwholesome disease be definitely uprooted from human society.
Twelve Rules on Dress.
In order to facilitate the effect which is desired, this Sacred Congregation, by the mandate of the most Holy Father, has decreed as follows:
1. The parish priest, and especially the preacher, when occasion arises, according to the words of the Apostle Paul [Second Epistle to Timothy, Chapter IV, Verse 2], should insist, argue, exhort and command that feminine garb be based on modesty and their ornament be a defense of virtue. Let them likewise admonish parents to cause their daughters to cease wearing indecorous dress.
2. Parents, conscious of their most grave obligations toward the education of their offspring, especially religious and moral, should see to it that their daughters are solidly instructed since their earliest childhood in Christian doctrine, and they themselves should assiduously inculcate in their souls, by words and example, the love of the virtues of modesty and chastity; as to their family following the example of the Sacred Family, they must rule in such a manner that all its components brought up in the domestic walls should find reason and an incentive to love and preserve modesty.
3. Let parents keep their daughters away from public gymnastic games and competitions, but if their daughters are compelled to attend the same, let them see that they are fully and modestly dressed. Let them never allow their daughters to don immodest garb.
4. The head mistresses and teachers in girls' schools must do their utmost to instil the love of modesty in the hearts of maidens confided to their care and urge them to dress modestly.
5. The said head mistresses and teachers must not receive in their colleges and schools immodestly dressed girls, and should not even make an exception for the mothers of their pupils. If, after being admitted, girls persist in dressing immodestly, then the pupils should be dismissed.
6. Nuns, in compliance with the letter dated Aug. 23, 1928, by the Sacred Congregation of Religious, must not receive in their colleges, schools, oratories or recreation grounds, or, if once admitted, they must not tolerate girls who are not dressed with Christian modesty; the said nuns, in addition, should do their utmost so that in the hearts of their pupils there should become deeply rooted the love for holy chastity and Christian modesty.
7. It is desirable that pious organizations of women be founded, which by their counsel, example and propaganda should combat the wearing of apparel unsuited to Christian modesty, and should promote purity of customs and modesty of dress.
8. In the pious associations of women, let those not be admitted who dress immodestly, but if, perchance, they are received, and after being admitted fall again to their error, let them be forthwith dismissed.
9. Maidens and women dressed immodestly are to be banned from Holy Communion and from acting as godmothers in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation and, if it be an extreme case, may be even forbidden to enter the Church.
Urges Prayers for Modesty.
10. During the year there occur feast days which give special opportunity to instil Christian modesty, especially the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Parish priests and priests of the pious unions and associations of Catholic women should not neglect to exhort them to adopt a Christian mode of dress. Moreover, every year on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, special prayers should be said in all cathedrals and parish churches together with, if possible, opportune exhortations to the people in solemn sermons.
11. The Diocesan Council of Vigilance, of which mention was made in a declaration of the Holy Office of March 22, 1922, should at least once a year seek the best means to preserve the modesty of feminine dress.
12. In order that this salutary action should be even more efficacious and have more satisfactory results, on every third year Bishops and other ordinaries, together with their report on religious instruction, of which mention was made in the motu proprio letters, "Orbem Catholicum," dated June 29, 1923, should likewise report to this Sacred Congregation with precise reference to conditions in regards to the mode of dress as well as on measures taken according to our instructions on this subject.
Given at Rome in the palace of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, on the twelfth of January, on the Feast of the Sacred Family, in the year 1930.
DANATO CARDINAL SBARRETTI, Prefect.
Twelve Rules on Dress.
Urges Prayers for Modesty.
Canadian Bishops, May 1946
"MAN himself does not escape from the inclination of exhibiting his flesh: some GO IN PUBLIC, STRIPPED TO THE WAIST, or in very tight pants or IN very SCANTY BATHING SUITS. They thus commit offenses against the virtue of modesty. They may also be an occasion of sin (in thought or desire) for our neighbor."
“The pagan tendencies in present-day life afflict all open and attentive eyes. For many people life is specifically and paganly given over only to pleasure, to the quest after pleasure, and to amusement that is specifically and paganly immodest, with an immodesty that often exceeds that of ancient pagan life, inasmuch as it is addicted to what is termed with a horrible word and horrible blasphemy, the practice and cult of Nudism.” Pope Pius XI - Rome on the eve of Lent (1935)
“First of all, teach modesty and proper dress in the sermons.” A Papal Decree Concerning Modesty – Pope Pius XI, 1930
“We see prevailing in ever more harmful manifestations nowadays an attempt to make the body the beginning and the end of life ... arriving to the point, in these very days, of naturalistic and obscene displays, and of the exaltation of nudism, eroticism and pansexualism.” Pope Paul VI - Castel Gandolfo, August 1970
“Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. . . . Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. . . . Teaching modesty to children and adolescents means awakening in them respect for the human person” Catechism of the Catholic Church 2521-2522 and 2524
“There is a modesty of the feelings as well as of the body. It protests, for example, against the voyeuristic explorations of the human body in certain advertisements, or against the solicitations of certain media that go too far in the exhibition of intimate things. Modesty inspires a way of life which makes it possible to resist the allurements of fashion and the pressures of prevailing ideologies.” Catechism of the Catholic Church 2523
“Custody Of The Eyes - But the eyes, in particular, are the inlets to criminal passion, and to this refer these words of our Lord: If thine eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. The Prophets, also, frequently speak to the same effect. I made a covenant with mine eyes, says Job, that I would not so much as think upon a virgin. Finally, there are on record innumerable examples of the evils which have their origin in the indulgence of the eyes. It was thus that David sinned, thus that the king of Sichem fell, and thus also that the elders sinned who calumniated Susanna” Council of Trent
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
1 Corinthians 6:9
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality
Acts 15:29
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
1 Corinthians 7:4
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And in like manner the husband also hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
Ephesians 5:22-33
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. / For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. / Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. ...
Colossians 3:18-19
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. / Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
Ephesians 5:3
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.
1 Corinthians 6:18
18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
1 Corinthians 2
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.
1 Corinthians 12:22-24
22 … the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty …
Matthew 18:6
6 "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Romans 14:21
Live in a way that does not cause your brother to stumble
Matthew 5:28
Whoever shall look on a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.
“….. the flesh profiteth NOTHING” (John 6:63)
Juvenal:
" Scelus intra se tacitus qui cogitat ullum,
Facti crimen habet."
["Who in his breast a guilty thought doth cherish,
He bears the guilt of action."]
For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.
Job 31:1
“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman”
1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Proverbs 6
24 keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,
from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.
They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
1 Timothy 2:8-9
Men should pray…women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly
Ephesians 5:3, 5
Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk…but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Romans 14
… But whoever has doubts is condemned.
1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
The Sixth Commandment: Exodus 20:14
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
The Ninth Commandment: Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife
Leviticus 18:7–16
7 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. 9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. 10 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. 11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought up in your father’s family, since she is your sister. 12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s relative. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s relative. 14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
Exodus 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
Exodus 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
Moses saw that the people were naked (for Aaron had made them naked unto their SHAME among their enemies)” (Exodus 32:25).
Nudist Hall of Shame detailing Pedophiliac Crimes and Psychological Abuse against Children by Nudists & Naturists [R [21+] warning: evidential images of full frontal nudity & disturbing testimony] http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/NudistHallofShame/ (please see Archive for HTTPS link) - Exposing Nudism & Naturism's Dirty Little Secrets: Pedophilia, Swinging, Pornography and Sexual Exploitation [R [21+] warning: evidential images of full frontal nudity & disturbing testimony] - browse using Lynx if required (text only) - https://lynx.invisible-island.net/. Telling the truth is an Act of Justice - one of the Four Cardinal Virtues. While we should avoid scandal, the investigatory work done by the author is compelling and convincing. Tender and young consciences be forewarned.
See also - Naked: A vulnerable child trapped in a predatory world. A shocking story by Jo Hill 7 August 2008 - “Miserable at home and friendless at school, she didn't think life could get worse. But it did. Her father became obsessed with going to nudist camps, and they soon became a dreaded weekly fixture. Forced to show her bare body in front of total strangers, Jo suffered at the hands of men who were at the camps to prey on young, naked girls.
Men who were there to befriend, groom and sexually abuse. Living in fear of her shameful family secret being exposed, Jo coped by rebelling both at home and at school. But it took the violent rape of a young camper for Jo to finally find the courage to disobey her powerful and controlling father - and break free.”
See also - “About 40% of nudists are swingers”
Comment: This naturism is a heresy because it denies the requirements of immodesty. It redefines modesty to mean there is a type of modesty where everyone is naked. This would mean that common nudity would be enough to meet the requirements for modesty. This is specious and ignores the effects of concupiscence and also that nakedness has an unique effect on concupiscence.
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— […] But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
1 Corinthians 5:9, 11
4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for it is just as if her head were shaved. […] [10] Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the angels.
1 Corinthians 11
Aquinas: “Therefore, the woman should always have a covering over her head because of the angels, i.e., the priests, for two reasons: first, as reverence toward them, to which it pertains that women should behave honorably before them. Hence it says in Sir (7:30): “With all your might love your maker and do not forsake his priests.” Secondly, for their safety, lest the sight of a woman not veiled excite their concupiscence. Hence it says in Sirach (9:5): “Do not look intently at a virgin, lest you stumble and incur penalties for her.”
Baltimore Catechism:
* This firm purpose of amendment does not necessarily exclude the fear that a person may repeat his sin in the future. It does mean that, at the time, a person, relying fully upon God's grace, sincerely intends never to commit this sin again.
* The firm purpose of amendment includes also the intention to remain away from persons, places, or things that may easily lead him to sin.
* The firm purpose of amendment must include not only those mortal sins which the person has committed in the past and confessed, but also all mortal sins.
* > "He that loveth danger shall perish in it" (Ecclesiasticus 3:27).
* > "My son, hast thou sinned? Do so no more: but for thy former sins also pray that they may be forgiven thee. Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent: for if thou comest near them, they will take hold of thee" (Ecclesiasticus 21:1-2).
* > "Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation" (Mark 14:38). "Then Jesus said, 'Neither will I condemn thee. Go thy way, and from now on sin no more' "(John 8:11).
* > "Do not be led astray, 'evil companionships corrupt good morals' " (1 Corinthians 15:33).
* Q. 406. What is the firm purpose of sinning no more?
A. The firm purpose of sinning no more is the sincere resolve not only to avoid sin but to avoid as far as possible the near occasions of sin.
* Q. 76. What are the near occasions of sin?
A. The near occasions of sin are all persons, places, or things that may easily lead us into sin.
* There is a grave obligation to avoid the near occasion of mortal sin. If circumstances force us into the near occasion of sin, we are obliged to make use of the necessary safeguards, such as prayer and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist.
* We must particularly avoid the near occasions of sin. Nowadays there are many occasions of sin in the world, such as bad books, heretical or improper radio programs, indecent motion pictures, vile theatrical exhibitions, and persons who try to lead others into sin by their bad speech or wicked conduct. Those who frequent unnecessarily the occasions of sin are running a great risk. "He that loveth danger shall perish in it" (Ecclus. 3:27).
* Q. 256. What does the sixth commandment forbid?
A. The Sixth commandment forbids all impurity and immodesty in words, looks, and actions, whether alone or with others.
* Q. 257. What are the chief dangers to the virtue of chastity?
A. The chief dangers to the virtue of chastity are: idleness, sinful curiosity, bad companions, drinking, immodest dress, and indecent books, plays, and motion pictures.
* We must avoid as far as possible any person, place, or thing that is likely to tempt us to immodesty and impurity. Special care must be taken to avoid the near occasions of these sins.
* Q. 258. What are the chief means of preserving the virtue of chastity?
A. The chief means of preserving the virtue of chastity are to avoid carefully all unnecessary dangers, to seek God's help through prayer, frequent confession, Holy Communion, and assistance at Holy Mass, and to have a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
* It should be our concern to regard the commandments of God, not as merely forbidding what is bad but also as commanding what is good. Of the commandments considered in this lesson, the one which demands the most effort for its observance and entails the most exalted holiness on the part of those who obey it perfectly is the sixth commandment. Nowadays there is much in the world that incites people to sins of impurity. We must be constantly on our guard lest we fall into this degrading sin. To mention only a few of the sources of danger to chastity in our own land, there are obscene motion pictures, magazines filled with lewd pictures, a great laxity in the matter of dress. Catholics should be mindful of the admonitions of recent Popes regarding these dangers. If Catholics follow those admonitions of the Church, and make use of the means at their disposal to gain spiritual strength-particularly the frequent reception of Holy Communion, nourishing us with the immaculate flesh of Our Divine Saviour-they can avoid the dangers that surround them and practice perfectly the virtue of purity, known as the angelic virtue, because it makes us like the pure angels who surround the throne of God in heaven.
* Q. 256. What does the sixth commandment forbid?
A. The Sixth commandment forbids all impurity and immodesty in words, looks, and actions, whether alone or with others.
369. Q. What is the sixth Commandment?
A. The sixth Commandment is: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
370. Q. What are we commanded by the sixth Commandment?
A. We are commanded by the sixth Commandment to be pure in thought and modest in all our looks, words, and actions.
371. Q. What is forbidden by the sixth Commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbids all unchaste freedom with another's wife or husband; also all immodesty with ourselves or others in looks, dress, words, or actions.
372. Q. Does the sixth Commandment forbid the reading of bad and immodest books and newspapers?
A. The sixth Commandment does forbid the reading of bad and immodest books and newspapers
2354 Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It 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. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials. Catechism of the Catholic Church
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. Proverbs 4:14-15
My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. Proverbs 1:10
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? / What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” ...
Ecclesiasticus 13:1
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith
“The Adamites were considered a heretical group due to their radical rejection of traditional Christian doctrines concerning the fall of humanity, the means of grace, and the role of the church. Their belief in a return to the innocence of Adam, their antinomianism, and their rejection of church authority and the sacraments placed them outside of the boundaries of orthodox Christian belief. Their practices and teachings were condemned by the church throughout history as a serious deviation from the biblical understanding of sin, grace, and Christian ethics.” CPR Foundation
A Catholic priest in clerical garb told a Senate committee Tuesday a nudist club near his rural church In Grimes County is nothing more than "pornography in the flesh” AUSTIN. Tex. (AP) 1979
“What does Schamgefühl [feeling of shame] want in general? It seeks to protect human dignity… whoever openly shares with anyone his most personal, holy side is throwing himself away and loses his dignity.” Father Ph. Küble, S.J. Philip Küble, Nacktkultur (Düsseldorf: Jugendführungverlag, 1926)
“Certain new theologians dispute Original Sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved.” Orthodoxy, GK Chesterton (1908)
“But the fallacy in such a fashion is concerned with a certain ultimate common sense about mankind. The cult of nakedness, which used to be called the Adamite Heresy, does, in fact, reveal its falsity at the beginning, even in the merely material aspect. Man is not independent of artificial things, even in the most natural sense. Nakedness is not even practical, except on selected occasions that are entirely artificial …
The point is that the whole of this philosophy is wrong at the root; is wrong in its whole conception of the nature and position of man on the earth; is wrong even in its relation to matter; and is wrong long before we come to the higher question of morals.
But when we do come to it, we shall not be surprised to find that the theory is as false in moral fact as it is in material fact. A human being is not even completely human without clothes, because they have become a part of him as the symbol of purely human things; of dignity, of modesty, of self-ownership, of property, and privacy and honour. Even in the purely artistic sense humanity would never have become human without them, because the range of self-expression and symbolic decoration would have been hopelessly limited, and there would have been no outlet even for the most primary instincts about colour and form. The Adamite heresy begins in madness, but it ends only in monotony..” III. On the Nudists, GK Chesterton, All Is Grist (1931)
Lastly, I am not sure I should choose the German flapper, even if I were driven to the choice. We may think a sacrifice is made to a mistaken code of honour; but there is the sacrifice; and there is the honour. We have no reason to suppose that the Nudist even knows what we mean by honour. We know nothing about her, except that she does not know what we mean by dignity. A Note on Nudism, GK Chesterton, The Common Man (1950)
And my Socialist questioners did not question this; they, too, accepted clothes as so universal an agreement of common sense and civilisation, that we might attribute the tradition to a total stranger, unless he were a lunatic. Such a little while ago! To-day, when I see the stranger walking down the street, I should not bet that he believes even in clothes. The country is dotted with Nudist Colonies; the bookstalls are littered with Nudist magazines; the papers swarm with polite little paragraphs, praising the brownness and braveness of the special sort of anarchical asses here in question. At any given moment, there may be a General Will; but it is an uncommonly weak and wavering sort of will, without the Faith to support it. As in that one matter of modesty, or the mere externals of sex, so in all the deeper matters of sex, the modern will has been amazingly weak and wavering. My Six Conversions, III The Surrender Upon Sex, The Well and the Shallows By GK Chesterton (1935)
Dedicated to the Immaculata
