Adultery means marital infidelity. When two partners, at least one of whom is married, establish a sexual relationship with each other, even an ephemeral one, they commit adultery. The sixth commandment and the New Testament absolutely forbid adultery. The prophets denounce its gravity. They see in adultery the figure of the sin of idolatry.
“Adultery is an injustice. Who commits it fails with their commitments. It hurts the sign of the covenant, which is the marriage bond; it harms the rights of the other spouse and harms the institution of marriage, violating the contract that underlies it. It compromises the good of the human generation and of the children, who need the stable union of their parents. (No. 2381).
Adultery means marital infidelity. When two partners, at least one of whom is married, establish a sexual relationship with each other, even an ephemeral one, they commit adultery. The sixth commandment and the New Testament absolutely forbid adultery. The prophets denounce its gravity. They see in adultery the figure of the sin of idolatry.
“Adultery is an injustice. Who commits it fails with their commitments. It hurts the sign of the covenant, which is the marriage bond; it harms the rights of the other spouse and harms the institution of marriage, violating the contract that underlies it. It compromises the good of the human generation and of the children, who need the stable union of their parents. (No. 2381).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that adultery committed by a person is not just the performance of a sexual act with someone other than their spouse . It’s more than that. He condemns adultery of desire: “You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you: whoever looks at a woman with lustful desire has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:27).
The gravity of this act lies in sexual utilitarianism, which results in hedonism and the sin of lust, which transforms the other person into an object of pleasure. The adultery of desire reveals a fact inside the person, that is, it is to desire it not as the end of one’s intentions, but as a means. Adultery in the heart happens because the person has decided, inwardly, to use the other for his selfish satisfaction.
Technological progress
The internet has become an easy tool to proliferate virtual sex and adultery from the heart. This started with using the phone a long time ago; some agencies even specialized in offering this type of activity with young women and men in the program, hired for this. These were the famous “teles”: telefantasy, tele-erotic, telessexy, telegay… In short, telesin.
The internet has surpassed all that! First, because of the privacy, convenience and anonymous way in which the fantasy is offered; second, because it is almost always “free”. The lust is globalized over the Internet. What is immoral is commercially exploited, which violates the dignity of the human being, transforming it into a means of pleasure and profit.
I’ve been getting emails from wives who despair when they catch their husbands looking at porn sites. The temptation is great and the ease is great. Others engage in varied “chats” and end up getting complicated. One form of virtual adultery is what happens to pornography offered over the internet. Anyone who seeks sexual satisfaction through online pornography is committing the sin of adultery from the heart, as Jesus explained.
Virtual sexual activity over the internet can turn into addiction; and worst of all, it often leads to the sin of masturbation , fornication, adultery or even a perverted sexual experience with the spouse. The “chats” have become, for many, a means of living a virtual adultery, “safe” and cheap.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear in stating:
“Pornography (…) offends chastity, because it disfigures the conjugal act, an intimate donation of spouses to each other. It seriously undermines the dignity of those who practice it (actors, merchants and the public), because each becomes an object of rudimentary pleasure and illicit profit for the other. Immerse each other in the illusion in an artificial way. It is a serious fault. Civil authorities must prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials” ( CCC § 2354).
Adultery means marital infidelity. When two partners, at least one of whom is married, establish a sexual relationship with each other, even an ephemeral one, they commit adultery. The sixth commandment and the New Testament absolutely forbid adultery. The prophets denounce its gravity. They see in adultery the figure of the sin of idolatry.
“Adultery is an injustice. Who commits it fails with their commitments. It hurts the sign of the covenant, which is the marriage bond; it harms the rights of the other spouse and harms the institution of marriage, violating the contract that underlies it. It compromises the good of the human generation and of the children, who need the stable union of their parents. (No. 2381).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that adultery committed by a person is not just the performance of a sexual act with someone other than their spouse . It’s more than that. He condemns adultery of desire: “You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you: whoever looks at a woman with lustful desire has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:27).
The gravity of this act lies in sexual utilitarianism, which results in hedonism and the sin of lust, which transforms the other person into an object of pleasure. The adultery of desire reveals a fact inside the person, that is, it is to desire it not as the end of one’s intentions, but as a means. Adultery in the heart happens because the person has decided, inwardly, to use the other for his selfish satisfaction.
Technological progress
The internet has become an easy tool to proliferate virtual sex and adultery from the heart. This started with using the phone a long time ago; some agencies even specialized in offering this type of activity with young women and men in the program, hired for this. These were the famous “teles”: telefantasy, tele-erotic, telessexy, telegay… In short, telesin.
The internet has surpassed all that! First, because of the privacy, convenience and anonymous way in which the fantasy is offered; second, because it is almost always “free”. The lust is globalized over the Internet. What is immoral is commercially exploited, which violates the dignity of the human being, transforming it into a means of pleasure and profit.
I’ve been getting emails from wives who despair when they catch their husbands looking at porn sites. The temptation is great and the ease is great. Others engage in varied “chats” and end up getting complicated. One form of virtual adultery is what happens to pornography offered over the internet. Anyone who seeks sexual satisfaction through online pornography is committing the sin of adultery from the heart, as Jesus explained.
Virtual sexual activity over the internet can turn into addiction; and worst of all, it often leads to the sin of masturbation , fornication, adultery or even a perverted sexual experience with the spouse. The “chats” have become, for many, a means of living a virtual adultery, “safe” and cheap.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear in stating:
“Pornography (…) offends chastity, because it disfigures the conjugal act, an intimate donation of spouses to each other. It seriously undermines the dignity of those who practice it (actors, merchants and the public), because each becomes an object of rudimentary pleasure and illicit profit for the other. Immerse each other in the illusion in an artificial way. It is a serious fault. Civil authorities must prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials” ( CCC § 2354).
Illustrative photo: Wesley Almeida/cancaonova.com
What drives a man or a woman to pursue adultery wholeheartedly over the internet?
One of the reasons can be the lack in the relationship with the spouse, the lack of marital harmony and, above all, sexual harmony . In such a situation, if the person does not have a strong and permanent spiritual life, he can easily go into virtual adultery, pornography and chat sites.
Jesus left us the basic recipe to overcome any sin, also virtual adultery: watch and pray. Always be in a state of prayer, with the soul always connected to God, always begging the Lord for the help of His grace so as not to fall into temptation. “Do not let us fall into temptation…”. “Fly only sits on a cold plate”, so don’t let your soul get cold from lack of prayer, fellowship, meditation on the Word, rosary prayer, etc.
Second, you need to watch. Escaping from sinful occasions is a heroic escape. If you can’t control yourself in the face of internet and cybersex, then stop accessing the internet on your computer or cell phone until you learn to dominate yourself. Or, in front of the computer, pray and promise God not to access a pornography or dangerous relationship site for the love of Jesus, who, to save you, died on the cross. Only for the love of God can we leave sin altogether, never for fear of Him. Write under your computer monitor: “I will not sin today, for Jesus’ sake, for He deserves it.”
What if I fall?
Get up immediately. Don’t stay a minute in the mud of sin. Ask God for forgiveness and promise to confess as soon as possible. Yes, confession is important, so that divine grace will give you the forgiveness and strength not to return to the sin of virtual adultery. The Christian has to live chastity , because it is the law of God; and this will only be possible if you close the windows of the soul (eyes, ears, mouth, nose and hands) to everything that excites you and brings sin into your interior. With God’s grace and willpower, this is possible.
