Sexual pleasure is a gift from God . But it is threatened by pornography : a type of " satisfaction without relationship which can generate forms of addiction " Pope Francis said this in the general audience underlining that " we must defend love and win the battle against lust , against "thingification" of the other", which can become "a lifelong undertaking".
The Pontiff then dedicated a thought to chastity which «is a virtue that should not be confused with sexual abstinence . No, chastity is beyond sexual abstinence. It is the will to never possess the other. Loving means respecting the other, seeking their happiness, cultivating empathy for their feelings, placing ourselves in the knowledge of a body, a psychology and a soul that are not ours, and which must be contemplated for the beauty of which they are carriers."
" Loving is beautiful ", Francis underlined again in the catechesis dedicated to the vice of lust, explaining that " in Christianity there is no condemnation of the sexual instinct ", as demonstrated by a book of the Bible, the Song of Songs, "a stupendous love poem between two boyfriends. However, this beautiful dimension of our humanity is not free from dangers. If it is not polluted by vice, falling in love is one of the purest feelings. A person in love becomes generous, enjoys giving gifts, writes letters and poems. It stops thinking about itself to be completely projected towards the other. This is beautiful!", concluded the Pontiff.
(Unioneonline/vf)