I am a victim of negative cultural messages and overwhelmed by shame from masturbation.

I’m hoping to create a masturbation ritual that helps to erase the shame and guilt that has plagued me my whole life since growing up catholic.

Actually, since masturbation was dropped from the DSM as abnormal behavior, I was hoping that the sex education curriculum had changed, but I was wrong. See dialogue with a catholic priest below (names have been changed to protect the innocent).

Can you offer any suggestions on how to destigmatize masturbation and remove the shame?

John,

If a curriculum is used claiming masturbation to be part of a self care routine it would not be Catholic. Masturbation is a mortal sin because it is a violation of the very purpose of the sexual faculties. Our sexual faculties are given to us to give to another person only within the context of marriage. To use one's sexual faculties for self pleasure, whether that be through using one's spouse in the marital act, adultery, fornication, masturbation or any other sin against purity is always a mortal sin because it takes sexuality, which is supposed to be a gift for the good of another, and makes it selfish. For this reason, it could never be considered "self care" because it is, instead, a violation of one's own self and one's own sexuality faculties. I hope this helps to clarify the point for you.

God bless you,

Fr. Frank

On 1/2/2019 8:12 AM, John Doe wrote:

I grew up catholic. Early catechism education in catholic school taught masturbation was a sin. This was in early 1960’s. A lot has changed since then. What curriculum is used now to teach healthy masturbation as part of a self care routine?

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