Jun 14, 2011
Is the use of viagra morally acceptable by the Catholic Church?
The morality of the use of any medicine depends on the object, the intention, and the circumstances.
Assuming that the Viagra medicine has only one purpose, to facilitate the marital act, then it can be taken licitly only by married people who are open to life.
If people are not married, and/or are not open to life, then it would be morally impermissible to take Viagra. If the married couple is beyond child-bearing age, but otherwise are open to life, then it could be morally licit to use Viagra if it helps keep the love and affection alive between husband and spouse.
But what we must reject is the instrumentilization of sex for pleasure. That’s a dead end and leads to isolation. The marital act always needs to be understood from the perspective of gift of self, and not a gift for self.
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