Temperance

Temperance is the cardinal moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps natural desires within the limits of what is honorable — neither suppressing them nor surrendering to them (CCC 1809).

What Temperance Governs

Temperance primarily governs the appetites for food, drink, and sexual pleasure — the most powerful natural drives. It does not condemn these desires as evil (they are natural goods) but orders them according to reason and God's law. The temperate person enjoys food, drink, and sexuality rightly — in their proper place, measure, and context — rather than being dominated by them (CCC 1809).

Temperance and the Christian Life

Fasting (the temperance of food), chastity (the temperance of sexuality), and sobriety (the temperance of drink) are the specific expressions of the virtue in Christian practice. The Catechism notes that temperance "ensures the will's mastery over instincts" — it is the virtue that makes freedom possible, since the person who is mastered by desires is not truly free (CCC 1809).

Temperance vs. Asceticism

Temperance is not the rejection of pleasure — it is the right ordering of pleasure. The Catechism explicitly condemns "the error of those who consider temperance to mean a total abstinence from earthly pleasures." The temperate person enjoys God's good gifts; they simply enjoy them in the right way, at the right time, and to the right degree (CCC 1809).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is temperance the same as abstinence? No. Abstinence (total avoidance) is one expression of temperance in certain contexts (alcohol for someone with a drinking problem; certain foods on penitential days). But temperance in general means moderate use, not total abstinence. A temperate person can enjoy wine — they simply do not drink to excess (CCC 1809).