as the Gestalt Principles, from the German word Gestalt, which can be translated as “a unified whole, or a configuration”. The main principle evoked here is the Principle of Continuity. Cf. for example, Grace Fussell, Gestalt Theory: 6 Essential Principles for Design, https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/ gestalt-theory-in-design. See also Stylumia, Good To Great Designs: Gestalt Principles, https://www. stylumia.ai/blog/good-to-great-designs-gestaltprinciples/, and Guide to the Gestalt Principles: Role of Gestalt Laws in Design, https://www.masterclass. com/articles/gestalt-principles-guide. The Gestalt Principles, even though rather recently classified and formulated, are not new; they simply explain what we can observe ourselves. People involved in advertising and fashions know these principles well and have made abundant use of them; they go a long way towards explaining why the increased sexualisation of our society has gone hand in hand with more and more daring fashions that reveal both the flesh and the form of the female body. 38 Cf. Notification Concerning Men’s Dress Worn by Women, 12 June 1960. 39 Pius XII, Allocution to the Girls of Catholic Action, May 22, 1941. 40 Gerard J. M. Van Den Aardweg, The Battle for Normality: A Guide For (Self-) Therapy For Homosexuality, p. 78 and ff.. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997. 41 St Thomas explains that “it is in itself sinful for a woman to wear man’s clothes, or vice versa; especially since this may be a cause of sensuous pleasure; and it is expressly forbidden in the Law (Deu 22) because the Gentiles used to practice this change of attire for the purpose of idolatrous superstition. Nevertheless this may be done sometimes without sin on account of some necessity, either in order to hide oneself from enemies, or through lack of other clothes, or for some similar motive” (Summa Theologiae, Ia-IIae, 169, a. 2, ad 3). 42 I do hold that it is unbecoming for women to engage in certain sports (e.g. boxing, wrestling, weight lifting,..), not for any lack of capacity, but for reasons of feminine dignity and decorum. 43 Exhortation to Those in Authority Regarding Immodest Fashions in Women’s Dress, Letter Issued from the Sacred Congregation of the Council by order of Pope Pius XI January 12, 1930; Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Divini illius magistri, “On The Christian Education of Youth,” 31 December 1929. Cf. also Pope Pius XII, July 17, 1954: “Do they not see the harm resulting from excess in certain gymnastic exercises and sports not suitable for virtuous girls?”. 44 Here again we can refer to the Gestalt Principles, namely the Principle of Focal Point, which confirms what is here explained from a psychological point of view. 45 Study led by psychologist Susan Fiske. A summary can be found here: https://www. nationalgeographic.com/science/article/bikiniswomen-men-objects-science. The full study can be found here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC3801174/ 46 It has further been noticed by researchers that when the male gaze is drawn to a woman’s face, it is geared towards finding a potential long-term spouse, whereas when it is drawn to her bodily features, he pays less attention to the face and is drawn to short term gratification. “Not only are males more likely than females to state a preference for physically attractive characteristics in a mate, but their prioritizing of female facial cues over body shape is dependent on the planned mating duration. That is, whereas females remain unaffected by mating temporality, males prioritize facial cues in a long-term mating context but bodily cues in a short-term one.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC8133465/ 47 Cf. https://www.history.com/this-day-inhistory/bikini-introduced. 48 For modest swimming apparel, try this: https://www.etsy.com/au/market/modest_ swimsuit, or this: https://calypsa.com/swimwear. html, or this:https://www.modestmermaid.co/ 49 Pope Pius XII, through delegation to Cardinal Pietro Ciriaci, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, August 15, 1954. 50 Summa Theologiae, Ia-IIae, 109, 8, corpus. 51 Quote attributed to Edmund Burke (17291797). 52 The Visions of Saint Frances of Rome: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven Revealed (p.59). TAN Books. Kindle Edition. 104
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