Simone Lawson
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a mortal sin as a grave violation of God's law that turns man away from God. Mortal sins are considered more serious than venial sins, which do not sever a person's relationship with God. For a sin to be considered mortal, it must meet three conditions: it must be of grave matter, be committed with full knowledge that it is a mortal sin, and be committed with full consent. Sins that are considered to be of grave matter include blasphemy, perjury, adultery, theft, murder, and sexual relations outside of marriage.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of conditions that must be met for a sin to be mortal | 3 |
| First condition | Grave matter |
| Second condition | Full knowledge |
| Third condition | Deliberate consent |
| What constitutes grave matter | Sinful actions specified by the Ten Commandments |
| Examples of grave matter | Murder, theft, violence against parents, adultery, prostitution, sexual relations outside marriage, sacrilege, blasphemy, perjury, deliberately avoiding Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, hatred of neighbour, adulation, masturbation, divorce, child abuse, neglect of one's parents |
| Effect of mortal sin | Loss of charity, privation of sanctifying grace, eternal death, exclusion from Christ's kingdom, separation from God |
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What You'll Learn
Mortal sin requires full knowledge and consent
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a mortal sin as:
> Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns a man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.
Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us, that is, charity, necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart. According to the Catechism, "mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace."
For a sin to be considered mortal, three conditions must be met simultaneously: it must be of grave matter, committed with full knowledge that it is a mortal sin, and committed with full consent. Full consent means to do it "voluntarily". Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, as outlined by Jesus in his answer to the rich young man: "Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honour your father and mother." The gravity of sins varies: murder is graver than theft, and violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.
The Catechism also points out that "one must also take into account who is wronged". For example, stealing from the excess wealth of a millionaire is less evil than stealing food from a starving man. Similarly, lying in itself may only constitute a venial sin, but it becomes a mortal sin when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.
The Catholic Church teaches that "unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense". However, no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders.
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Mortal sin is a violation of the Ten Commandments
Mortal sin, in Christian theology, is a grave violation of God's law, leading to a person's separation from God's grace. It is a serious act of sinfulness that can result in damnation if not repented before death.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines mortal sin as: "Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him." (CCC #1855)
Three conditions must be met for a sin to be considered mortal: it must be of grave matter, committed with full knowledge, and with deliberate consent. The Catechism specifies that "grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments" (CCC #1858), referring to Jesus' response to the rich young man: 'You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honour your father and mother' (Mark 10:17,19).
Not all violations of the Ten Commandments are mortal sins, and not all mortal sins are direct violations of the Commandments. The gravity of a sin depends on various factors, including the nature of the act, the person wronged, and the harm caused. For example, stealing a small amount of money is less grave than stealing food from a starving person. Similarly, violence against parents is considered graver than violence against a stranger.
Mortal sins are distinguished from venial sins, which do not completely sever a person's relationship with God. While mortal sins destroy charity, venial sins weaken it and impede spiritual progress. Venial sins can, however, lead to mortal sins if left unaddressed.
Examples of mortal sins include sacrilege, blasphemy, perjury, murder, sexual relations outside of marriage, and sins against the Holy Spirit. These sins are considered to be gravely contrary to divine law and the ultimate end of man, necessitating repentance and God's mercy for reconciliation.
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Mortal sin is a rejection of God's mercy
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a mortal sin as:
> Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.
According to the Catechism:
> Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace.
Mortal sin is a matter of free will and human freedom. It is a choice to turn away from God and reject His mercy, love, and grace. Without repentance and God's forgiveness, mortal sin leads to "eternal death" and ""eternal separation from God".
The Catechism further states that:
> There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit.
To summarise, mortal sin is a rejection of God's mercy because it involves a deliberate choice to turn away from God, reject His grace and forgiveness, and prefer "an inferior good". It is a serious act of disobedience that separates a person from God and leads to eternal death if not redeemed by repentance and God's mercy.
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Mortal sin turns man away from God
Mortal sins are those that turn a person away from God. They destroy the charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law. They are committed with full knowledge and consent, presupposing knowledge of the sinful character of the act and its opposition to God's law.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines mortal sin as:
> "Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him."
Mortal sins are distinguished from venial sins, which do not turn a person away from God. Venial sins weaken a person's relationship with God and offend and wound charity. They are committed without full knowledge or complete consent.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a venial sin as:
> "Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it."
To be considered a mortal sin, three conditions must be met: the sin must be of grave matter, committed with full knowledge, and committed with full consent. The gravity of a sin is determined by the Ten Commandments. For example, murder is considered graver than theft, and violence against parents is considered graver than violence against a stranger.
Mortal sins include sacrilege, blasphemy, perjury, deliberately avoiding Mass, murder, hatred of a neighbour, prostitution, sexual relations outside of marriage, and adulation that makes one an accomplice in another's vices or grave sins.
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Mortal sin results in eternal death
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a mortal sin as:
> Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.
Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us—that is, charity—necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell. This is because mortal sin results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, or the state of grace.
Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. According to St. John:
> All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal... there is sin which is mortal.
Mortal sin is a gravely sinful act that can lead to damnation if a person does not repent of the sin before death. It is also referred to as deadly, grave, or serious. The concept of mortal sin is found in Catholicism and Lutheranism.
For a sin to be considered mortal, three conditions must be met:
- It must be of grave matter.
- It must be committed with full knowledge that it is a mortal sin.
- It must be committed with full consent, meaning voluntarily.
The Catechism specifies that "grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments". Examples of grave matter include murder, theft, violence against parents, sacrilege, blasphemy, perjury, deliberately avoiding Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, prostitution, sexual relations outside marriage, and adulation that makes one an accomplice in another's vices or grave sins.
However, it is important to note that not every violation of the Ten Commandments is a mortal sin, and not every mortal sin is a direct violation of the Ten Commandments. For instance, stealing a small amount of money is not necessarily a mortal sin, but gluttony is considered a mortal sin despite not being a direct violation of the Ten Commandments.
In conclusion, mortal sin results in eternal death because it destroys charity in the heart of man, turning him away from God and leading to a state of eternal separation from God, who is the source of true life and happiness.
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Frequently asked questions
Mortal sin is a gravely sinful act that can lead to damnation if a person does not repent of the sin before death. It is also referred to as deadly, grave, or serious.
For a sin to be considered mortal, three conditions must be met: it must be of grave matter, committed with full knowledge that it is a mortal sin, and committed with full consent.
Examples of mortal sins include sacrilege, blasphemy, perjury, murder, sexual relations outside marriage, sins against the Holy Spirit, and sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance.
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