What Specific Sins Are Considered Mortal?

[XIX]

I know the requirements for mortal sin, but I don't have a good grasp on which sins are "serious sins" to begin with. I know the obvious ones--rejecting Church teaching, sins against chastity, missing Sunday Mass, and stuff like murder.

But I feel like I'm missing a lot of them. I don't want to be a guy who is so concerned about avoiding mortal sin that I forget about growing in spirituality; however, this is an area where I seriously need to be educated. Does anyone have a list of mortal sins that they could dig up?

[abercius24]

The best way to consider sin in this context is how much the sin damages the relationship you have with God. A good analogy is the relationship between a husband and wife.

We all agree that a husband who cheats on his wife obviously damages the relationship between them substantially. What about if he flirts with a lady at his work? Yeah, this is definitely not good for their relationship, either. Its not an unrecoverable breech of trust, but it is definitely something the wife would feel hurt by if she found out. If he continuously flirts with the lady at work, then the breech of trust becomes substantially greater and could end up seriously damaging the relationship he has with his wife. The two scenarios here would be equivalent to the difference between grave and venial sin. Cheating clearly would be the grave sin. Minor flirting would be similar to a venial sin, but continuous flirting would be similar to a repetative venial sin compounding into an overall grave sin. If the action or thought (because we can sin with our thoughts, too) betrays the relationship we have with God to a point that it clearly puts God in a role of great disrespect, then the sin is clearly grave. There is a gray area there, too, which the Church tends to give us the benefit of the doubt on.

Also, consider the cheating husband coming humbly to his wife and asking for forgiveness, which she in her immense love offers back to the husband. This is similar to confessing a grave sin. Without such an apology, the wife cannot recognize the husband as having returned to her since he still embraces his sin and that sin still lies as a wedge between them. With the confession, they have a chance to clear away that wedge and start over again. Hurt, no doubt, but reunited only by the power of Love and Grace. Also consider what the husband is obligated to do after his wife caught him flirting. He should still ask for forgiveness to mend the hurt, even though the breech of trust is not necessarily a wedge between them. But, he can also do other things to demonstrate his contrition to his wife, and because the relationship is still intact, his actions can be received in good faith and those actions will eventually mend the damage caused. This is similar to the case with venial sins. You can be forgiven of a venial sin through confession, or through the normal course of participating in the beauty of the relationship. You can do penance without confession in the case of a venial sin, and that penance will warrant grace which thereby will repair the damage done to the relationship.

Here are some other indicators that are helpful, as well:
Any sin found in the Bible as warranting hell or leading God to abandone the relationship is a sin with grave consequence. As well, any sin that warranted the death penalty or any other grave punishment in the Old Testament is a good indicator of the mortal nature that sin has on the soul in the New Testament (since the Old prefigures the New). Obviously consider those sins the Church directly recognizes as grave in nature, as well.

"Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21 NAB)

"Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NAB)

"While claiming to be wise, they became geniuses and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes. Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." (Romans 1:22-32 NAB)

"But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." (Mark 3:29 NAB)

"So Moses went back to the LORD and said, 'Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves! If you would only forgive their sin! If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.' The LORD answered, 'Him only who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book. Now, go and lead the people whither I have told you. My angel will go before you. When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.' Thus the LORD smote the people for having had Aaron make the calf for them." (Exodus 32:31-35 NAB)

"If anyone sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; For in the image of God has man been made." (Genesis 9:6 NAB)

"You shall not let a sorceress live. Anyone who lies with an animal shall be put to death. Whoever sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD alone, shall be doomed." (Exodus 22:17-19 NAB)

"You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry. My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans." (Exodus 22:21-23 NAB)

Steve S. -- abercius24
CatholicQandA.com

Edited August 13, 2007 by abercius24

[XIX]

That is an incredible answer. Thanks

[Hirsap]

Let us remember that taking God's name in vain is grave matter, i.e.: mortally sinful when done with sufficient reflection and freely.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='XIX' post='1357948' date='Aug 13 2007, 12:01 AM']That is an incredible answer. Thanks [/quote]
I second that. Great answer, Abercius.

[XIX]

[quote name='Hirsap' post='1357962' date='Aug 13 2007, 01:14 AM']Let us remember that taking God's name in vain is grave matter, i.e.: mortally sinful when done with sufficient reflection and freely.[/quote]
I thought that you had to you use it in association with a curse word--I might be wrong, and I never take His name in vain either way so it doesn't matter to me specifically. But I though just saying the word that refers to the Almighty was only venial.

[Matt1618]

[url="http://www.saintaquinas.com/mortal_sin.html"]http://www.saintaquinas.com/mortal_sin.html[/url]

this list should help.

[Groo the Wanderer]

The whole problem here is that we tend to get too legalistic on this, the more we ponder/worry about it.

ALL serious sin has the possibility of being mortal. The question lies in subjective evil and objective evil. For example: stealing is objectively seriously evil, being a sin against the 7th Commandment. However, stealing a pencil from the 7-11 is not a serious sin, but a venial sin. Also, stealing food to feed one's family is not sinful at all, since God put an abundance of food on this earth for all of us.

The best thing to do is to properly form your conscience through prayer, fasting, and the Sacrament. From there, you can let your conscience lead you. One rule of thumb, provided you have a properly formed conscience, if you have an honest doubt about whether a sin has become mortal or not, then it most likely is not. With a good conscience, you will KNOW when a sin is mortal.

Hope this helps...quit worrying...go to confession regularly...and attend Mass at least weekly!

[Guest]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' post='1358659' date='Aug 14 2007, 10:04 AM']The whole problem here is that we tend to get too legalistic on this, the more we ponder/worry about it.

ALL serious sin has the possibility of being mortal. The question lies in subjective evil and objective evil. For example: stealing is objectively seriously evil, being a sin against the 7th Commandment. However, stealing a pencil from the 7-11 is not a serious sin, but a venial sin. Also, stealing food to feed one's family is not sinful at all, since God put an abundance of food on this earth for all of us.

The best thing to do is to properly form your conscience through prayer, fasting, and the Sacrament. From there, you can let your conscience lead you. One rule of thumb, provided you have a properly formed conscience, if you have an honest doubt about whether a sin has become mortal or not, then it most likely is not. With a good conscience, you will KNOW when a sin is mortal.

Hope this helps...quit worrying...go to confession regularly...and attend Mass at least weekly![/quote]


i like that....

[journeyman]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' post='1358659' date='Aug 14 2007, 10:04 AM']The whole problem here is that we tend to get too legalistic on this, the more we ponder/worry about it.

ALL serious sin has the possibility of being mortal. The question lies in subjective evil and objective evil. For example: stealing is objectively seriously evil, being a sin against the 7th Commandment. However, stealing a pencil from the 7-11 is not a serious sin, but a venial sin. Also, stealing food to feed one's family is not sinful at all, since God put an abundance of food on this earth for all of us.

The best thing to do is to properly form your conscience through prayer, fasting, and the Sacrament. From there, you can let your conscience lead you. One rule of thumb, provided you have a properly formed conscience, if you have an honest doubt about whether a sin has become mortal or not, then it most likely is not. With a good conscience, you will KNOW when a sin is mortal.

Hope this helps...quit worrying...go to confession regularly...and attend Mass at least weekly![/quote]

Not to be legalistic . . . but . . .

using stealing as an example . . . I think the sin may always be mortal, regardless of value . . . in the civil law, there are degrees of punishment depending on value, but God's law is not the civil law. Perhaps another way to measure the sin in God's eye is to look at the harm done the other. The parable told to David is a good example, when the man owning 100 sheep took the one belonging to his neighbor who only had one, that was a sin of great magnitude, and presented that way, David realized the enormity of what he had done.

Going back to the 7-11 example, sure, they have lots of pencils, and they don't make up the vast bulk of 7-11's inventory, so "objectively" that would be a misdemeanor/venial. Now look at yourself - was having that pencil a matter of life and death; did you have one at home, and this was just more convenient; why would you do something you know objectively is wrong? If for trivial reasons, then your actions "objectively" become worse.

While I like the abundance idea as justification for stealing food for one's family, I think that is more of an "emergency" situation in which your circumstances are the foundation for the application of mercy, rather than as a justification/authorization to commit a wrongful action.

But you're right; the more we discuss the "what ifs" the more we look like lawyers trying to find the minimum standard of behavior . . . when we should be aiming higher. That is one beauty of confession, that we can miss the standard, repent, and do better next time.

[Ziggamafu]

Adapted by Ziggamafu from Fr. Heribert Jone's[i] Moral Theology[/i], which can never be recommended enough; the lowest species are listed and named specifically, here.
*Note: Church laws on fasting and abstinence are not mentioned, here.

Grave Sins (presuming full knowledge & free consent)

[b]INTERNAL SINS[/b]
Morose Delectation (“sinful thoughts” – for pleasure or with impure intentions, the deliberate entertainment / sustaining of thoughts / fantasies of sin)

Sinful Joy (satisfaction, praise or happiness for an accomplished sin with regard to the evil deed itself)

Evil Desire (longing to do something forbidden / sinful)
[b]
CAPITAL SINS[/b]
Pride (lack of subordination to God or a desire for honor so inordinate as to cause injustice toward others)

Avarice (“greed” that causes a failure to observe charity or other commandments)

Lust (deliberate desire for sexual sin or sexual pleasure [selfishly] sought merely for / by itself)

Envy (sadness at another’s good fortune, seriously wishing misfortune on another person, believing such fortunes to diminish our own)

Gluttony (longing for / consumption of food or drink, to the serious detriment of one’s health or family, scandal, the instigation of serious addiction, or the complete loss of reason)

Anger (the inordinate desire for revenge or an outburst that involves the loss of reason)

Sloth (tedium over the efforts necessary to maintain our friendship with God)
[b]
SINS AGAINST FAITH[/b]
Failure to make an act of faith in God in times of trial, doubts, temptation, or guilt, or when questions of such faith are raised by non-Catholics.

Deliberate Ignorance, Doubt or Denial (of: the Apostle’s Creed, the Our Father, the Ten Commandments, the Precepts of the Church, and the Seven Sacraments, as well as – at least by implication – all else that God has revealed. Also, denial of the Catholic faith or profession of a non-Catholic faith, explicitly or implicitly)

Apostasy (complete defection from the faith after baptism)

Heresy (errors of judgment by which some part of the Catholic faith is doubted or denied)

Schism (the founding or promotion of a heretical group of people)
[b]
SINS AGAINST HOPE[/b]
Failure to make an act of hope in God in times of trial, doubts, temptation, or guilt, or when questions of such hope are raised by non-Catholics.

No desire for divine beatitude (not seeking final happiness in God, preference for temporal things over union with God)

Despair (giving up all hope in salvation and the means necessary to be saved)

Presumption (trusting in our own righteousness alone for salvation, trusting in Christ’s righteousness apart from our righteous cooperation, or sinning because God is merciful, as well as the expectation of God’s help in sinning or the expectation that God will grant or do something contrary to His nature and plan)

[b]SINS AGAINST LOVE[/b]
Failure to make an act of love of God in times of trial, doubts, temptation, or guilt, or when questions of such love are raised by non-Catholics.

Hatred of God (aversion toward God’s existence, His attributes, nature, will, or all that gives Him glory)

Egotism (preferring your own well-being to the glory or God or the common welfare)

Self-Hatred (not reasonably providing for the health of your body and / or soul)

Failure to love all beings capable of receiving grace; angels, saints, souls in Purgatory, and all people alive in the world, especially enemies

Failure to forgive anyone, whether or not forgiveness has been asked – including a customary sign of friendship (i.e., an ordinary greeting), whether or not the sign may be returned, except in such cases where the sign may cause scandal or be dangerous

Failure to assist anyone in extreme, point-of-death spiritual need (even at the risk of life) or extreme, point-of-death temporal need (even at great inconvenience) or failure to assist anyone in serious need when it would not inconvenience you

Failure to donate at least some of your superfluous wealth to the poor

Failure to in some way avert or correct grave sin (or its near occasion) in our neighbor when nobody else will do so and it seems our neighbor is determined toward the sin, will profit from the correction, and the correction will cause no great personal detriment.

Seduction (the direct and express inducement of another to sin by words, signs, or conduct)

Scandal (offering another the occasion of sin)

Cooperation in Sin (concurrence in which one takes part in another’s sinful deed and intention)
[b]
SINS AGAINST THE FIRST COMMANDMENT[/b]
Failure to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on days of obligation

Refusal to adore God with the worship due to Him alone or the veneration due to images of Him or representations and instruments of His work and relationship with us throughout history

Refusal to venerate Mary with the special reverence due to her above all other creatures or the special honor due to images of her

Refusal to venerate saints and angels and intentional failure to treat their images with honor

Refusal to pray

False Worship (mixing error and deception with the worship of the true God)

Vain Worship (worshipping God by practicing senseless, very unusual, or ridiculous ceremonies)

Idolatry (worshipping any created being, place, thing, or creation as a whole, with the adoration due to the Creator alone)

Divination (attempting to foretell the future by occult or supernatural means)

Sorcery (“witchcraft” – any attempt or appeal to acquire power, use power, or in any way achieve an effect by supernatural means reliant on yourself or any created being, place, thing, or even creation as a whole, rather than or apart from God)

Invocation of the Devil (implicitly or explicitly petitioning or calling on Satan or a demon)

Superstition (ascribing powers to anything that the thing does not of itself possess by nature or grace)

Spiritism (active attempts to hear, see, or otherwise communicate with the spirit-world by occult practices)

Tempting God (making an experiment of God, His power, and / or attributes by dare, contract, test, challenge, etc, when His existence, divine plan, or the goodness of His will is doubted)

Sacrilege (unbecoming treatment of a sacred person, place, or thing that has been blessed or consecrated to God)

Simony (the deliberate will to buy or sell a spiritual thing or a temporal thing that has been consecrated or blessed as a sacramental)
[b]
SINS AGAINST THE SECOND COMMANDMENT[/b]
Deliberate failure to keep a vow seriously made to God himself or to God in honor of someone else without formal annulment, dispensation, or commutation

False oaths (failure to keep on oath by which God, a saint, or God’s creation is called as a witness – or to lie or give false testimony by such an oath)

Sinful Adjuration (appealing to God or a saint – or resorting to a sacred object – to attempt to persuade or force someone to do something gravely wrong or omit something gravely important)

Blasphemy (any speech or gesture that contains or implies contempt for or insult to God, the saints, or sacred things)

Profanity (the disrespectful use of the Holy Name or any divinely revealed name that refers to “God”)

[b]SINS AGAINST THE THIRD COMMANDMENT[/b]
Servile Work (deliberately engaging in or causing unnecessary labor of any strenuous, obsequious, inconvenient, or otherwise burdensome kind, whether for profit or recreation, on Sundays or other Holy Days of Obligation without proper dispensation)

Judicial Acts (deliberately performing any unnecessary judicial action which requires juridical procedures or disturbs the public rest on Sundays or other Holy Days of Obligation without proper dispensation)

Commercial Occupations (any activities that engage in or promote unnecessary buying or selling on Sundays or other Holy Days of Obligation without proper dispensation)

Failure to assist at a complete Mass, devoutly and in person, on all Sundays and other Holy Days of Obligation throughout the year without a moderately grave excuse.

[b]SINS AGAINST THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT[/b]
Failure to show reverence for your parents in both internal sentiment and external conduct (i.e., by being ashamed of them, or by contempt, offensive speech, disdainful demeanor, physical attack, etc.)

Failure to love your parents in thought, word, and deed (i.e., by indignation, hatred, cursing, speaking ill of them, injurious words or conduct, deliberately causing them anxiety, failure to pray for them or support them in spiritual or corporal necessity, etc.)

Failure to obey your parents in all lawful matters which relate either to your training (before coming of legal age) or to the domestic order (so long as you live in their home).

Failure to love your children

Deliberate failure to provide for the life, health, and well-being of your children

Deliberate failure to educate your children

Failure to fulfill the duties of marriage (love, helpfulness, sex, fidelity, and common life; government of the household and family, providing of food, clothing, and shelter; submissiveness, management of household affairs)

Failure to treat household servants justly and charitably (paying agreed wages, not overburdening them, not discharging them without reason before their contract expires, not looking after their corporal and spiritual welfare)

Failure to treat household masters justly and piously (working conscientiously, not leaving employment before contract expires without good reason, showing reverence, love, and obedience)

Failure of civil authorities to provide for the common welfare of their subjects

Failure of congressmen or any representative officials to: promote the common good in a positive manner, to take part in deliberations and resolutions, to refuse and condemn evil legislation, to refuse public offices they are unqualified for, or to refuse to fill public offices for which they alone are qualified.

Failure of citizens to: love their country, respect civil authority, be loyal, be obedient, pay their taxes, and elect good representatives

Failure of volunteer soldiers to keep their contracts and render their services

[b]SINS AGAINST THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT[/b]
Suicide (the direct murder of yourself)

Unnecessarily endangering or shortening your lifespan (selfish / wild recklessness)

Self-mutilation (dangerous treatment or direct attack on your own body for any reason other than to save your life)

Serious desire for death, merely to escape ordinary hardships of life

Deliberate failure to attempt to preserve your life or health (proper food, clothing, housing, physical recreation, and medicinal remedies which are not beyond your means)

Murder (the direct killing of a person)

Abortion (the direct murder of a person conceived, but not yet born, even if done to save the mother’s life)

Deliberate inducement of premature delivery before the fetus (child) is viable

Unnecessary Capital Punishment (punishing an offender by death when it is possible to safely detain or imprison the offender)

Unnecessary lethal defense (killing an aggressor when other, non-lethal means may be employed without jeopardy to yourself or the public)

Dueling (agreed upon combat with use of lethal weapons and / or intent to seriously or mortally wound)

Participation in an evidently unjust war (promoting or enlisting in a war of which the justice is uncertain)

Cruelty to animals (inflicting torture or severe pain on animals without reason or to gratify any sinful opposition to virtue or God)

[b]SINS AGAINST THE SIXTH AND NINTH COMMANDMENTS [/b]
Directly voluntary sexual pleasure of any kind or duration outside of marriage

Fornication (pre-marital intercourse)

Adultery (intercourse with the husband or wife of a third party)

Rape (obtaining sexual knowledge of or experience with someone against his or her rational consent, whether by force, coercion, or any advantage, such as intoxication, handicap, insanity, etc)

Abduction (the forceful taking of a person for sexual relations)

Incest (sexual actions toward or with a blood-relative)

Sexual Sacrilege (the violation or desecration of a person, place, or thing consecrated to God by sins against chastity)

Sexual Commotion (directly voluntary excitement / disturbance of the genitals for or by self-stimulation)

Masturbation (sexual self-stimulation to the point of climax / orgasm; in the case of men, a completed act of masturbation may be called “pollution” because of wasted seed)

Sodomy (pollution of seed by oral / anal intercourse)

Bestiality (sex with an animal)

Immodesty (the intention to arouse sexual pleasure or the consent to such arousal by dress, touch, kiss, embrace, glance, or other bodily conduct, as well as conversation, literature, artwork, and any other media)

[b]SINS AGAINST THE SEVENTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS[/b]
Squandering the money or possessions of anyone dependant on your care

Finding and keeping something lost without any reasonable effort of locating the owner

Failure to hand over something found and kept when the original owner is discovered

Deliberate failure to honor a contract or bet that was validly made (the agreement was honest, free, moral, lawful, etc.)

Deliberate failure to plan (insurance policies, a last will and testament, etc.) and act responsibly with your possessions / custodies for the well-being of those who are in turn seriously affected by the misadministration of such things, especially for the sake of keeping the peace in family relations

Injustice (any serious violation of the rights of another against his or her reasonable will)

Theft (the secret taking of any valuable thing against the reasonable will of its owner)

Unjust Damage (violating the property of someone in an unjust manner)

Deliberate failure to make full restitution or reparation for financial troubles you have caused to all persons directly harmed or offended by your theft or damage

[b]SINS AGAINST THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT[/b]
Lying (words, signs, or actions by which you express the contrary of what you think or will, usually in order to deceive)

Infidelity (not keeping a serious promise)

Detraction (seriously injuring someone’s good name by revealing that person’s faults)

Calumny (seriously injuring someone’s good name by false allegations / charges)

Tale Bearing (reporting to a person something unfavorable said of him or her by another person to create hostility or conflict)

Listening to detraction or calumny with joy in the reported faults (whether true or false), or with no attempt to hinder the defamation, or if such listening may be scandalous)

Contumely (showing contempt by seriously or unjustly dishonoring another person in his or her presence)

Deliberate failure to make full restitution or reparation for any damage or dishonor you have caused to the welfare or good names of any persons directly harmed or offended by your detraction, calumny, or contumely

Rash Judgment (without sufficient reason, a firm agreement or concurrence that someone has a particular moral defect or fault)

Unjustifiably violating a secret of serious consequence (meaning a secret that could damage a person’s good name or business, or present any other significant inconvenience); whether the secret is natural (meaning common privacy due to persons and their property), promised (meaning a promise to keep the secret after it has been revealed), or committed (meaning a promise to keep the secret before it has been revealed)

Making use (taking advantage) of the knowledge acquired through the unjust violation of a secret

[Ziggamafu]

HEY! What's with the new level / converts / coins thing??? I'm sponsoring someone this year - I want my convert tag updated!!!