Mortal Sins

[purple_rat]

Hi,

I know this is probably a basic question, but what exactly are mortal sins? I know the consequences of venial and mortal sins, but what are the differences? Some examples?

If this has already been discussed, could you please direct me in the right direction?

Thanks

[Pio Nono]

JMJ

2/9 - Fifth Monday

purple_rat,

Thanks for the question. We read in the first letter of John, "If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal." (1 John 5:16-17 RSVCE) There are those who would say that there exists no such thing as mortal sin; this Biblical verse, as well as Sacred Tradition, prove them wrong.

The Church tells us that there are three requirements for mortal sins (CCC 1858-1859). They are:

1.) Grave matter - basically, is it serious stuff? Does it violate one of the Ten Commandments? Is the person harmed by the sin increase the gravity of a sin? (i.e. violence against parents is more harmful than violence against a stranger)

2.) Full knowledge - one must know that the action is in direct opposition to the law of God.

3.) Complete consent - knowing that the action is in opposition to God's law, one must freely choose to commit the sin. One's freedom can be constricted by various factors, such as psychological compulsion, addiction, and exterior forces, among others.

If any of these three are lacking, then a mortal sin does not carry such harsh consequences as it normally would. There are some sins, though, that are always mortal - some examples would be abortion, use of contraceptives, murder, genocide, and others. These can be found in the Catechism and in our Holy Father's encyclical letter Veritatis Splendor. I hope this helps.

Yours,

Pio Nono

[cappie]

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