Are suicidal thoughts mortal sins?

[edn56]

I am scrupulous/OCD have trouble with determining what is and what is not serious sin. I have a difficult situation with my son (not speaking to me) and my husband (non-practicing Catholic). I am hurt by both, and I get angry in my mind, and this causes some of the intrusive and unwanted thoughts. I started thinking suicidal thoughts, I even thought if I was dead that would teach them, but I’m not suicidal. However, it did scare me…life is so fragile. I know I should just dismiss the thoughts to get them to stop. But, I think my anger kept them coming in my mind. Is this a mortal sin? I have been told that thoughts themselves aren’t serious sins, but I feel that my anger kept them coming.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear friend,

You seem to have a handle on the OCD thing. Yes, you ought to dismiss uninvited thoughts. They can’t possibly be sins because you didn’t want them. This is true of your anger as well. It was uninvited. We are not our feelings, the simply come upon us. I see no mortal sin here.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.