Clarification on the 3 conditions for a mortal sin

[dizzy_dave]

I’m not sure I understand the 3 conditions of a mortal sin. I DO KNOW what they are but I’m NOT sure their full meaning and how exactly they are applied. For example if I’m walking along on an icy sidewalk and fall and say J.C. is that a mortal sin?, because I would not have had time to think about the 3 conditions since it happened so fast even though I know what they are. I’m not sure I understand the full consent part either, when something happens fast and you don’t think about the 3 “conditions” is it a sin, even if you know it’s wrong but your not thinking of it being wrong at the time. Am I making any sense here (I think I just confused my self)?

 

[martino]

dizzy_dave:

I’m not sure I understand the 3 conditions of a mortal sin. I DO KNOW what they are but I’m NOT sure their full meaning and how exactly they are applied. For example if I’m walking along on an icy sidewalk and fall and say J.C. is that a mortal sin?, because I would not have had time to think about the 3 conditions since it happened so fast even though I know what they are. I’m not sure I understand the full consent part either, when something happens fast and you don’t think about the 3 “conditions” is it a sin, even if you know it’s wrong but your not thinking of it being wrong at the time. Am I making any sense here (I think I just confused my self)?

CCC 2352 "To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety, or other psychological or social factors that lessen or even extenuate moral culpability."

This paragraph is in the section “Sins against Purity” and more specifically under ‘Masterbation’ but I believe it would apply to all sins. I do not believe that this paragraph lets us off the hook just because we may be “in the habit” of some particular action, because we have a responsibility to break our bad habits. But it is clear that there is room for subjective morality, depending on the circumstances. I think it is best, especially since you are talking about a particular sin that you continually commit under “force of aquired habit”, that you find a really good priest to work as your spiritual advisor so that you can, by God’s grace, cease the behavior.

Nobody in this forum would be prepared to answer with any amount of certainty, “yes” or “no”, to the question; “is this a mortal sin?”

 

[Hudsonite]

One can say that there are three elements to a mortal sin. One being grievous matter, two, sufficient reflection, and three, full consent of the will.
What is sufficient refection? Did you know right away that is was wrong but ignored it because it looked like “fun”? Did you ponder the thought and talk yourself into that it wouldn’t be so bad and after the fact decided it was bad?
Sufficient reflection is a firm belief that the act is seriously wrong prior to commiting the act. All three things must be present simultaneously for a sin to be mortal. This means that if you did not knopw the act was seriously wrong, than you are not guilty of having committed the mortal sin.
Our souls seem to come pre-programmed. We know things to be good or evil, we simply have to decide what our choice will be. To know for sure what actions or attitudes are sinful it is helpfull to pick up an examination of conscience booklet and read it every night before going to bed.

Hope this helps!

 

[newone]

how about say you knew something to be wrong previously but when you committed the sin the knowledge was not there( like it wasn’t on your mind). Kind of like if you had taken the time to think about it you would know it to be wrong but you just got caught up in the moment and snapped kind of thing?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I’m not sure I understand the 3 conditions of a mortal sin. I DO KNOW what they are but I’m NOT sure their full meaning and how exactly they are applied. For example if I’m walking along on an icy sidewalk and fall and say J.C. is that a mortal sin?, because I would not have had time to think about the 3 conditions since it happened so fast even though I know what they are. I’m not sure I understand the full consent part either, when something happens fast and you don’t think about the 3 “conditions” is it a sin, even if you know it’s wrong but your not thinking of it being wrong at the time. Am I making any sense here (I think I just confused my self)?

It is not one size fits all. The best place to figure this out is in the Confessional. However the simple answer It must be a serious matter. (It does not matter that you think it is a serious matter) You must freely consent know it wrong in some way and do it or don’t do it anyway. Then you must do it or refuse to do it.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I had a discussion with my confessor(who is a doctor of theology), on the three conditions.

He said, the three conditions taken literally, are not necessarily infallible.

He gave an example. (I’m paraphrasing here) First off, free will and consent must be there. Science is now showing that causes of rage, are often caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, to the point that a person has no control over it. Such a person while driving a car gets cut off, and this throws the person into a fit of rage, yelling obscenities and even throws the offender the finger. He is not consenting freely to this sin, for he’s is not able to control. So, although the offense is wrong and should be confessed, it may not be a mortal sin, and should not keep such a person from receiving Holy Communion, if that person feels the Lord is calling him to receive. He went onto add, that the need for frequent confession. Only through the grace of God, which we receive through the sacraments, can we hope to over come our failures.

Jim