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AskSeekKnock
Guest
So to be “mortal” a sin must be known as such by the sinner, be conducted with consent, and concern ‘grave matter’.
What is “grave” matter?
What is “grave” matter?
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VociMike
Guest
Sinful behavior that objectively causes serious damage (moral, physical, etc). Stealing a dollar from Bill Gates is objectively less damaging than stealing the life savings of a widow.
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thevickinator16
Guest
I have a definition of mortal sin from the glossary in the Catechism. This pertains to the paragraphs 1855- 1859.
Mortal sin: A grave infraction of the law of God that destroys the divine life in the soul of the sinner (sanctifying grace), constituting a turn away from God.
For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be present:
I hope this helps.
God Bless!
Mortal sin: A grave infraction of the law of God that destroys the divine life in the soul of the sinner (sanctifying grace), constituting a turn away from God.
For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be present:
- grave matter ( is specified by the Ten Commandments. One muast take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is inself graver than a complete stranger.
- & 3. full knowledge of evil of act and complete consent (It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not dimish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.
I hope this helps.
God Bless!
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Tantum_ergo
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And of course Scripture notes it. St. John speaks of a ‘sin which is mortal’ as opposed to other sin.
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brb2
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The Big, original 10.
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brkn1
Guest
All sin is mortal, if a person has not been “baptized unto Christ Jesus unto his death”.
Being born from above is what places a believer into the death of Christ Jesus. This results in “our old man” (the sin nature from Adam) being “crucified with Him, in order that the body of sin might be annulled, that we might no longer be in slave-service to sin: for the person who hath died [as have we as believers] is justified from sin.” See Romans 6:1-11).
Being born from above is what places a believer into the death of Christ Jesus. This results in “our old man” (the sin nature from Adam) being “crucified with Him, in order that the body of sin might be annulled, that we might no longer be in slave-service to sin: for the person who hath died [as have we as believers] is justified from sin.” See Romans 6:1-11).
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DanteAlighieri
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Forgive me, but it appears that the original poster was asking for a Catholic answer to a Catholic question. Your answer does not provide this.
Peace,
Dante
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xformer7
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Agree, but where is the line drawn? What is the criteria for us to know when we have crossed the threshold from venial to mortal?
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chris_molter
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xformer7
Guest
Is all stealing, for example, grave matter? Reading this CCC quote, it states that some sin is graver than other. But does that mean any breaking of the 10 commandments is grave matter?
Let’s take one example then: Thou shalt not steal. If I steal a penny from my rich uncle’s change cup, surely this is **less **grave than stealing his entire savings, but are both mortal and separate us completely from God?
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VociMike
Guest
Other than the workings of a well-formed conscience, assisted perhaps by the advice of a priest or spiritual advisor, there is no rule, workbook, no spreadsheet. So confess one’s sins regularly and know that one is forgiven.
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paul_c
Guest
There is no written rule or formula for the differentiation between mortal and venial sin because there are too many variables to consider : intent, situation, harm done, etc. Plus we are not God. the 10 commandments are your guide and if you have any concern that you have committed a mortal sin, your conscience is telling you to confess and be reconciled. If we think we have sined against God, we probably have.
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xformer7
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No argument with confessing one’s sins regularly, but still my question remains - is **any **breaking of the 10 commandments grave matter? Is the stolen penny grave matter, albeit less so than stealing more?
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chris_molter
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VociMike
Guest
Surely not, because every sin falls under one or more of the 10 Commandments.
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paul_c
Guest
I agree. Just because you break one of the 10 commandments, doesn’t make it mortal. There are issues of degree and intent involved. But the 10 commandments are the right place to start when doing an examination of conscience. And the catechism does a good job of explaining what is involved in each of the 10 commandments.
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steve_b
Guest
Any sin that would keep one from heaven is a mortal sin. Paul gives a list. Keep in mind Paul and John are talking to/about baptised members in the Church.
Gal 5:
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:
- sexual immorality,
- impurity and debauchery;
- 20idolatry and witchcraft;
- hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
- dissensions, factions
- 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
1 cor 6:9-10]
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the
- sexually immoral
- nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
- nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers
Eph 5:5
For of this you can be sure: No
- immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God
The last passage was in context of failing to meet on the Lord’s day as is the habit of some. THAT is a serious sin because there is no sacrifice for THAT person because they deliberately missed the sacrifice of the mass. As Our Lord said, when He instituted the Eucharist, it isthe sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
BTW Luther didn’t like the book of Hebrews so he removed it along with James Jude and Revelations. Those books he ultimately returned to the canon due to pressure.
1 Jn 5:
16If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that is not mortal, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin is not mortal. There is a sin that is mortal. I am not saying that he should pray about that. 17All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that is not mortal.
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yablabo
Guest
It’s given us in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."132 The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.
– Nicole
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thevickinator16
Guest
If one reads the entire chapter dealing with sin in the CCC, then one can figure out the diffeffence between venial and mortal sin. It explains the subtle as well as the gross differences. Stealing a penny from a rich man is going to be a lessor sin in gravity than stealing than stealing from a poor person who has very little income to provide for family. It does not make the sin less mortal, it just lessens the gravity of the sin. If you dishonor your mother and father, it is a grave sin. To dishonor someone slse is also a grae sin, only to a lessor gravity. The 10 Commandments are explained very well. Jesus gave us the 10 commandments and pretty much let us know these we to be taken very seriously.
I posted earlier on in this thread what the conditions were for the gravity of mortal sin, but I do suggest that everyone read the entire chapter on sin in the CCC. It is very helpful. I am insertin a link for the on-line version of the CCC:
www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc2.htm
God Bless!
I posted earlier on in this thread what the conditions were for the gravity of mortal sin, but I do suggest that everyone read the entire chapter on sin in the CCC. It is very helpful. I am insertin a link for the on-line version of the CCC:
www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc2.htm
God Bless!
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yablabo
Guest
The traditional teaching on this is that it is grave matter to steal a day’s wage (or more) from a person. So, it may be grave matter to steal ~$56.00 from a minimum wage worker (depending on his hourly wage) and may be grave matter to steal ~$200.00 from a professional worker (also depending on hourly wage), but not grave matter to steal less than that from each respectively. Also, a number of small thefts could add up to the daily wage of the one from whom the money is stolen…making the theft grave matter…and if done both with full knowledge and consent of the will…a mortal sin.
Yes, any “breaking” of a commandment is grave matter, if by “breaking” you mean doing what is against the law of the commandments. It is not grave when one does not do what is against the commandments, but instead, by not living to the guide of right reason, one acts in a way “beside” the commandments.
– Nicole
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