Determining Whether a Sin is Mortal

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Emma2829

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I’ve always been a little uncertain when it comes to classifying sins as mortal or venial. Today, when I was making a list of possible sins I needed to confess during my next confession (it’s been about a year since my last confession), I found myself wondering which would be considered mortal. I know the criteria for mortal sin is: 1) Grave Matter, 2) Full Knowledge, and 3) Deliberate Consent.

Since I know (and knew then) the difference between right and wrong, all of them were committed with Full Knowledge. Grave Matter is kind of a vague/subjective term, but most of what I’ve read has defined Grave Matter as specified by the 10 Commandments. So again, I think that applies to all my sins- because Grave Matter would include not only murder, theft, fornication (you know, the obvious biggies), but also the (seemingly) smaller ones like missing mass, swearing, jealousy, gossiping, arguing with your parents etc…

I suppose the only iffy area would be concerning Deliberate Consent. On one hand, I wasn’t physically forced to commit any of these sins, but I suppose you could argue that in the instances where I acted without thinking, it was not a deliberate act of will. But when you think about it like that, it seems kind of subjective.

Here are some examples of the types of sins I am wondering about:
-I’ve missed Sunday mass a ton of times (obviously grave matter and full knowledge). Occasionally I truly was intending to go but I didn’t because I had to work late or something came up, but most of the time it was a deliberate choice made out of laziness. That sounds Mortal to me, which is fair, but it seems like a lot of Catholics must be in a state of mortal sin then.
-I swear like a sailor (grave matter, full knowledge). This isn’t exactly deliberate though, a lot of times an expletive with just slip out. And even though I know it is a sin because it goes against the 2nd Commandment, in my own conscience it does really “feel” like a sin in and of itself the way other sins do.
-Any sexual sins (grave matter, full knowledge). I’ve heard a priest say that masturbation (especially for adolescent boys) is usually a venial sin even though it concerns a grave matter. I suppose the reasoning behind this is that in most cases, the person wasn’t deliberately going out of their way to commit a sin, and instead was just trying to satisfy an urge that in the moment seemed natural. In terms of premarital sex, it definitely seems like a mortal sin in the instances where I had planned on having sex beforehand. But what about times when I truly did not want to and actively tried not to (I’m not talking necessarily about rape, but more about instances where someone was just very persistent).

Because the term “grave matter” applies to so many (common) sins, it made me wonder, “If all these sins are mortal, then what sins are venial?” Full Knowledge seems like a given- I mean, if you know that something is wrong enough to confess, you probably knew it was wrong when you committed it. I’m still unsure about the Deliberate Consent part- if someone is impulsive and acts on a whim, does that mean the sin is not mortal?
 
You can’t claim you didn’t consent to doing something fully because you were tempted. Just because you are allowing your passions to control your actions does not mean you didn’t consent. In the case of an addiction whether its masturbation or something else, where someone is trying to fight it but is enslaved to their bodies demands culpability is reduced for the sin though.
1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin."59 In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.
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1792 Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to one’s passions, assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, rejection of the Church’s authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity: these can be at the source of errors of judgment in moral conduct.
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Also see this link to make sure you understand morality completely:

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c1a8.htm
 
As a new Catholic covert who will soon be going to confession for the first time, distinguishing between mortal and venial sin is something of great interest to me. Here is something I found attributed to Saint Caesarius of Arles that speaks to the matter…

“Although the apostle [Paul] has mentioned many grievous sins, we, nevertheless, lest we seem to promote despair, will state briefly what they are. Sacrilege, murder, adultery, false witness, theft, robbery, pride, envy, avarice, and, if it is of long standing, anger, drunkenness, if it is persistent, and slander are reckoned in their number. Or if anyone knows that these sins dominate him, if he does not do penance worthily and for a long time, if such time is given him . . . he cannot be purged in that transitory fire of which the apostle spoke [1 Cor. 3:11–15], but the eternal flames will torture him without any remedy. But since the lesser sins are, of course, known to all, and it would take too long to mention them all, it will be necessary for us only to name some of them. . . . There is no doubt that these and similar deeds belong to the lesser sins which, as I said before, can scarcely be counted, and from which not only all Christian people, but even all the saints could not and cannot always be free. We do not, of course, believe that the soul is killed by these sins, but still they make it ugly by covering it as if with some kind of pustules and, as it were, with horrible scabs” (Sermons 179[104]:2 [A.D. 522]).

That helped me a great deal to grasp a better understanding of mortal sin. All of the things listed aren’t things a person could I think commit without full knowledge and deliberate intent so for me at least makes things pretty clear.
 
Catechism regarding Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation (emp added):

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

(grave sin= mortal sin= serious sin…terms are interchangeable)
 
Emma2829 said:
Grave Matter is kind of a vague/subjective term, but most of what I’ve read has defined Grave Matter as specified by the 10 Commandments.
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Not so much “subjective” rather much that is “grave matter” is very objectively so.

Though I will note that when it is said that grave matter is specified by the 10 commandments --such does NOT mean that all that falls under them is grave.
In many of them there is “parvity” (smallness) of matter…venial matter. Like a lying for instance is often venial matter.
 
Emma2829 said:
I’ve heard a priest say that masturbation (especially for adolescent boys) is usually a venial sin even though it concerns a grave matter.
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Such would fall to a the confessor of a particular person to help judge. One ought NOT presume such in their case. Such is always a grave matter but there can be factors that
“may” mitigate the guilt. The other sexual sins…fornication etc are also grave matter.
 
Emma2829 said:
-I swear like a sailor (grave matter, full knowledge). This isn’t exactly deliberate though, a lot of times an expletive with just slip out.
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Discuss with the confessor…

one must also distinguish between blasphemny and profanity.

Profanity is can often be in the venial sin area. (but it can depend on the circumstance and what one means by “swear like a sailor”).

But of course we need to avoid such for we are Christians and are to more and more conform ourselves to Christ.
 
Emma2829 said:
Because the term “grave matter” applies to so many (common) sins, it made me wonder, “If all these sins are mortal, then what sins are venial?”
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Examples of Grave matter:

Murder
Lust
Adultery
Masturbation
Abortion
Perjury
Contraception
Grand Theft Auto
Missing Sunday or Holy Day Mass
Burning down a Church
Sacrilege
Idol worship
Satanism etc
Denying Christ etc
Serious Disobedience
Serious Detraction
Serious Calumny
Terrorism

etc etc
 
Compendium issued by Pope Benedict XVI
  1. When does one commit a mortal sin?
1855-1861
1874

One commits a mortal sin when there are simultaneously present: grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. This sin destroys charity in us, deprives us of sanctifying grace, and, if unrepented, leads us to the eternal death of hell. It can be forgiven in the ordinary way by means of the sacraments of Baptism and of Penance or Reconciliation.
  1. When does one commit a venial sin?
1862-1864
1875

One commits a venial sin, which is essentially different from a mortal sin, when the matter involved is less serious or, even if it is grave, when full knowledge or complete consent are absent. Venial sin does not break the covenant with God but it weakens charity and manifests a disordered affection for created goods. It impedes the progress of a soul in the exercise of the virtues and in the practice of moral good. It merits temporal punishment which purifies.

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html
 
Every sin can be linked to one of the ten commandments and typically much more than one. A mortal sin requires something direct enough. Arguing with parents isn’t necessarily a mortal sin (I assume you mean arguing when they tell you to do something, rather than holding a different opinion on e.g. politics and defending it). When it says, “thou shalt honour your father and your mother,” it doesn’t say that any small failure will be a mortal sin. This is something where I’d see if the transgression was in an important matter or not.

There is a belief that nothing is light matter under the sixth commandment. But not everything that appears to be under the sixth necessarily is under it. Lust is not the same as sexual desire (or mere taking notice of it). Lust is disordinate craving of sexual pleasure but also acceptance of sexual pleasure one is not entitled to will be in that area.

I wouldn’t risk judging knowledge or consent on my own, I’d mention all grave matter in confession unless I received specific information (and were able to confirm it) that some specific kind of behaviour is mortally sinful only when prolonged and/or markedly deliberate. And then, when in doubt, I’d still confess. You don’t have to omit venial sins. However, this isn’t only a matter of remembering to confess, this is also a matter of confessing as soon as possible and not receiving Holy Communion while (possibly) in mortal sin.
Bookcat said:
Examples of Grave matter:

Grand Theft Auto
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Joking or serious? 😉
 
Bookcat said:
Examples of Grave matter:

Murder
Lust
Adultery
Masturbation
Abortion
Perjury
Contraception
Grand Theft Auto
Missing Sunday or Holy Day Mass
Burning down a Church
Sacrilege
Idol worship
Satanism etc
Denying Christ etc
Serious Disobedience
Serious Detraction
Serious Calumny
Terrorism

etc etc
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etc, etc … where does it end my friend ? This list could be endless.

Can’t we just fall back on the Big Ten that God gave us ?

And, if the Catholic Church’s Deadly 7 make the list also … we’re in real trouble. The majority of priests I see these days are severely overweight. Do they not recognize Glutony as being on that list of 7 ?

It would almost seem as bad as what existed in the days of Christ within the Jewish clerics … where Christ told the people to obey what they said … not what they practiced.
 
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