Do venial sins require knowledge?

[eroche]

Do venial sins require knowledge and consent?

Knowledge and consent are conditions of mortal sin (CCC 1857).

No such conditions are listed for venial sin. So, does this mean that venial sins can be unknown to us?

 

[Splagchnizomai]

If you don’t know that you have committed a venial sin, how can you have knowledge of it?

Knowledge and consent are part of mortal sin, but it also has to be grave matter for it to be a mortal sin – otherwise it is a venial sin.

 

[Bookcat]

For deliberate venial sin in particular…

 

[victorbuhagiar]

Below is what I wrote on another thread regarding mortal sin. But all conditions apply even on venial sins except that the first condition would not be grave. The Wiki encyclopaedia explains it well: “A venial sin involves a “partial loss of grace” from God. They do not break our friendship with God but injure it.”

These are the conditions for committing a mortal sin according to my catechism:

1. It must be a grave matter.
2. The person who commits sin must have a clear knowledge of the guilt of the action.
3. There must be a full consent of the will.
4. The person insists in pursuing the sin.

Thus if one lives a good life but has a sinful dream, he is not sinning, because there is no consent involved.

Lately I opened a site here in the forums where some poor person attached a lot of dirty films. I closed the page quickly enough and went to Communion with a clear conscience.

Hope this clarifies your position.

God bless.

Victor

 

[Bookcat]

These are the conditions for committing a mortal sin according to my catechism:

1. It must be a grave matter.
2. The person who commits sin must have a clear knowledge of the guilt of the action.
3. There must be a full consent of the will.
4. The person insists in pursuing the sin.

The three aspects needed for mortal sin in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (different than the one you note) are:

Grave matter, Full knowledge and deliberate consent.

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c1a8.htm#III

(insisting on pursuing the sin is not per se part of that…though of course such is sinful).

A nice summary from the 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

 

[SonCatcher]

Do venial sins require knowledge and consent?

Knowledge and consent are conditions of mortal sin (CCC 1857).

No such conditions are listed for venial sin. So, does this mean that venial sins can be unknown to us?

All sins require knowledge and consent. It is not possible to sin in ignorance.

The Jewish laws concerning ritual purity made it possible for someone to be ritually impure even when ignorant or actively trying to prevent the thing that would make them ritually unclean. There is no analogue in Catholic theology.