Full Knowledge of Mortal Sin

[NFrancis]

What constitutes full knowledge?

Lets say that someone is committing a sin and they know that it is wrong, but they don’t think about the consequences that they are going against God and sending themselves to Hell.

 

[Bookcat]

Catechism:

1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge 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 sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart133 do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.

1860 Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. the promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.

 

[LoyalViews]

Catechism:

1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge 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 sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart133 do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.

1860 Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. the promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.

That should answer your question . But, if you realized -after- what you did that it was against God, though it still isn’t a mortal sin, you should still go to confession.

 

[thistle]

What constitutes full knowledge?

Lets say that someone is committing a sin and they know that it is wrong, but they don’t think about the consequences that they are going against God and sending themselves to Hell.

Too many folks get hung up on the word “FULL”.
Full knowledge simply means a person knows the Church teaches something is a sin of grave matter. That person does not need to understand it, but should make every effort to try to understand it.
In short, (leaving aside some who might have reduced culpability through mental incapacity, addiction or coercion) if a person knows the Church teaches something is a sin of grave matter and that person goes ahead and commits the act anyway then they have committed a mortal sin.

 

[TiggerS]

Because mortal sin has the consequences of Hell if one dies unrepentant, if I had doubts on some related matter, I would be talking things over with a priest.

TS

 

[JRKH]

What constitutes full knowledge?

Lets say that someone is committing a sin and they know that it is wrong, but they don’t think about the consequences that they are going against God and sending themselves to Hell.

I was reminded of Red Skelton’s “mean wittle kid” character who would say, "If I dood it I git wippin…I dood it.

This consitutes full knowledge and consent.

A person has two things going here.
One is their learning. They know something is a mortal sin because they were taught so.
Secondly, in their conscience, they know it is a sin because it violates the law of Love. They just “Know” it’s wrong.

They don’t have to “think it all through” before acting. In your example, They know it’s wrong so the knowledge is sufficient to incur culpability.

Say that the isn that this person commits is also a civil crime and he is hauled before the Judge who asks, did you know it was wrong?
Yes your honor.
Then why did you do it?
I just didn’t think about the consequences your honor.

What will the judge do, release the person for not thinking? Or might he not increase the punishment because the sinner “didn’t think about it”?

Good Rule of thumb - If you know it’s wrong, big or small - don’t do it

Peace
James

 

[cjcapta]

What if someone has feigned ignorance of something they think is wrong and he or she does it, but then he or she learns that what they did isn’t wrong. Did the person commit a sin of feigned ignorance or can feigned ignorance only increase a sin and is not a sin in itself? And if it was a sin, how would you confess that in Reconciliation? Would you just say you feigned ignorance or is there another phrase/word for it?