How to determine culpability?

[Mary67]

How much culpability does someone have if they do something that other trusted “faithful” Catholics (a parent for example) say is not a sin when it actually is?

Let’s say 19 y/o Jane (a fictional character) finds out she’s pregnant and she tells her Catholic parents. But, her parents tell her that she has to get an abortion before 6 weeks because after that it would be a sin. She doesn’t realize it was a sin until after she had the abortion. She thought only abortions after 6 weeks are sinful even though ending a pregnancy at any stage is, in fact, a sin. This is a completely made up scenario, but how much culpability does she have?

Even though the abortion was intrinsically evil, if she wasn’t aware of the gravity of the sin does it prevent her from having sinned mortally since mortal sin requires the three conditions? (i.e. 1. Grave Matter: The act itself is intrinsically evil and immoral. …2. Full Knowledge: The person must know that what they’re doing or planning to do is evil and immoral. …3. Deliberate Consent: The person must freely choose to commit the act or plan to do it.)

(Please note also: The sin in question is not Abortion)

God bless

 

[Mtatum1958]

How much culpability does someone have if they do something that other trusted “faithful” Catholics (a parent for example) say is not a sin when it actually is ?

I think you answered your own question. It isn’t what someone tells you is or is not sinful, it your knowledge.

• Grave Matter: The act itself is intrinsically evil and immoral. …
• Full Knowledge: The person must know that what they’re doing or planning to do is evil and immoral. …
• Deliberate Consent: The person must freely choose to commit the act or plan to do it.

 

[Allegra]

A person can’t commit a mortal sin on accident. If they were unaware that something as a sin, then they aren’t culpable. However, if they knew it was a sin, but let someone convince them otherwise because that’s what they wanted to hear in the moment, that’s a little different.

 

[ascetic]

Only God knows our level of knowledge. I’d say Jane should make a thorough examination of conscience and go to confession with whatever she comes up with. That is unless a 19-year-old (who I’d assume is confirmed) actually truly IS unaware of ANY sin in it, but then I get to where I started this.