Is Fornication and Using Contraceptives a Venial or Mortal Sin?

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I was just wondering if
  1. Fornication or/and
  2. Using Contraceptives outside/in a marrige
is a mortal/venial sin?
I would like to know because certain relatives of mine aren’t exaclty good Catholics.
Thanks, everyone for the help and have a great day.
 
Fornication is a Mortal sin. Using a contraceptive during this act is an accessory. The base sin is the Fornication itself.

If a person dies unrepentant of Mortal sin he/she is bound for hell.
 
Both are mortal sins if done with knowledge and consent. In order for a sin to be mortal, there must be grave matter, knowledge, and consent (or, as my first grade teacher put it, it “must be a big sin, I must know it is a sin, and I choose to do it anyway.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines each of these acts as grave matter (bold emphasis added):

"2353 **Fornication **is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation and education of children. Moreover, it is a **grave scandal **when there is corruption of the young.

2370 Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality. These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom. In contrast, "every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil:

Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. . . . The difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality."
Fornication is a Mortal sin. Using a contraceptive during this act is an accessory. The base sin is the Fornication itself.
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Not exactly. Both are serious sins in their own right. Even for a married couple, using a contraceptive is a serious sin.
 
Contraceptives used by married couples is indeed a mortal sin.

Fornication is a mortal sin. Preventing conception by two fornicators is unholy; fornication to achieve conception is unholy.

It’s a “chicken or the egg” kind of sinfulness.
 
ALL sexual violations are mortal sins if the prerequisite factors of prior knowledge, serious matter and full consent are present. Any sexual sin willingly consented to with full knowledge whether it be outward sexual acts (fornication, homosexual acts, adultery, contraception, masturbation, watching pornography, etc.) or even internal acts (impure thoughts) are serious matter (e.g. mortal sins) that must be confessed before receiving communion. 🙂
 
Fornication using a contraceptive CANNOT make a Mortal sin MORE Mortal. Fornication is a mortal sin from the instant it takes place…and also BEFORE it takes place.

But, the conjugal act of a married couple that uses a contraceptive commits a Mortal Sin. Not the act itself.

It’s a “chicken or the egg” situation.
 
Thank you guys so much. I hope you guys don’t think I’m stupid or anything. I was just making sure. Thank you so much!!!
 
I knew that that Pope John Paul II repeatedly said that contraception is an impediment to the eucharist. However, I wonder if you could tell me where the Church specifically teaches that contraception is a mortal sin? I’m not doubting it, but just would like a Church source for this.
 
mdgspencer said:
I knew that that Pope John Paul II repeatedly said that contraception is an impediment to the eucharist. However, I wonder if you could tell me where the Church specifically teaches that contraception is a mortal sin? I’m not doubting it, but just would like a Church source for this.
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Paul VI’s papal encyclical Humanae Vitae - I’m sure you can find it online.
 
LilyM said:
Paul VI’s papal encyclical Humanae Vitae - I’m sure you can find it online.
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Contraception is a preventative device against conceiving a new life. This goes against God’s entreaty to Adam and Eve (before the fall) to “…be fruitful and multiply…”

New life is circumvented by contraception for solely the pleasure of the flesh. The conjugal act of husband and wife must always be open to new life. To impede new life with contraception is a Mortal sin…

Even the priesthood with the rule of celibacy is extolled by Our Lord when He said, “…there are eunochs that have been made so by other men and there are eunochs made so by their own choosing for the Greater Kingdom of God…”

Men and women were created by God so to multiply and to add more souls into eternal bliss being with God, His angels and His saints. That is a much higher calling…it is for all eternity.
 
FriendLiiFiRe said:
Thank you guys so much. I hope you guys don’t think I’m stupid or anything. I was just making sure. Thank you so much!!!
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It was certainly not a stupid question. Many, many people have been misinformed and confused about this.
 
There’s an interesting twist to this story.

Definitely fornication is a mortal sin, no question.
Definitely using contraception in marriage is a mortal sin, no question.

But what about contraception in fornication? You shouldn’t be having sex anyway (therefore, they should not be open to life), so does contraception add to the gravity of the sin (I personally don’t think so)?

The jury is still out on that one, actually. Humanae vitae is very specific about contraception: it is sinful within the context of the conjugal act.

I can see answers going both ways on this one. Ultimately, Rome will have to speak on it.
 
porthos11 said:
There’s an interesting twist to this story.

Definitely fornication is a mortal sin, no question.
Definitely using contraception in marriage is a mortal sin, no question.

But what about contraception in fornication? You shouldn’t be having sex anyway (therefore, they should not be open to life), so does contraception add to the gravity of the sin (I personally don’t think so)?

The jury is still out on that one, actually. Humanae vitae is very specific about contraception: it is sinful within the context of the conjugal act.

I can see answers going both ways on this one. Ultimately, Rome will have to speak on it.
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I don’t know if Rome will have to speak on it. It seems like a purely academic question. As Johnn already pointed out, the act of fornication is already mortal - you’re not going to make it more or less mortal by using contraception or not. And the Pope could never say something like, “Don’t fornicate, but if you do wear a condom.”
 
porthos11 said:
There’s an interesting twist to this story.

Definitely fornication is a mortal sin, no question.
Definitely using contraception in marriage is a mortal sin, no question.

But what about contraception in fornication? You shouldn’t be having sex anyway (therefore, they should not be open to life), so does contraception add to the gravity of the sin (I personally don’t think so)?

The jury is still out on that one, actually. Humanae vitae is very specific about contraception: it is sinful within the context of the conjugal act.

johnstown john replies:

Fornication is NOT a “conjugal act.” It is a mortal sin and the result of it, if gone unrepentant, is eternal Hell. Contraceptives does not make a mortal sin MORE mortal…one cannot lose their soul TWICE.

Contraceptives in today’s society (and the local schoolboards assist in distributing birth control) is an accessory to encouraging young people to engage in fornication.

It is no stretch, if one understands , albeit finitely, the mind of God that the members of schoolboards and those that distribute the means to encourage fornication are guilty of EVERY fornication committed by the young with their encouragement to commit fornication.

We will see, in the Final Judgment, many souls who have linked themselves to being accessories to mortal sin going to Hell. It is pure Justice.

Contraceptives = mortal sin when used in a conjugal (husband/wife) act of love. The conjugal act that is compliant with openness to new life is God’s design. Introduce contraception: it is no longer; it is, instead a sin of the flesh.

Fornicators will NOT achieve Heaven…St. Paul states this most clearly. Contraceptives used during fornication is absurd.

sorry, i replied a couple of lines before your conclusion.
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Always remember to distinguish the ACT, taken in itself, from the contributing factors that may mitigate the gravity of the sin in a particular circumstance.

So yes: Fornication and contraception are, in themselves, objectively “grave matter” (aka: mortal). You do it with your eyes wide open, knowing it is sinful, and you incur the full subjective weight of personal mortal sin.

Some goof, who has been told all his life that contraception is the responsible thing for a couple to do, and does not KNOW it is a sin, does not incur the full weight of subjective mortal sin.

Then there is the matter of how much we can be expected to know. That gets into the area of culpable ignorance. If a Catholic claims not to know that fornication and contraception are grave matter, he is definitely flirting with culpable ignorance (namely, you should outta know that, and you ain’t got no excuse for not knowin’ it!).
 
mercygate said:
Always remember to distinguish the ACT, taken in itself, from the contributing factors that may mitigate the gravity of the sin in a particular circumstance.

So yes: Fornication and contraception are, in themselves, objectively “grave matter” (aka: mortal). You do it with your eyes wide open, knowing it is sinful, and you incur the full subjective weight of personal mortal sin.

Some goof, who has been told all his life that contraception is the responsible thing for a couple to do, and does not KNOW it is a sin, does not incur the full weight of subjective mortal sin.

Then there is the matter of how much we can be expected to know. That gets into the area of culpable ignorance. If a Catholic claims not to know that fornication and contraception are grave matter, he is definitely flirting with culpable ignorance (namely, you should outta know that, and you ain’t got no excuse for not knowin’ it!).
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Your post above scores a “direct hit” on the inclination of "rationalizing Mortal sin.

It is self-deception that originates from Hell.

“Culpable ignorance,” that is a phrase that has far-reaching implications. As pointed out, schoolboards and local ordinances that dole contraceptives to the young are “CULPABLE.” These officials, whether they realize it or not; whether care or not…are in a state of Mortal sin…this is “Willful Ignorance” and is an accessory to “Culpable Ignorance.”

Whether Catholic, Protestant, Jew or Muslim a contributor to fornication will carry that sin on their soul when Judgment Day comes upon ALL of us. That sin is MORTAlL and it is a prepaid ticket to Hades.

While reading your summary, the “culpable ignorance” designation reminded me of Sodom and Gomorrah. These people that perished were WARNED beforehand. Prior to that was the Great Flood…WARNINGS were meted out.

What is frustrating today is few…very few times do we hear about “Hell” and its eternal torment. This is at a time when the world is being saturated with new and novel ways to offend God.

Jesus is coming and He will judge the living and the dead. There are but only TWO destinations: Heaven or Hell.

It’s time many of us break away from all the sugarcoated rationales for committing Mortal sins. (We should not forget the venial variety while we are at it).
 
To contracept while fornicating would be to commit two grave acts. It doesn’t and can’t make one sin more or less mortal, but it adds another sin. Obviously, the other two requirements for mortal sin must be present to make it mortal, but if they were, it would be two mortal sins committed.
 
To conceive while fornicating is also a Mortal sin. It goes against marriage, family and God’s design for a holy structured society. The offspring have no identity. Over time, much incest takes place due to multiple sirings by the same father and different mothers. As these offspring reach puberty; go to school; meet schoolmates of the opposite sex in the same age group unbeknownst to many commit fornication with their kin and often conceive. And it goes on.

Obviously, sins of the flesh trawl more souls to Hell than any other sin.
 
catholicsem said:
To contracept while fornicating would be to commit two grave acts. It doesn’t and can’t make one sin more or less mortal, but it adds another sin. Obviously, the other two requirements for mortal sin must be present to make it mortal, but if they were, it would be two mortal sins committed.
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While that is true, I have to say that when I found out my 14-y.o. son had sex (yes…14 😦 ), I was happy that he also committed the sin of using contraception. If he had told me “Dad, I sinned by having sex with my girlfriend, but you will be happy to know I didn’t also commit the sin of using a condom,” I would have probably been very worried about his capability for reason.

BTW…he deeply regrets his actions (he is 17 now), and actually said “I ruined my life.” I had to give him a hug and console him, so he would understand that he didn’t ruin his life. He made a grave error, and he has now learned from it.
 
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