Is suicide a mortal sin?

[TStokes]

What about, say, a soldier who throws himself on a grenade to save his comrades?

He’s not insane, and he knows what he is doing is certain death.

Thats an act to save others lives its a selfless act he’s loving his neighbor as he loves himself… Or what you do for your brother you do for me"

 

[LindaRichmond]

The 3 components of a mortal sin are:
-grave matter
-full knowledge
-deliberate consent

Suicide is certainly a grave matter. It is the killing of oneself. Suicide goes against the human natural law of love of life.

One who commits suicide of course has full knowledge of their actions: they are taking their own life! forever!

One who commits suicide does it out of their own free will. If a life is taken by any means in which the victim is murdered against his free will, it is a homicide.

So, to answer your question… yes. The act of killing oneself is indeed a mortal sin, punishable by eternal separation from the Lord. It is even specified in the Ten Commandments.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

One who commits suicide of course has full knowledge of their actions: they are taking their own life! forever!

However, it could be argued that anyone who resorts to suicide is probably not in their right frame of mind and therefore may not have “full knowledge of their actions.” In such a case, they might not be held accountable.

 

[edward_george]

The 3 components of a mortal sin are:
-grave matter
-full knowledge
-deliberate consent

Suicide is certainly a grave matter. It is the killing of oneself. Suicide goes against the human natural law of love of life.

One who commits suicide of course has full knowledge of their actions: they are taking their own life! forever!

One who commits suicide does it out of their own free will. If a life is taken by any means in which the victim is murdered against his free will, it is a homicide.

So, to answer your question… yes. The act of killing oneself is indeed a mortal sin, punishable by eternal separation from the Lord. It is even specified in the Ten Commandments.

I refer you again to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Suicide

2280 Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of.

2281 Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.

2282 If suicide is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal. Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law.

***Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.

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***2283 We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.

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The way you analyze this seems to make mortal sin to be some kind of objective fact, when really, there is a dimension of personal culpability to it as well. What makes it a mortal sin is not simply the gravity of the act but the person’s awareness and obstinance in committing such a grave act in face of its gravity. It is not clear that suicide is always an act carried out with full awareness of the gravity of it. Furthermore, it is not clear that there could ever be an objectively mortal sin; while there are actions which are always and everywhere gravely immoral, whether or not they are mortal sins once committed depends upon the culpability of the person committing them.

-ACEGC

 

[ready]

Is suicide a mortal sin?

I believe if the person is in full control of all his faculties – or pretty much in full control – and premeditates the sin knowing that it is a mortal sin – and with sufficient reflection, then it would be a mortal sin for him to attempt to take his life.

 

[thistle]

Even if a person committing suicide had reduced culpability for that act it does not mean they would be saved because we don’t know the state of anyone’s soul at death and such a person might have already been in a state of mortal sin.

 

[Jomaren]

There are those of you who say it is a sin as the person can’t repent,but what if the person takes an overdose or throws themselves off of a building or something where they have moments before they die - unlike shooting themselves say in the head which would be quick - and at that point regret their decision as they lie dying and pray inside themselves for forgiveness.

What if the person concerned did it because they wanted to be with God instead of on this earth.

I know this is an old thread but something I wanted to ask about.

 

[PolarGuy]

I agree with everything edward_george wrote. I’ve advocated this view myself on numerous occasions.

I think a good case can be made that almost zero suicides are instances of mortal sin. I suspect very few people who take their own lives (outside of wartime) are not either under extreme mental anguish/distress aka “not in their right minds.”

 

[AHapka]

The one sin for which you can’t repent.

According to St. Padre Pio this is not entirely true.

NOTE: This is private revelation from a saint, and, it does not have the standing as scripture and tradition and you are free to disagree with it and not be wrong.

However, that being said, I think that the Saint did have an unusal knowledge of souls and communication with God that most of us simply don’t have.

He was once asked about a suicide, and told someoene “don’t worry, he repented between the bridge and the water.”

If true, it does mean that repentence can be possible depending upon the means.

Of course, the Catechism is first and foremost. And it itself says that we should not dispair the salvation of those who take their own life. And that IS teaching from our religious superiors.

 

[Paleocon]

Is suicide a mortal sin?

Yes.