is this a mortal sin?

[anon2009]

I have a question about mortal sin in a particular instance. I can’t tell from the catechism or from looking online in the forums, whether the following thought-situation constitutes mortal sin. I plan to talk with a priest about this, but would appreciate other (name removed by moderator)ut. I’m a relatively new Catholic, and single.

It goes like this: I’m falling asleep at night, and a suggestive thought presents itself. The thought is how nice it would feel to embrace or kiss a certain woman out of affection, or how nice she looks. I notice that this creates lustful feelings in me. I try to banish the thought, saying “Lord, have mercy on me. Help me to fight this. You are everything for me.” The thought goes away but the feeling of pleasure fades more slowly. I notice this feeling and I like it, and then the thought comes back. Have I invited it in? I can’t tell. Am I entertaining it? For a few seconds at least. I fight the thought again, but in doing this it gets more air-time. I pray again for help, but with less confidence. It goes on like this until it gets more explicit. Have I committed mortal sin? May I receive Communion at the morning Mass?

 

[JohnDamian]

If what you say is true you are not consenting.

For a sin to be mortal it must be grave; known; **and **consented too.

You arn’t consenting; ergo tis not mortal.

 

[Bookcat]

Compendium of the Catechism: vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

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.

---

It is of course difficult for a person here on the forum to tell you if you committed a mortal sin or not…and yes you are correct that a confessor can help you…

But it is important to note that in order to commit a mortal sin …there has to be grave matter (yes lustful thoughts/pleasure is grave matter) and full knowledge and complete consent. Even if a temptation comes back when we try to set it aside (fleeing is the best way)…this does not mean one has committed a mortal sin…for one needs full consent.

So the main question for yourself when tempted… is “did I give full consent”(deliberate consent).

(of course …one should note too there is a difference between some thoughts etc “happening to us” and our say…going and doing something we know will be a near occasion etc and one can sin by putting themselves willingly in them (for example a person knows he ordinarily gets drunk (looses completely his reason) when he goees to a particular bar…so he should avoid that bar)…so we do need to very much avoid the near occasion of mortal sin…but without scruple…)

This too can help:

The classic stages of temptation when we are tempted are:

1. Suggestion (the evil is proposed to us in some way) this can be quite attractive …can be thoughts that happen, ideas etc.
2. Pleasure (a kind of automatic pleasure can happen from the suggestion) this pleasure can just happen…one is not “trying to have it” not wanting it…this is just a reaction.

3…then one either consents or does not consent.

(one can either consent fully and thus engage in things willingly …or not consent and perhaps thus grow in virtue…following Christ!)

Now it can also often happen that one begins to “partially consent” but then rejects it and thus does not give full consent.

When one is tempted…

Some signs that one lacked consent or gave only “partial consent”:

If even though there was some instinctive pleasure …we do not want it…we are unhappy or horrified about the evil…or struggle to not be overcome …we turn to God in Prayer --these are some signs of no consent (if of course we stay in this stage…and do not later consent)

(For example some thoughts come out of the blue just cause one happened to see an attractive person…and one does not want the thoughts but turns to God in Prayer or is horrified by them and turns to something else etc…no matter how much they come back…if one does not consent at all…there is no sin…but rather possibly growth in virtues)

If one hesitates for a moment but then does not want to sin and so rejects it and does not give full consent (thus a fault against prudence)

If one resists but the resistance is half hearted…one does resist but it is weak or slow…but in the end one rejects it…such would seem to be half consent and thus venial

Of course if one then gives in and gives full consent…then such can be mortal…remember…partial consent or half consent is not full consent…and thus not mortal.

In the end …if there is still doubt that one consented:

if the person is lax (they do not see many things as sin for example …basically they are lax…) …one can urge confession for it is likely they consented otherwise it would not bother them…

for the delicate conscience or the scrupulous or one with scruples…one can rule out full consent for if they would have fully consented…it can be said that would know it.

(Based on A Tanquery… the Spiritual Life…and he bases things on S. Augustine…but much of this is simply repeated in various places…for it is the basics in judging such)

So…this may help in your examine.

 

[Bookcat]

I will add my thought post too…to help in general with thoughts that come to us…this was written not as an answer to your direct question (I did that above in the other post…though of course there is some overlap in what i say…)…however I thought it would be useful for “tempting thoughts” can happen to us all…and it is good to be forearmed…​

(from previous posts)

Regarding thoughts

while Jesus makes it clear that one can sin in ones thoughts…just cause some lustful thought happens does not mean that one sinned…

(and one can have a sufficiently good reason to think about sexual matters…for instance studying moral theology…but care must be taken to avoid things that would be a problem…but that is another question)

What should we do with* unwanted* sexual thoughts? Those pesky temptations that can come …even though we are not seeking them etc…

(there are of course some things we should avoid that cause them…and there can be sin if it is something one should reasonably avoid…but often they come uninvited)

First…Relax. Do not worry.

Now are they mortal sins?

For a mortal sin one needs a grave matter …full knowledge AND deliberate consent!!!

A. If you do not want the thought…it the thought displeases you: it can be a sign actually that you did not give consent or do not give full consent.

B. Even if you felt a temptation for the thought – and were drawn to it —but rejected it and maybe even turned to God : again a sign not full consent.

C. But what if one has a tempting thought --say of a sexual nature and even hesitated for a moment…but then rejected it for one did not want to sin? : it can be partial consent perhaps (and thus a venial sin)-- or it may be no sin at all but rather a strong temptation that drew you but then you saw what was happening and turned away.

D. A temptation can even be very strong or the thoughts very often – but this does NOT mean one has consented! so worry not…even it they go on for a long time…

remember --for it to be mortal there must be that deliberate consent!

What to do? on the spiritual side–relax first of all and remember the above.

Next – know that the more one fears the thoughts the more likely they are to come… or said another way --the more a person seeks to avoid the thoughts the more likely he will have a problem with them. (but do not worry about this either!)

for example: for the next 10 seconds try NOT to think of an apple.

tick tock …

tick tock…

Ok what did you think of? Most likely an apple.

So it is best to ignore them and just not consent and then turn your attention to some other good thing…for instance whatever you are doing. Simply do not consent and move on. and do not worry

another point – thoughts can just happen --they are the stuff with which we think…it is up to us to consent and take them further or not. and just because they are REAL VIVID and almost “think themselves” does not mean per se that one has given ANY consent.

they can be annoying…but need cause no actual harm …

 

[DaughterOfMary6]

If you have to ask if something is a mortal sin, it is most likely not a mortal sin.

There are three conditions that must be met for a sin to be mortal:

1. Its subject must be a grave (or serious) matter.
2. It must be committed with full knowledge, both of the sin and of the gravity of the offense.
3. It must be committed with deliberate and complete consent, enough for it to have been a personal decision to commit the sin.

However, in regards to your lustful feelings and prayer, it is a sin if you give consent to the thoughts and entertain them in order to gain pleasure from them, but since you are praying and trying your best to disregard those thoughts, you did not give consent. Any pleasure that is derived when you do not give consent is involuntary.

If you still have questions, it would be best to talk to a priest whom you trust.