No mortal sin...

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Not one time has my confessor told me that such and such was mortal, venial or scrupulous. They told me I shouldn’t think that way or something of that nature, but never once have I been told that what I have done was a specific type of sin. That’s why we have an examination of conscience. So we can determine which is which. Right? I know what mortal sin is and when I do it, I confess it. I just don’t have a big problem doing it. It rarely happens.

A lot probably depends on if you ask or not. I have asked if I was having trouble figuring it out and we have talked it through.

It definitely depends on the confessor.

Question:

By that same token have you ever had someone on CAF define for you what was mortal or venial or scrupulous and it changed your mind?

It is possible. It is just not a responsibility I want. I can tell you what grave matter is but I cannot have the honest conversation with you anonymously on the internet to really get into if mortal sin in present or not. It just isn’t a vehicle conducive to that.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

A lot probably depends on if you ask or not. I have asked if I was having trouble figuring it out and we have talked it through.

It definitely depends on the confessor.

Question:

By that same token have you ever had someone on CAF define for you what was mortal or venial or scrupulous and it changed your mind?

It is possible. It is just not a responsibility I want. I can tell you what grave matter is but I cannot have the honest conversation with you anonymously on the internet to really get into if mortal sin in present or not. It just isn’t a vehicle conducive to that.

Yes, it has changed my mind. I have a thread where I was worried about missing Mass because of agoraphobia and panic disorder. I was told that it wasn’t a mortal sin. Sickness is sickness.

 

[mommamaree]

A lot probably depends on if you ask or not. I have asked if I was having trouble figuring it out and we have talked it through.

It definitely depends on the confessor.

Question:

By that same token have you ever had someone on CAF define for you what was mortal or venial or scrupulous and it changed your mind?

It is possible. It is just not a responsibility I want. I can tell you what grave matter is but I cannot have the honest conversation with you anonymously on the internet to really get into if mortal sin in present or not. It just isn’t a vehicle conducive to that.

You are right about that. We can certainly help a person to know if something was grave matter or not, and we can help them understand concepts such as full knowledge and consent of the will, but we cannot help them determine if a sin was indeed mortal or not.
However, if a person is obviously being overly scrupulous (like "I applied lip balm just before Mass and I licked my lips and then I received the Eucharist. Did I break the Eucharistic fast and commit a sin?), we can offer reassurance. If such a person posts a lot of such questions, though, they should definitely be advised to seek spiritual direction. A person who is truly scrupulous can get tied up in knots asking questions on a forum.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

You are right about that. We can certainly help a person to know if something was grave matter or not, and we can help them understand concepts such as full knowledge and consent of the will, but we cannot help them determine if a sin was indeed mortal or not.
However, if a person is obviously being overly scrupulous (like "I applied lip balm just before Mass and I licked my lips and then I received the Eucharist. Did I break the Eucharistic fast and commit a sin?), we can offer reassurance. If such a person posts a lot of such questions, though, they should definitely be advised to seek spiritual direction. A person who is truly scrupulous can get tied up in knots asking questions on a forum.

Yeah I have seen some pretty weird ones on here. Makes me wonder if they are concerned about lip gloss what is the rest of their life like…

But even those really should be referred to a priest. A priest could have the advantage of training for scrupulocity and also could keep tabs on the person.

 

[marywarfield]

Is it strange that I don’t commit mortal sin? Other than worrying about committing mortal sin because of my invisible illnesses, I don’t do anything bad. Not mortally, at least. I don’t want to seem like I’m boasting, but no one else seems to be like me. All of the threads are about committing mortal sin. I’m thankful that I don’t have temptations, but is there anyone else like me?

My husband and I were talking about this the other day.
We finally came to the conclusion that since mortal
sin requires active knowledge that it is such and
doing it anyway well- mortal sins aren’t like venials
I think. Venials can be involuntary etc.
Mortal sin I think takes an effort of will to commit.

Think about it. Abortion, adultery, etc etc. you have
to actually put effort and time into it. I mean abortion?
You have to make an appt and drive there. Adultery?
Sneak around get undressed maybe rent a hotel room
Etc. and you have to do all that after you recognize
it and deliberately do it anyway.

So we came to the conclusion that the reason
we were boring our priest silly with venials and not
entertaining him with juicy mortal sins because
venials are so much easier to commit.
But O don’t think we will be confessing our laziness
in this matter soon. Lol

Which actually St. Teresa of Avila thought was a big
problem. Her thought was enough venials not
addressed could result in mortal. Maybe…

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

My husband and I were talking about this the other day.
We finally came to the conclusion that since mortal
sin requires active knowledge that it is such and
doing it anyway well- mortal sins aren’t like venials
I think. Venials can be involuntary etc.
Mortal sin I think takes an effort of will to commit.

Think about it. Abortion, adultery, etc etc. you have
to actually put effort and time into it.

So we came to the conclusion that the reason
we were boring our priest silly with venials and not
entertaining him with juicy mortal sins because
venials are so much easier to commit.

Which actually St. Teresa of Avila thought was a big
problem. Her thought was enough venials not
addressed could result in mortal. Maybe…

'That is interesting. Venial sins could be like an anti “Little way”

 

[marywarfield]

Is it strange that I don’t commit mortal sin? Other than worrying about committing mortal sin because of my invisible illnesses, I don’t do anything bad. Not mortally, at least. I don’t want to seem like I’m boasting, but no one else seems to be like me. All of the threads are about committing mortal sin. I’m thankful that I don’t have temptations, but is there anyone else like me?

'That is interesting. Venial sins could be like an anti “Little way”

Yes her idea was that persistent venials not addressed
creates hardness in sin. Maybe.
Oh and contributes to sloth. Maybe.

 

[maryjk]

You are right about that. We can certainly help a person to know if something was grave matter or not, and we can help them understand concepts such as full knowledge and consent of the will, but we cannot help them determine if a sin was indeed mortal or not.
However, if a person is obviously being overly scrupulous (like "I applied lip balm just before Mass and I licked my lips and then I received the Eucharist. Did I break the Eucharistic fast and commit a sin?), we can offer reassurance. If such a person posts a lot of such questions, though, they should definitely be advised to seek spiritual direction. A person who is truly scrupulous can get tied up in knots asking questions on a forum.

This is what I am talking about.

Happenings in life that are clearly not mortal sins. The least we can do for someone is to ease their minds. No, licking your lips before Communion isn’t breaking the fast. No, being late for Mass because of a 10 car pileup isn’t a sin. Yes, mental illness is still illness and can be just as debilitating.

Many times these questions come from the scrupulous. But questions like these also come from people that only need a specific question answered. They simply need someone from the outside looking in. There is no reason we can’t or shouldn’t help these people.

 

[Vico]

Yes her idea was that persistent venials not addressed
creates hardness in sin. Maybe.
Oh and contributes to sloth. Maybe.

Here is the maybe:Catechism
1863 Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul’s progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. …

 

[mommamaree]

Yes her idea was that persistent venials not addressed
creates hardness in sin. Maybe.
Oh and contributes to sloth. Maybe.

I have found that to be true for myself, too. If I do not immediately address my everyday faults with an evening examination of conscience, and seek God’s forgiveness, they seem to pile up and lead to sloth and despair and greater temptation to mortal sins. I have to be on guard daily, or something big sneaks up on me. That is why I like to recall that we are engaged in spiritual combat. It really is a war, that we must fight every day. We can prevail. God gives us ample grace for that. But if we are not fighting, we are laying down our weapons and leaving ourselves open for a mortal wound.

 

[marywarfield]

I have found that to be true for myself, too. If I do not immediately address my everyday faults with an evening examination of conscience, and seek God’s forgiveness, they seem to pile up and lead to sloth and despair and greater temptation to mortal sins. I have to be on guard daily, or something big sneaks up on me. That is why I like to recall that we are engaged in spiritual combat. It really is a war, that we must fight every day. We can prevail. God gives us ample grace for that. But if we are not fighting, we are laying down our weapons and leaving ourselves open for a mortal wound.

It’s interesting that you say that about sneaking.
I was reading Hostage to the Devil by by Malachi Martin
the other day which had five case studies of exorcisms.
He went from the persons early life to the final
exorcism. All major exorcisms.

None of these people started with big sins or ouiji
boards or anything like that.
It all started with each one as a venial that eventually
snowballed into enormous horrifying mortal sins.
Scary that.

 

[SuperLuigi]

I didn’t say I was without sin, just mortal sin. There is a difference.

My priest always giggles at my sins when I go to confession, he has let me know that I haven’t done anything mortally wrong. I confess the same sins over and over, they just aren’t mortal. That isn’t a bad thing, I don’t think.

People need to follow the advice of their Confessors and spiritual directors, especially if they have mental issues or scrupulosity.

And yes, there are many threads on here about “did I commit a mortal sin” and many of these posters are suffering from scrupulosity and need spiritual direction.

 

[SuperLuigi]

A lot probably depends on if you ask or not. I have asked if I was having trouble figuring it out and we have talked it through.

It definitely depends on the confessor.

Question:

By that same token have you ever had someone on CAF define for you what was mortal or venial or scrupulous and it changed your mind?

It is possible. It is just not a responsibility I want. I can tell you what grave matter is but I cannot have the honest conversation with you anonymously on the internet to really get into if mortal sin in present or not. It just isn’t a vehicle conducive to that.

I don’t think assessing someone else’s conscience on here is allowed—or even practical short of someone using Ask an Apologist.

Typically, I refer those who are obviously suffering from scrupulosity to find a spiritual director.

They usually don’t ask obvious questions such as “I drove to my co-workers house with the express intent of having an affair, and then I slept late and skipped Mass on purpose”.

They tend to get caught up in very gray areas.