Potentially a mortal sin?

[BornInMarch]

I understand that there are costs beyond material value, but I don’t like when people pretend that all theft is equal. Taking can of soda from a store is bad, but not as bad as stealing a widow’s wedding ring or an expensive sports car.

 

[Reuben_J]

Hi.

I ate something which I knew at the time, were someone elses at our parents house. I felt bad and gave the person money to make up for just taking it. Is that a potentially mortal sin even though I made up for it?

What you did was wrong but you kind of remorse by making up for it. You even tried a restitution by giving the victim money.

Speaking about gravity of the sin, it often depends on what it means to the victim. A cake may be nothing to a person who can afford it or that it does not have any special meaning or sentimental value, but then there is something that can have special meaning to a person, which cannot be replaced. Once it is gone (or eaten), it is lost forever. In that case, there is certainly gravity.

It is not so much the value of the item but what it means to the owner. That is why we should refrain from wrong doing and sin, the reason being obvious which is against God but also we may not be able to assess its importance and graveness to the person concerned.

 

[otrrl]

Somewhere the catechism says that stealing from someone who may not miss the item stolen is not a sin. Some have agonized over stealing an apple from somebody’s tree; that’s an example of what is probably an insignificant theft.

I think this statement is made in a paragraph on gambling.

 

[kgmlg]

True story of a little boy (about 10 years old):

He was misbehaving in school and got punished. He had vengeance on his mind, he wanted to get back at his teachers for punishing him. So he sneaks into the faculty room and steals a donut. Eats it heartily…initially feels good because he somehow put one over his teachers. But being a good catholic, eventually felt really guilty about stealing the food.

He goes to confession with a really strict priest and expects to be punished again.

The priests reaction to this? Wholehearted and uncontrollable laughter. This is how people found out about the little boy’s “grave sin”, as the priest just could not stop laughing and he could be heard him from afar.

Hope this answers your question……

PS. Story told by the “little boy” who is now in his 40s.

 

[Godfollower]

I’m smiling trying to picture the look on your parents’ faces as you left the confessional.