Two or four categories of sin?

[jesusmademe]

In the Confiteor we mention four different ways of sinning: “in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done
and in what I have failed to do”.
Oftentimes we talk about sins of comission and omission. In the Confiteor we also add sins of thoughts and words. Thus we have two systems: one with two categories of sin and the other with four categories of sin.
This confuses me!

 

[Uriel1]

its just a bit of algebra
thoughts, words, actions = 3 ways of expressing the sin (in doing)
& failed to do = the things we should have done to avoid the sin (failed to do)

God love you

 

[jesusmademe]

So the first three are all about what we did and the last one is all about how we failed to do any of the first three?

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

So the first three are all about what we did and the last one is all about how we failed to do any of the first three?

I don’t know that we really need mathematical precision or rigid categories here.

 

[Zaccheus]

Sin is sin. We don’t need to worry about formal categories. The prayer is just giving us the chance to be clear that we know what we’re admitting to.

 

[Vico]

…
This confuses me!

Sin is divinded “as regards the activities involved, into sins of thought, word, or deed (cordis, oris, operis);” and actual sin “is divided into sins of commission and omission”.

Catholic Encyclopedia

Division of sin
As regards the principle from which it proceeds sin is original or actual. The will of Adam acting as head of the human race for the conservation or loss of original justice is the cause and source of original sin. Actual sin is committed by a free personal act of the individual will. It is divided into sins of commission and omission. A sin of commission is a positive act contrary to some prohibitory precept; a sin of omission is a failure to do what is commanded. A sin of omission, however, requires a positive act whereby one wills to omit the fulfilling of a precept, or at least wills something incompatible with its fulfillment (I-II:72:5). As regards their malice, sins are distinguished into sins of ignorance, passion or infirmity, and malice; as regards the activities involved, into sins of thought, word, or deed (cordis, oris, operis); as regards their gravity, into mortal and venial. This last named division is indeed the most important of all and it calls for special treatment. But before taking up the details, it will be useful to indicate some further distinctions which occur in theology or in general usage.

O’Neil, A.C. (1912). Sin. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm

 

[Uriel1]

Sin is divinded “as regards the activities involved, into sins of thought, word, or deed (cordis, oris, operis);” and actual sin “is divided into sins of commission and omission”.

So the first three are all about what we did and the last one is all about how we failed to do any of the first three?

Yes my friend, exactly, and Vico states it more formally

 

[porthos11]

In the Confiteor we mention four different ways of sinning: “in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done
and in what I have failed to do”.
Oftentimes we talk about sins of comission and omission. In the Confiteor we also add sins of thoughts and words. Thus we have two systems: one with two categories of sin and the other with four categories of sin.
This confuses me!

It’s set theory. Multiple systems of classification has never been an issue with other sciences, and is not an issue here.

Sins by thought, vs word vs deed. - how you committed the sin, or by what human faculty you committed the sin.

Sins of commission vs of omission - whether you did something you should not have done vs not doing something you were obligated to do.

Mortal vs. venial - you know what that is.

Sins can be classified by some combination of all of these. You hit your thumb with a hammer and call out the name of the Saviour as a swear word.

How: by word (misuse of the Holy Name)
Participation: by commission.
Seriousness: venial

You look at a pornographic video will full willingness and entertain lustful thoughts while masturbating.

How: by thought and deed.
Participation: by commission
Seriousness: mortal

You are a married man with five children and intentionally shy from working

How: by deed
Participation: by omission
Seriousness: possibly mortal.

 

[Genesis315]

It’s normal and good for humans to think in an organized way. I’m not sure this is something that can be documented, as humans were no doubt doing it from the beginning. Jesus talked about all four categories at issue all the time–here are just a few examples:

Thoughts (e.g. Matt 5:28, etc.)
Words (e.g. Matt 12:36, Matt 5:22, etc.)
Deeds (e.g. Matt. 19:18, etc.)
Omission (e.g. Matt 25:42, etc.)