Venial Sin and the Will

[Bakmoon]

I am currently engaged in a theological discussion with someone but things have been sidetracked temporarily. The key question of our side issue is whether or not the will is required for venial sin, or only for mortal sin. In other words, is it possible to commit venial sin involuntarily? Ideally I would like quotes from Council documents addressing the involvement of the will in sin, but barring that, things from well accepted Catechisms, Papal Encyclicals, and quotes from the works of St. Thomas Aquinas would be useful. I only need one or two quotes to determine the issue.

 

[Bookcat]

You mean like being asleep? or taking the dollar on the counter that you thought was yours yours (when it was not)? --no.

But there are various kinds of venial sins and the more deliberate– the worse they are…venially speaking.

 

[bzkoss236]

I am currently engaged in a theological discussion with someone but things have been sidetracked temporarily. The key question of our side issue is whether or not the will is required for venial sin, or only for mortal sin. In other words, is it possible to commit venial sin involuntarily? Ideally I would like quotes from Council documents addressing the involvement of the will in sin, but barring that, things from well accepted Catechisms, Papal Encyclicals, and quotes from the works of St. Thomas Aquinas would be useful. I only need one or two quotes to determine the issue.

For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.” (CCC 1857)

One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent. (CCC 1862)