What's mortal, what's venial - a very complete examination of conscience

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Many people on this forum ask questions about what sins are mortal and what sins are venial, and what to say in confession. Here is a link to one of the most complete examinations of conscience I have ever seen, complete with lists of mortal and venial sins. I hope you all find it useful.

Betsy
 
Pirating software is listed as a mortal sin? Being a technophile, I’ve been on the lookout for any teaching from the Church regarding this issue. Are they referring to simply copying software, or selling copied software to make a profit? I can see the second one, but somehow I can’t justify placing “I borrowed my friend’s Windows 95 disc and installed it on my computer” on the same level as “I borrowed my friend’s Windows 95 disc and beat him to death with it”. Though I could be wrong…
 
Very interesting… I wonder about the sin of Simony (buying or selling spiritual things) ? I’ve never heard of this… maybe that’s why our former pastor wouldn’t allow the sale of religious items: pictures, statues, etc. @ our Yard Sale–he’d tell us to give the items to those who were interested? 🙂
 
Simony comes from Acts, where Simon the Magician attempts to buy the gifts of the Holy Spirit from the Apostles. But spiritual things are not the same as religious objects (crucifixes, rosaries, etc). These things cost money to make, and it is allowable to sell them. Ever been to a Catholic book store? Once an item has been blessed, however, that may change.
 
Dr. Colossus:
Pirating software is listed as a mortal sin?
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Seems obvious to me, what am I missing? Stealing is a mortal sin, right?
 
Dr. Colossus:
Simony comes from Acts, where Simon the Magician attempts to buy the gifts of the Holy Spirit from the Apostles. But spiritual things are not the same as religious objects (crucifixes, rosaries, etc). These things cost money to make, and it is allowable to sell them. Ever been to a Catholic book store? Once an item has been blessed, however, that may change.
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Thanks…the reason for being blessed makes sense. I just had never heard of this. Oh well, that’s why I’m on this forum I guess!🙂
 
Seems obvious to me, what am I missing? Stealing is a mortal sin, right?
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From what I understand, in the case of stealing, the gravity of the sin is based on the amount or worth of the item stolen and the damage done to the victim. Better safe than sorry either way, of course, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen it listed in an examination of conscience as grave matter in all cases.
 
Dr. Colossus:
Pirating software is listed as a mortal sin? Being a technophile, I’ve been on the lookout for any teaching from the Church regarding this issue. Are they referring to simply copying software, or selling copied software to make a profit? I can see the second one, but somehow I can’t justify placing “I borrowed my friend’s Windows 95 disc and installed it on my computer” on the same level as “I borrowed my friend’s Windows 95 disc and beat him to death with it”. Though I could be wrong…
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I would think that copying software for one’s own use would constitute stealing, and stealing something that costs hundreds of dollars, like Microsoft Office (what I’m personally tempted to steal) would surely be a mortal sin. In the case of copying something of lesser value, I suppose it matters that the importance of the sale of one item is greater in the case of a smaller software company than it is with Microsoft or another large company. It’s a matter of proportion.

I’m not sure that the Windows 95 disc is sturdy enough to beat someone to death with! 😉

Betsy
 
Dr. Colossus:
From what I understand, in the case of stealing, the gravity of the sin is based on the amount or worth of the item stolen …
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Well, better safe than sorry as you say, but the nuns taught me that stealing a pack of gum was no different than robbing a bank. Old school I guess…
 
Thank you for this. I have been looking for something along these lines for a long time.
 
Something I’ve wondered for a long time… one of the sins listed there is “Joining the Masons or other secret society.” Is the National Honor Society considered a secret society? What about Greek societies (Phi Theta Kappa, etc.)?
 
Dr. Colossus:
From what I understand, in the case of stealing, the gravity of the sin is based on the amount or worth of the item stolen and the damage done to the victim. Better safe than sorry either way, of course, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen it listed in an examination of conscience as grave matter in all cases.
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A sin is a sin, and it is mortal if its grave matter, you have prior knowledge and it is done with full consent. Therefore, stealing a pen while knowing it is a sin, I believe, is mortals. My pastor put it wisely, there are no WHITE lies!

As to the Masons in a prior post, they are a religion and obviously joining them would be sinful.
 
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OpusDei:
As to the Masons in a prior post, they are a religion and obviously joining them would be sinful.
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Yes, I know that. (: I was wondering about the “other secret society” part. What constitutes a secret society?
 
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OpusDei:
A sin is a sin, and it is mortal if its grave matter, you have prior knowledge and it is done with full consent. Therefore, stealing a pen while knowing it is a sin, I believe, is mortals. My pastor put it wisely, there are no WHITE lies!
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I couldn’t disagree more. Dr. Colossus has it right - the gravity of the sin of theft is dependent on the value of the item stolen. The unnecessarily strict view you espouse can lead to scrupulosity. Yes, it is a venial sin to steal a 19 cent pen, and one should avoid doing this, but you cannot lose your soul over it, unless, possibly, you mistakenly believe it to be a mortal sin and steal it anyway. Now, if you steal somebody’s prized Waterman pen that cost several hundred dollars, that would be a mortal sin.

The Explanation to the Baltimore Catechism #3 refers to stealing many small things over the course of time, and these things adding up to enough to be a mortal sin. Clearly they are making a distinction between stealing small items and stealing larger ones. The law of God is not unreasonable.

Betsy
 
CCC 2408 The seventh commandment forbids theft, that is, usurping another’s property against the reasonable will of the owner.

CCC 2409 Even if it does not contradict the provisions of civil law, any form of unjustly taking and keeping the property of others is against the seventh commandment.

CCC 1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, DO NOT STEAL…

**CCC 1857 **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

There is no mention ANYWHERE in the Catechism distinguishing a lessening of the sin due to the value of an object. Theft is theft. Example: Something may have little value to you but have great value to me. A pen given to me as a gift may have little monetary value, but would have tremendous sentimental value. Any time you start splitting hairs with sin it is a trick of the devil.

By the way, when is asking someone not to steal anything unreasonable?

Peace in Christ!
 
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OpusDei:
There is no mention ANYWHERE in the Catechism distinguishing a lessening of the sin due to the value of an object. Theft is theft. Example: Something may have little value to you but have great value to me. A pen given to me as a gift may have little monetary value, but would have tremendous sentimental value. Any time you start splitting hairs with sin it is a trick of the devil.

By the way, when is asking someone not to steal anything unreasonable?

Peace in Christ!
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And yet, in the examination of conscience above, they list the following as a venial sin: “Theft of small or inexpensive items”. But you’re right, stealing is never reasonable.
 
I too have wondered about the severity of the sin in the case of theft. I have come to understand and accept that pirating software or music off the internet is a sin, but what about the case where I may take food for my children because I cant afford it vs. taking someones car. I cant believe those are in the same catagory.

Mary
 
what about the case where I may take food for my children because I cant afford it vs. taking someones car.
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The Church has always taught that doing an evil in hopes of bringing good out of it is never permissible.
 
Dr. Colossus:
The Church has always taught that doing an evil in hopes of bringing good out of it is never permissible.
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CCC #2408 clarifies the question if you read it to the end:

2408 The seventh commandment forbids theft, that is the usurping of another’s property against the reasonable will of the owner. There is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods. This is the case in obvious and urgent necessity when the only way to provide for immediate, essential needs (food, shelter, clothing…) is to put at one’s disposal and use the property of others.

OpusDei, I did not mean to imply that asking us not to steal is unreasonable. I did mean that to lose one’s soul over the theft of a small, inexpensive, inconsequential item is indeed unreasonable. Horror of all sin, venial sin included, is a praiseworthy thing - better the whole world be destroyed than anyone commit even a venial sin. Confusing venial sins with mortal sins, however, does not help anyone. CCC 1858 goes on beyond what you quoted to establish a hierarchy of gravity - “murder is graver than theft.” In my opinion, we can infer from this that not everything mentioned in the Ten Commandments is necessarily a mortal sin.

Betsy
 
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