What does the Catechism of the Church say about Sin?

Sin, which means “missing the mark”, is addressed in Article 8 of the same name of the first section (“The Vocation of Man: Life in the Spirit”) of the third part (“Life in Christ”) of the catechism.

At the end of this reading, we invite you to discover other great questions of faith.

What is sin?

The definition of sin is addressed in the numbers 1849 to 1876 of the Catechism and the baptism for adults in the numbers 1849 to 1851.

 “Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as “an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.”(No. 1849)

“Sin is an offense against God: Sin sets itself against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from it. Like the first sin, it is disobedience, a revolt against God through the will to become “like gods,” knowing and determining good and evil. Sin is thus “love of oneself even to contempt of God.” In this proud self- exaltation, sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation.” (No. 1850) “an abuse of the freedom that God gives to created persons so that they are capable of loving him and loving one another.” (No. 387)

“Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in them:
 - by participating directly and voluntarily in them;
 - by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them;
 - by not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so;

 - by protecting evildoers.” (No. 1868)

“It is precisely in the Passion, when the mercy of Christ is about to vanquish it, that sin most clearly manifests its violence and its many forms: unbelief, murderous hatred, shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate's cowardice and the cruelty of the soldiers, Judas' betrayal - so bitter to Jesus, Peter's denial and the disciples' flight. However, at the very hour of darkness, the hour of the prince of this world, the sacrifice of Christ secretly becomes the source from which the forgiveness of our sins will pour forth inexhaustibly.” (No. 1851)

It may also be good to review the 10 words of life, which are the ten commandments in the second section of the third part of the catechism.  

The diversity of sins

The number 1852 mentions in particular: “There are a great many kinds of sins. Scripture provides several lists of them. The Letter to the Galatians contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit: “Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

The number 1853 elaborates a distinction of sins: “Sins can be distinguished according to their objects, as can every human act; or according to the virtues they oppose, by excess or defect; or according to the commandments they violate. They can also be classed according to whether they concern God, neighbor, or oneself; they can be divided into spiritual and carnal sins, or again as sins in thought, word, deed, or omission.” (No. 1853)

In addition, this number adds that “the root of sin is in the heart of man, in his free will”: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man.” (Matthew 15:19). But in the heart also resides charity, the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds.” (No. 1853)

Mortal and venial sin, how to redeem oneself

Mortal Sin

This is particularly discussed in numbers 1855 to 1861 of the Catechism.

“Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.” (No. 1855)

Three conditions are required to qualify a sin as “mortal”: “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.” (No. 1857). Deliberate consent is also referred to as full consent (No. 1859).

“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, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother.” The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.” (No. 1858).

“Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.” (No. 1860).

“Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices forever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.” (No. 1861)

Venial Sin

Venial sin is particularly discussed in number 1855, and in numbers 1862 to 1864.

 “Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.” (No. 1855)

“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.” (No. 1862)

“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. However, venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God's grace, it is humanly reparable. “Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness.”(No. 1863)

Redeeming our sins

Sin can invite us to several things, such as:

Conversion

Attending the Sacrament of Reconciliation, to obtain the forgiveness of sins

Practicing the ethics of virtues: number 1811 of the catechism encourages us, for example, to “persevere in the search for the virtues” (No. 1811).

To rediscover what freedom is

Is there a sin that the Church cannot remit?

As we saw in the article on forgiveness, sin (or blasphemy) against the Holy Spirit is not forgiven: “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.” (No. 1864).

With Hozana, let us persevere in the search for virtue!

With Hozana, let us persevere in the search for virtue! This is what will allow us to go against sin, for example by practicing faith, hope, and charity. We offer you communities to be more rooted in faith, such as the readings of the gospel of the day or prayers with your guardian angel.

Other communities allow you to rediscover the mercy of God, such as this community, to pray and praise Divine Mercy. Finally, you can also consult our guide to the Saints to see how these figures practiced the virtues.