Catechism index

1846. 1846 I. Mercy and Sin The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God's mercy to sinners. 113 The angel announced to Joseph: "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from … →
1847. 1847 I. Mercy and Sin "God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us." 116 To receive his mercy, we must admit our faults. "If we say we have no sin, … →
1848. 1848 I. Mercy and Sin As St. Paul affirms, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." 118 But to do its work grace must uncover sin so as to convert our hearts and bestow on us … →
1849. 1849 II. The Definition of Sin 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 … →
1850. 1850 II. The Definition of Sin Sin is an offense against God: "Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight." 122 Sin sets itself against God's love for us and … →
1851. 1851 II. The Definition of Sin 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 … →
1852. 1852 III. The Different Kinds of Sins 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 … →
1853. 1853 III. The Different Kinds 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 … →
1854. 1854 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin Sins are rightly evaluated according to their gravity. the distinction between mortal and venial sin, already evident in Scripture, 129 became part of the tradition of the Church. It is corroborated by … →
1855. 1855 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin 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 … →
1856. 1856 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us - that is, charity - necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the … →
1857. 1857 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin 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." … →
1858. 1858 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin 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 … →
1859. 1859 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God's law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to … →
1860. 1860 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin 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 … →
1861. 1861 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin 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 … →
1862. 1862 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin 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, … →
1863. 1863 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin 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 … →
1864. 1864 IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin." 136 There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to … →
1865. 1865 V. The Proliferation of Sin Sin creates a proclivity to sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud conscience and corrupt the concrete judgment of good and evil. … →