01.09. Sin (98-107)
98. What is sin?
99. Are all sins equally wicked?
100. What does every sin deserve?
101. How does Rome divide sins?
102. How does Rome define mortal sins and venial sins?
103. What sins does Rome call mortal?
104. What sins does Rome call venial?
105. How is forgiveness obtained for mortal sin according to Rome?
106. How is forgiveness obtained for venial sin according to Rome?
107. Why has Rome devised this elastic code of morals?
98. What is sin?
Sin is any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God.
99. Are all sins equally wicked?
Some sins, in themselves and by reason of several aggravations, are more wicked in the sight of God than others.
100. What does every sin deserve?
Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse both in this life and that which is to come.
101. How does Rome divide sins? The Church of Rome divides sin into two classes - mortal sins and venial sins.
102. How does Rome define mortal sins and venial sins?
Mortal sin is a thorough violation of God’s commandments with full knowledge and deliberation, and venial sin is either a slight infringement of the law or it may be in some cases a great violation of the law but rendered slight through want of knowledge, deliberation or freedom. Mortal sin, as the term indicates, merits eternal punishment. Venial sin is said to merit only temporal punishment in this world and in purgatory.
103. What sins does Rome call mortal? The principle mortal sins are said to be seven - pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and slouth. To these others are added. It has been declared by Rome, for example, a mortal sin not to hear Mass or not to keep Holy days.
104. What sins does Rome call venial?
Venial sins are divided into two classes. Some are venial, that is they take people by surprise. Of this kind are all those that are not perfectly voluntary as the sudden motions of lust, anger, envy and other similar to these which exist in the mind before the reason has had time to deliberate. Other venial sins are those that are of a trivial nature, such as the theft of a pin, an apple, a farthing or a vain word or jesting lie that hurts nobody. Ligouri shows in his writings, which have been declared by the Church to contain not one word worthy of censure, that there is no sin which the Church cannot by her endless distinctions and reserve cases make venial, so that every precept of the ten commandments can be innocently broken and result only in venial sin.
105. How is forgiveness obtained for mortal sin according to Rome?
Such sin must be confessed to the priest, otherwise it cannot be forgiven. If confessed to the priest, absolution is obtained in the Sacrament of Penance. By this means the eternal punishment due is escaped.
106. How is forgiveness obtained for venial sin according to Rome?
Venial sins need not be confessed to the priest. The sinner must make atonement for them himself by Penance, by Indulgences or by sufferings borne in Purgatory. The right however is reserved to the Church, that is the clergy, to determine what sins are mortal and what sins are venial.
107. Why has Rome devised this elastic code of morals? By such a code of morals the Church accomplishes a twofold result. On the one hand by her mortal sins which she alone can forgive, she retains her hold upon the people through their fear of the eternal world. On the other hand by her many venial sins she ingratiates herself with the pleasure-loving multitude. Moreover, she turns her doctrine of sin to great financial profit.