Catholic hamartiology

Hieronymus Bosch's The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things

Catholic hamartiology is a branch of Catholic thought that studies sin. According to the Catholic Church, sin is an "utterance, deed, or desire,"[1] caused by concupiscence,[2] that offends God, reason, truth, and conscience.[3] The church believes sin is the greatest evil and has the worst consequences for the sinner (original sin and damnation), the world (human misery and environmental destruction), and the Catholic Church itself (Passion of Jesus and wounds to the church's unity).[4] Based on the Bible, the Catholic Church distinguishes between two kinds of sins: mortal sin and venial sin.[5] The Catholic Church also distinguishes between the state of being in original sin and the commission of actual sin.[6]

Official teaching

Reality of sin

The reality of sin is one of the arguments of divine revelation, e.g., sin is present in history[7] and divine revelation sheds light on it.[8]

Nature of sin

Sin is an "utterance, deed, or desire" that offends God, reason, truth, and conscience. It is caused by concupiscence. Sin is the greatest evil and has the worst consequences for the sinner, the world, and the church.[9]

Misunderstanding of sin

Without divine revelation, sin can be misconstrued as "a developmental flaw, a psychological weakness, a mistake, or the necessary consequence of an inadequate social structure, etc."[10]

God permits, but does not will, evil

God, in his goodness, only wills good.[11] He permits evil for the sake of a greater good.[12]

Paschal mystery

This is evidenced by the Paschal mystery: God permitted his Son to suffer and die for the sake of mankind's redemption.[13]

Who can sin?

Angels and humans are capable of committing sin because, unlike every other creature, they have free-will.[14]

No double predestination

No creature is predestined to commit sin or go to hell.[15]

Fall of angels and humans

The angels and first humans underwent a test of love of God at the beginning of time; some angels sinned and became demons, then tempted the first humans to sin as well.[16]

Creation of hell

By falling from heaven, demons gave rise to the existence of hell.[17]

Demons are tempters

Out of envy, demons tempt humans to commit sin.[18]

All sinners are to blame for the Passion of Jesus

Every human who sins is an author and minister of the Passion of Jesus.[19]

Reign of sin

The reign or regime of sin in the world is not arbitrary or a conspiracy; rather, it is each person's struggle against his or her own concupiscence.[20]

Disorder of sin

The regime of sin causes disorder, which can be "more or less overcome according to the circumstances of cultures, eras, and individuals."[21]

Defeat of and end to sin

Sin's reign is temporary, beginning with the fall of the angels and ending in definitive defeat with the crucifixion of Jesus.[22] Every human can share in Jesus' eternal reign on the wood of the cross via the sacraments.[23] At the end of the world, sin will no longer exist nor be possible ever again, because Jesus' eternal reign will then be absolute:[24] he will be everything to everyone,[25] i.e., fulfill everyone's every desire.[26]

Actual sin

Actual sin is the commitment of a sin. The first actual sin in history caused humanity to lose the state of original holiness, which included sanctifying grace.

State of original sin

After the fall, every human—apart from the Immaculate Conception—is now conceived in the state of original sin.[27]

Kinds of actual sin

There are two types of actual sin: mortal and venial.[28]

Mortal sin

Mortal sin is a deliberate sin of grave matter, such as murder.[29]

Eternal punishment

Mortal sin entails eternal punishment since it destroys sanctifying grace.[30]

Grave matter according to the Decalogue

The church does not have a full list of every possible sin. However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church does list certain offenses against the Ten Commandments that constitute grave matter.[31] They include:

  • 1st Commandment: superstition, idolatry, polytheism, divination, magic or sorcery, irreligion, atheism, tempting God, sacrilege, simony, heresy, schism, apostasy[32]
  • 2nd Commandment: abuse of God's name, magical use of God's name, committing sin or crime in the name of God, blasphemy, false promises, false oaths, perjury, insult[33]
  • 3rd Commandment: skipping Mass without grave reason (sickness, giving birth, etc.), impeding the worship of God, hindering the observation of Sunday, unnecessary demands[34]
  • 4th Commandment: the state of refusing to assist and protect the family, violation of human rights, disobedience to parents or authority, ingratitude to the church, refusal to disobey evil, negligence of children[35]
  • 5th Commandment: deliberate destruction of human life, deliberate killing of the innocent, capital punishment, intentional homicide, direct abortion, direct euthanasia, suicide, scandal, cult of the body, every kind of excess (drug abuse, overeating, etc.), inhumane scientific experiments, inhumane research, kidnapping, hostage taking, terrorism, torture, non-therapeutic and medical sterilization, non-therapeutic and medical amputation, non-therapeutic and medical mutilation, disrespect to the dead, unjust war, war crimes, unregulated production or sale of arms, arms race, economic or social inequality[36]
  • 6th Commandment: lust, masturbation, fornication, pornography, prostitution, rape, sodomy, homosexual acts, marital infidelity, domestic violence, artificial conception, adultery, divorce, polygamy, incest, child abuse, free union, concubinage, cohabitation, trial marriage[37]
  • 7th Commandment: theft, fraud, unjust wages, deliberate retention of lent goods, deliberate retention of lost objects, forcing up prices, unjust contracts, violation of a just contract, refusal to make reparations for injustice, unfair gambling, slavery, disrespect to animals, disrespect to environment, rich nations refusing to help the less fortunate, lay faithful refusing to directly intervene in politics, refusal to aid the poor or needy, human misery (material deprivation, unjust oppression, etc.)[38]
  • 8th Commandment: lying, rash judgment, detraction, calumny, satirical caricature, participation in sin, bragging or boasting, violation of professional secrets, violation of the sacramental seal, violation of privacy, iconoclasm[39]
  • 9th Commandment: evil intentions, complicity in impure thoughts, immodesty, moral permissiveness[40]
  • 10th Commandment: greed, envy, desire to amass goods without limit, desire to acquire someone else's property through unjust means, refusal to practice charity[41]
Sins that cry to heaven for justice

There are five mortal sins that cry to heaven for justice: the blood of Abel, the sin of the Sodomites, the cry of the Jews oppressed in Egypt, injustice to the wage earner, and the cry of the foreigner, widow, and orphan.[42]

Diminishment of guilt

Feelings, passions, pathological desires (such as the psychological wounds of child abuse), or external pressures (such as the threat of death) can diminish the voluntary and free character of a mortal sin. Unintentional ignorance, such as not knowing the gospel, can diminish or even remove the imputability of a mortal sin.[43]

Gravest of sins

Sins committing through malice—or deliberate choice of evil—is the gravest.[44]

Unforgivable sin

The eternal sin—blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—is the mortal sin of final impenitence, e.g., dying unrepentant, which cannot be forgiven precisely because the sinner refuses to accept forgiveness.[45]

Venial Sin

Venial sin is a deliberate sin of non-grave matter, such as a white lie, or an accidental sin of grave matter, such as an accidental killing.[46]

Temporary punishment

Venial sin entails temporary punishment since it weakens the theological virtue of charity.[47]

Habital sin

A vice is when one is in the habit of committing sin. While it does not deprive someone of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and eternal happiness, it still opposes virtue.

Seven capital vices

There are seven capital vices, commonly mistakenly referred to as the seven deadly sins. They are called "capital vices" because these vices engender sin: pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and acedia.[48]

Discrimination

The catechism condemns "[e]every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion."[49]

Ordination of women

The church does not see its inability to ordain women as discrimination on the grounds of sex, since Jesus himself only ordained men[50] and since there is no right to holy orders.[51]

Sins of the church

Pope John Paul II made many apologies for the church's sins—including against women, Jews, victims of the Inquisition, and Muslims—throughout its history.[52] Pope Benedict XVI apologized for the clerical sex abuse scandal.[53]

Participation in sin

Participating in another's sin is grave matter according to the Eighth Commandment. One participates in sin by flattery, adulation, or complaisance;[54] by taking part in the sin; by ordering, advising, or approving of sin; by not disclosing or hindering sin; or by protecting evildoers.[55]

Forgiveness of sin

Only God forgives sins[56] because forgiving sins is the height of omnipotence[57] and forgiveness is the greatest of God's deeds.[58]

Everyone can be forgiven

God is not bound by spacetime or the church, so those who have no access to the sacraments can still receive divine mercy.[59]

Repentance

The only prerequisite for forgiveness is contrition[60] (also called repentance[61]), however this does not include original sin.[62] While necessary for forgiveness, repentance is nonetheless impossible after death.[63]

Sacraments

The sacrament of baptism forgives all sins and original sin and grants sanctifying grace,[64] the sacrament of confession forgives all sins and restores sanctifying grace,[65] and the sacrament of the Eucharist forgives all venial sins and augments sanctifying grace.[66]

Repentance outside confession

Perfect contrition outside confession grants forgiveness of all sins, so long as one resolves to go to confession as soon as possible[67]—or would have, had one not been ignorant of Jesus and his church.[68]

God listens to the contrite

God hears the prayers of and is close to the contrite,[69] and the church holds sinners to her bosom.[70]

Indulgences

While the souls of Purgatory are undergoing temporary punishment for their sins, Catholics can remit their punishment by obtaining indulgences for them.[71]

Impeccability

Impeccability—to be holy or sinless—is an attribute of God, since he is absolutely perfect.[72] Impeccability is partially shared in by Christians, because they partake of God's nature,[73] and completely shared in by the angels and saints, because they experience the beatific vision.[74]

Heresy

These beliefs are condemned by the Catholic Church as heresies.

Good and evil are equal and matter is evil

Manichaeism is the belief that good and evil are equal forces and that matter is evil.[75]

Sinners do not belong to the church

Donatism is the belief that sinners should not be reconciled to the church, since only saints belong to the church.[76]

Christians are free from all authority

Messalians believe that Christians can do whatever they want.[77]

Divine grace unnecessary for choosing good over evil

Pelagianism is the belief that humans can choose good over evil without divine grace.[78]

Imperfect contrition is ineffective

Jansenism is the belief that imperfect contrition is insufficient for a Christian receiving the Eucharist.[79]

Unofficial teachings

Damnation of Judas Iscariot

It is commonly believed that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus before repenting of betrayal and committing suicide, is in hell, since the Bible calls him a "son of perdition."[80] Regarding Judas' suicide, Pope Benedict XVI taught that "it is not up to us to judge his gesture, substituting ourselves for the infinitely merciful and just God."[81]

Seven capital virtues

The seven capital virtues are virtues that are said to oppose the seven capital vices. They include: humility, charity, kindness, patience, chastity, temperance, and diligence.[82]

References

  1. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1849
  2. ^ CCC 1849
  3. ^ CCC 1849
  4. ^ CCC 1488
  5. ^ CCC 1854
  6. ^ CCC 405
  7. ^ CCC 386
  8. ^ CCC 387
  9. ^ CCC 387
  10. ^ CCC 387
  11. ^ CCC 294
  12. ^ CCC 312
  13. ^ CCC 312
  14. ^ CCC 391
  15. ^ CCC 1037
  16. ^ CCC 391
  17. ^ Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Q. 74...they rejected God and his Kingdom, thus giving rise to the existence of hell
  18. ^ CCC 392
  19. ^ CCC 598
  20. ^ CCC 1606
  21. ^ CCC 1606
  22. ^ CCC 613
  23. ^ CCC 618
  24. ^ CCC 1060
  25. ^ CCC 1130
  26. ^ "Catechism of the Catholic Church - Paragraph # 1718".
  27. ^ CCC 416
  28. ^ CCC 1854
  29. ^ CCC 1857
  30. ^ CCC 1861
  31. ^ CCC 1858
  32. ^ CCC First Commandment
  33. ^ CCC Second Commandment
  34. ^ CCC Third Commandment
  35. ^ CCC Fourth Commandment
  36. ^ CCC Fifth Commandment
  37. ^ CCC Sixth Commandment
  38. ^ CCC Seventh Commandment
  39. ^ CCC Eighth Commandment
  40. ^ CCC Ninth Commandment
  41. ^ CCC Tenth Commandment
  42. ^ CCC 1867
  43. ^ CCC 1860
  44. ^ CCC 1860
  45. ^ Pope John Paul II, Dominum et Vivificantem, 6 Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit unforgivable? ...blasphemy against the Holy Spirit consists precisely in the radical refusal to accept this forgiveness,...
  46. ^ CCC 1855
  47. ^ CCC 1863
  48. ^ CCC 1867
  49. ^ CCC 1935
  50. ^ CCC 1577
  51. ^ CCC 1578
  52. ^ Stourton, Edward (2006). John Paul II: Man of History. London: © 2006 Hodder & Stoughton. p. 1. ISBN 0-340-90816-5.
  53. ^ [Pope Benedict XVI apologizes for handling of sexual abuse cases but denies wrongdoing NPR: Pope Benedict XVI apologizes for handling of sexual abuse cases but denies wrongdoing]
  54. ^ CCC 2480
  55. ^ CCC 1868
  56. ^ CCC 1441
  57. ^ CCC 277
  58. ^ CCC 1994
  59. ^ CCC 1257
  60. ^ CCC 1431
  61. ^ CCC 1492
  62. ^ CCC 1257
  63. ^ CCC 393
  64. ^ CCC, Baptism
  65. ^ CCC, Confession
  66. ^ CCC, Eucharist
  67. ^ CCC 1452
  68. ^ CCC 847
  69. ^ CCC 2794
  70. ^ CCC 827
  71. ^ CCC 1479
  72. ^ CCC 213
  73. ^ CCC 1129
  74. ^ CCC 1045
  75. ^ Bevan, A. A. (1930). "Manichaeism". Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Volume VIII Ed. James Hastings. London
  76. ^ Cross, FL, ed. (2005), "Novatianism", The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church, New York: Oxford University Press.
  77. ^ Plested 2004, pp. 16–27.
  78. ^ Visotzky 2009, p. 44.
  79. ^ Pascal, Blaise (2004). Ferreyrolles, Gérard; Sellier, Philippe (eds.). Les provincials; Pensées; [et opuscules divers]. Paris: Livre de Poche. pp. 430–431. ISBN 2253132772.
  80. ^ Catholic Answers: Is Judas In Hell?
  81. ^ Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience of Oct 18, 2006
  82. ^ Siker, Jeffrey S. (2015). Jesus, Sin, and Perfection in Early Christianity. New York. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-107-10541-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Works cited

  • Plested, Marcus (2004). The Macarian legacy: the place of Macarius-Symeon in the Eastern Christian tradition. Oxford Theological Monographs. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-926779-0. OCLC 56319750.
  • Visotzky, Burton L. (2009). "Will and Grace: Aspects of Judaising in Pelagianism in Light of Rabbinic and Patristic Exegesis of Genesis". In Grypeou, Emmanouela; Spurling, Helen (eds.). The Exegetical Encounter Between Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity. Leiden: Brill. pp. 43–62. ISBN 978-90-04-17727-7.