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I want to understand the way St. Thomas Aquinas explains the difference between mortal and venial sin in his Summa Theologica but I'm not just getting it.
If you can help me out it would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Collins
{
Can you clarify how Thomas explains the difference between mortal and venial sin in his Summa? }
Mike replied:
Dear Collins,
Except for some on the team who have degrees in theology (and/or) philosophy, the writings of St. Thomas can be very heady and hard to understand. One of our goals as Catholic Apologists is to simplify, when possible, the hard to understand.
I believe this is the part of the Summa, or something similar, that you were trying to understand:
I have a mini-library of text snippets, guided by the Catechism, I use to explain what Thomas is trying to say:
Mortal sin requires three things:
knowledge of what you are doing
knowledge that it is grievously wrong, and
full consent of the will.
For a sin to be mortal it must include all three conditions:
It must be a grave matter.
We need sufficient time to reflect upon the sin we are about to commit and then must make the decision to sin anyway.
We must give full consent of the will to commit the sin.
For a sin to be mortal you have to 1.) really will it, 2.) know it's wrong, and 3.) it must be a serious matter.
For a sin to be mortal it must include all three conditions: (1.) It must be a grave matter. (2.) We need sufficient time to reflect upon the sin we are about to commit and then must make the decision to sin anyway. (3.) We must give full consent of the will to commit the sin.
From the Catechism:
III. The Different kinds of Sins.
.
.
1853 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.
The root of sin is in the heart of man, in his free will, according to the teaching of the Lord: For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man. (Matthew 15:19-20) But in the heart also resides charity, the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds.
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, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother.(Mark 10:19) 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.
1859 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 be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart (cf. Mark 3:5-6; Luke 16:19-31) do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.
1860 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.
1861 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 for ever, 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.
That's the best I can do.
Mike
Paul replied:
Mike,
When people ask about mortal sin, they often are not seeking the theology behind it, but want to know what specific acts constitute mortal sin.
I know. I was frustrated when I was younger because the answer to this important question was always so vague.
Attached is a list I wrote up back in the '90s. If you think it can help, feel free to use it on the website.
Catechism of the Catholic Church: Acts Whose Matter is Mortal Sin (MS WORD|PDF)
Thanks,
Paul
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