What Are the Catholic Sins?

According to Catholic doctrine, there are different types of sins, with distinguishable consequences for each. Deep-rooted folklore often surrounds some of these policies of the Catholic Church. The following outlines different examples of sin and the logic behind the definition and punishment as outlined by the Catholic Catechism, which is the authority on Catholic laws and standards of morality.

Definition

According to the Catholic Catechism, a sin is "an offense against reason, truth and right conscience; it is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbor ... 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 ..." (Catholic-pages.com). In terms of of the Catholic definition of sin, one's actions must be knowing and deliberate, and thus an act of willful evil against God or another person.

Types

In keeping with the Catholic Catechism, there are two major categories of sin: mortal and venial. The first, mortal, is the far more serious type of sin. A mortal sin committed by a baptized Catholic removes the person from a "state of grace" and subjects the sinner to eternal damnation in the afterlife. A venial sin, while not serious enough to condemn a person to hell, should not be taken lightly, as Catholics are taught to strive for "holiness and perfection," in order to model themselves after Christ. Committing even a venial sin prevents Catholics from attaining these goals.

Mortal Sin

For a sin to be considered mortal, it must fall into one of the following categories: the matter must be "grave," done with full knowledge and deliberate. According to the Catholic Catechism, "There is no doubt that matters such as murder, theft, sexual sins (such as adultery, premarital sex and contraception), bearing false witness, etc., are taken sufficiently seriously by the Church to constitute grave matter." Therefore, anyone who is Catholic and deliberately partakes in a grave sin forfeits their afterlife in heaven for suffering in hell.

Venial Sins

Venial sins differ from mortal sins, not so much in their severity, but in their intention. Venial sins are often committed in ignorance. While they do lack the gravity of actions such as murder, adultery or false worship, venial sins do not lead to eternal damnation because they are done unintentionally, and therefore, can be redeemed through prayer, confession, and offerings or good deeds.

Significance

The Catholic Church believes that humans are sinful by nature -- that is, without the grace of God, humans will naturally resort to sin. Sin begets sin, and therefore, a person who does not accept Christ into his or her life will be more likely to commit sin, and continue down a path that leads further from salvation. Catholics believe that "consciences become clouded and blind to our sinfulness. All sin must be avoided because of the grave consequences it brings. If we do not avoid committing venial sins, then we are in grave danger of losing our resolve not to commit mortal sins, thereby losing eternal happiness."

Misconceptions

The modern Catholic Church has come a long way from the fire and brimstone teachings of the past. Just like any body of laws, the Catholic Catechism has gone through changes, amendments and adjustments to fit the social and religious beliefs of the time period. While Catholics still follow teachings such as the "Golden Rule" (love thy neighbor as God loves you), and the Ten Commandments, the path toward salvation is much more forgiving than Catholics had to endure with the medieval interpretation. Images of hell, demons and fiery pits historically scared Catholics into morality. This was famously described in Dante Alighieri's masterpiece, "The Divine Comedy," in which he journeys through the Inferno to avoid his own damnation. Such punishments are no longer preached or encouraged by the modern church.

The Ten Commandments

The Catholic teachings of sin still center around the original laws put forth by God. Moses, who led the Israelites to freedom, delivered God's words to his people on Mt. Sinai. The Ten Commandments, as found in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament, read:

One: You shall have no other gods before Me.

Two: You shall not make for yourself a carved image -- any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Three: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Four: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Five: Honor your father and your mother.

Six: You shall not murder.

Seven: You shall not commit adultery.

Eight: You shall not steal.

Nine: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Ten: You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's. (All About the Truth, 2009)