The Main Kinds of Sins

1 Q. How many kinds of sin are there?

A. There are two kinds of sin: original sin and actual sin.

2 Q. What is original sin?

A. Original sin is the sin in which we are all born, and which we contracted by the disobedience of our first parent, Adam.

3 Q. What evil effects has the sin of Adam brought upon us?

A. The evil effects of the sin of Adam are: The privation of grace, the loss of Paradise, together with ignorance, inclination to evil, death, and all our other miseries.

4 Q. How is original sin cancelled?

A. Original sin is cancelled by holy Baptism.

5 Q. What is actual sin?

A. Actual sin is that which man, after coming to the use of reason, commits of his own free will.

6 Q. How many kinds of actual sin are there?

A. There are two kinds of actual sin: mortal and venial.

7 Q. What is mortal sin?

A. Mortal sin is a transgression of the divine Law by which we seriously fail in our duties towards God, towards our neighbour, or towards ourselves.

8 Q. Why is it called mortal?

A. It is called mortal because it brings death on the soul by making it lose sanctifying grace which is the life of the soul, just as the soul itself is the life of the body.

9 Q. What injury does mortal sin do the soul? (1) Mortal sin deprives the soul of grace and of the friendship of God; (2) It makes it lose Heaven; (3) It deprives it of merits already acquired, and renders it incapable of acquiring new merits; (4) It makes it the slave of the devil; (5) It makes it deserve hell as well as the chastisements of this life.

10 Q. Besides grave matter, what is required to constitute a mortal sin?

A. To constitute a mortal sin, besides grave matter there is also required full consciousness of the gravity of the matter, along with the deliberate will to commit the sin.

11 Q. What is venial sin?

A. Venial sin is a lesser transgression of the divine Law, by which we slightly fail in some duty towards God, towards our neighbour, or towards ourselves.

12 Q. Why is it called venial?

A. It is called venial Because it is light compared with mortal sin; because it does not deprive us of divine grace; and because God more readily pardons us.

13 Q. Then little account need be made of venial sin?

A. That would be a very great mistake, not only because venial sin is always an offence against God; but also because it does no little harm to the soul.

14 Q. What harm does venial sin do the soul?

A. Venial sin: (1) Weakens and chills charity in us; (2) Disposes us to mortal sin; (3) Renders us deserving of great temporal punishments both in this world and in the next.

The Vices and other Very Grievous Sins

1 Q. What is a vice?

A. A vice is an evil disposition of the mind to shirk good and do evil, arising from the frequent repetition of evil acts.

2 Q. What difference is there between a sin and a vice?

A. Between sin and vice there is this difference that sin is a passing act, whereas vice is a bad habit, contracted by continually falling into some sin.

3 Q. Which are the vices called capital?

A. The vices called capital are seven: Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Envy and Sloth.

4 Q. How are the capital vices conquered?

A. The capital vices are conquered by the exercise of the opposite virtues: Thus Pride is conquered by humility; Covetousness by liberality; Lust by chastity; Anger by patience; Gluttony by abstinence; Envy by brotherly love; Sloth by diligence and fervour in the service of God.

5 Q. Why are these vices called capital?

A. They are called capital because they are the head and fount of many other vices and sins.

6 Q. How many are the sins against the Holy Ghost?

A. The sins against the Holy Ghost are six: (1) Despairing of being saved; (2) Presuming on being saved without merit; (3) Opposing the known truth; (4) Envying another's graces; (5) Obstinately remaining in sin; (6) Final impenitence.

7 Q. Why are these sins specially said to be against the Holy Ghost?

A. These sins are specially said to be against the Holy Ghost, because they are committed through pure malice, which is contrary to goodness, the special attribute of the Holy Ghost.

8 Q. Which are the sins that are said to cry to God for vengeance?

A. The sins that are said to cry to God for vengeance are these four: (1) Willful murder; (2) The sin of sodomy; (3) Oppression of the poor; (4) Defrauding labourers of their wages.

9 Q. Why are these sins said to cry to God for vengeance?

A. These sins are said to cry to God for vengeance because the Holy Ghost says so, and because their iniquity is so great and so manifest that it provokes God to punish them with the severest chastisements.

Supplement

[This is not part of the catechism. I just thought it was a good place tolist the works of mercy.]

Works of Mercy

We will be asked for a particular account of the works of mercy we have performed on the Day of Judgement. A work of mercy is a work by which we help our neighbour in his spiritual or corporal needs. Traditionally they are:

A. Corporal works of mercy

1. To give food to the hungry

2. To give drink to the thirsty

3. To give clothing to the naked

4. To give lodging to pilgrims

5. To visit the sick

6. To visit those in prison

7. To bury the dead.

Spiritual works of mercy

1. To give counsel to those in doubt

2. To teach the ignorant

3. To admonish sinners

4. To console the afflicted

5. To forgive offenses

6. To bear patiently with persons who are difficult

7. To pray to God for the living and the dead.

 

INDEX

1 CATECHISM OF ST. PIUS X.. 1

1.1.1  Foreword. 1

1.1.2  Introduction. 1

1.2 Preliminary Lesson. 2

1.2.1  On Christian Doctrine and its Principal Parts 2

1.3 The Apostle's Creed. 3

1.3.1  The Creed in General 3

1.3.2  The First Article of the Creed. 4

1.3.3  The Second Article of the Creed. 7

1.3.4  The Third Article of the Creed. 8

1.3.5  The Fourth Article of the Creed. 8

1.3.6  The Fifth Article of the Creed. 9

1.3.7  The Sixth Article of the Creed. 10

1.3.8  The Seventh Article of the Creed. 10

1.3.9  The Eighth Article of the Creed. 10

1.3.10 The Ninth Article of the Creed. 11

1.3.11 The Tenth Article of the Creed. 17

1.3.12 The Eleventh Article of the Creed. 17

1.3.13 The Twelfth Article of the Creed. 18

1.4 Prayer. 18

1.4.1  Prayer in General 18

1.4.2  The Lord's Prayer 20

1.4.3  The Hail Mary. 23

1.5 The Sacraments. 24

1.5.1  Nature of the Sacraments 24

1.5.2  The Principal Effect of the Sacraments: Grace. 24

1.5.3  Baptism.. 26

1.5.4  Chrism or Confirmation. 27

1.5.5  The Blessed Eucharist 29

1.5.6  The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 32

1.5.7  The Sacrament of Penance. 34

1.5.8  The Sacrament of Extreme Unction. 43

1.5.9  The Sacrament of Holy Orders 43

1.5.10 The Sacrament of Matrimony. 44

1.6 On the Commandments of God and of the Church. 46

1.6.1  The Commandments of God. 46

1.6.2  The Precepts of the Church. 54

1.7 On the Virtues and Vices. 57

1.7.1  The Main Virtues 57

1.7.2  The Gifts of the Holy Ghost 61

1.7.3  The Beatitudes 62

1.7.4  The Main Kinds of Sins 63

1.7.5  The Vices and other Very Grievous Sins 63

1.7.6   Supplement 64

 

 

[1] The fast from midnight was the old Eucharistic discipline. In view of evening Masses which became more frequent at his time, Pope Pius XII gave permission to reduce the fast to three hours for solid food and alcoholic drink, and to one hour for non-alcoholic drink (Christus Dominus, 6 Jan. 1953). Later, Pope Paul VI reduced the fast to one hour for everything (see 1983 Code #919). This last regulation practically reduces fasting to nothing! Thus the faithful are encouraged to follow the old rules of fast for morning Masses, and Pope Pius XII's regulations for later Masses, keeping the spirit of the Church as Pope Pius XII wrote: "We intend by this Apostolic Letter to confirm the full force of the law and custom concerning the Eucharistic fast; and We also wish to remind those who are able to comply with that law, that they diligently continue to do so, so that only those who need these concessions may make use of them, according to their need.' (Ibid.)

[2] From the Code of Canon Law of 1917, with the modifications

Approved in 1949, (complete) abstinence only is to be observed on all the Fridays throughout the year. Fast and (complete) abstinence is to be observed on Ash Wednesday, the Fridays of Lent, Ember Fridays, the Vigils of the Assumption and Christmas, and Holy Saturday. Fast only (and partial abstinence) is to be observed on: all weekdays of Lent, Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the Vigils of Pentecost and All Saints.

On the days of fast, only one full meal is allowed. Two other meatless snacks, sufficient to maintain strength may be taken according to each one's needs, but together they should not equal another full meal. Meat may be taken at the principal meal on a day of fast except on the days of complete abstinence. Eating between meals is forbidden, but liquids including milk and fruit juices are allowed.

On holydays of obligation, except in Lent, there is neither fast nor abstinence.

The laws of abstinence binds all who have completed their seventh year of age; the law of fasting binds all persons from the completion of their twenty first year until the beginning of their sixtieth. (The completion of the seventh year means the day after the seventh birthday).

According to the 1983 Code of Canon Law, "All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the universal Church. Abstinence from eating meat... is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and [Good] Friday. All adults who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults [from age 18] are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their sixtieth year." The Episcopal Conference can modify these general rules.

In the United States, "Catholics are obliged to abstain from the eating of meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during the season of Lent. They are also obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday. Self-imposed observances of fasting on all weekdays of Lent is strongly recommended. Abstinence from flesh meat on all Fridays of the year is especially recommended to individuals and to the Catholic community as a whole."

In Australia, "Abstinence from meat, and fasting, are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On all other Fridays of the year the law of the common practice of penance is fulfilled by performing any of the following: (a) prayer, as for example Mass attendance, family prayer,... (b) self-denial, e.g. not eating meat, not eating sweets or dessert,.. (c) helping others, e.g. special attention to someone who is poor, sick, elderly,..."

Since a clarity and precision in a law helps for its fulfilment, the faithful are strongly recommended to follow the traditional rules, though only the recent regulations oblige under pain of mortal sin