Part I, Chapter VII — Forgiveness of Sins. Sin

128. Who are the apostates?

The apostates are the baptized who, by an outward act, renounce the Catholic faith they had previously professed.

129. Who are the schismatics?

The schismatics are the baptized who obstinately refuse to submit to the legitimate Pastors, and are therefore separated from the Church, even if they do not deny any truth of faith.

130. Who are the excommunicates?

The excommunicates are the baptized who have been excluded, on account of very grave faults, from the communion of the Church, so that they may not pervert others and may be punished and corrected by this extreme remedy.

131. Is it a serious harm to be outside the Church?

To be outside the Church is a most serious harm, because outside her one has neither the established means of salvation nor the sure guide to eternal salvation, which is the only thing truly necessary for man.

132. Can one who is outside the Church be saved?

One who is outside the Church through his own fault and dies without perfect contrition is not saved; but one who finds himself outside her through no fault of his own and lives well can be saved through the love of charity, which unites him to God, and, in spirit, also to the Church, that is, to her soul.

133. What does "forgiveness of sins" mean?

"Forgiveness of sins" means that Jesus Christ has given to the Apostles and to their successors the power to forgive every sin in the Church.

134. How are sins forgiven in the Church?

In the Church sins are forgiven chiefly by the sacraments of Baptism and Penance, instituted by Jesus Christ for this purpose.

135. What is sin?

Sin is an offense against God by disobedience to His law.

136. How many kinds of sin are there?

There are two kinds of sin: original and actual.

137. What is original sin?

Original sin is the sin that mankind committed in Adam, its head, and which from Adam every man contracts by natural descent.

138. Was anyone among the children of Adam ever preserved from original sin?

Among the children of Adam, only Mary Most Holy was preserved from original sin; for, having been chosen as Mother of God, she was "full of grace" (Luke I. 28), and therefore without sin from the very first instant; and for this reason the Church celebrates her Immaculate Conception.

139. How is original sin blotted out?

Original sin is blotted out by Holy Baptism.

140. What is actual sin?

Actual sin is the sin that is committed voluntarily by one who has the use of reason.

141. In how many ways is actual sin committed?

Actual sin is committed in four ways: in thoughts, in words, in deeds, and in omissions.

142. How many kinds of actual sin are there?

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

143. What is mortal sin?

Mortal sin is a disobedience to the law of God in a grave matter, committed with full advertence and deliberate consent.

144. Why is grave sin called mortal?

Grave sin is called mortal because it deprives the soul of divine grace, which is its life, takes from it its merits and its capacity to acquire new ones, and renders it deserving of eternal punishment, or eternal death, in hell.

145. If mortal sin renders man incapable of meriting, is it then useless for the sinner to do good works?

It is not useless for the sinner to do good works; on the contrary, he must do them, both so as not to grow worse by omitting them and falling into new sins, and so as in some way to dispose himself by them to conversion and to the recovery of God's grace.

146. How is the grace of God, lost through mortal sin, recovered?

The grace of God, lost through mortal sin, is recovered by a good sacramental confession or by perfect contrition, which frees one from sins, although the obligation of confessing them remains.

147. Together with grace, are the merits lost through mortal sin also recovered?

Together with grace, by God's supreme mercy, the merits lost through mortal sin are also recovered.

148. What is venial sin?

Venial sin is a disobedience to the law of God in a slight matter, or even in a matter grave in itself but without full advertence or consent.

149. Why is sin that is not grave called venial?

Sin that is not grave is called venial, that is, pardonable, because it does not take away grace, and pardon for it can be obtained by repentance and by good works, even without sacramental confession.

150. Is venial sin harmful to the soul?

Venial sin is harmful to the soul, because it cools its love for God, disposes it to mortal sin, and renders it deserving of temporal pains in this life and in the next.

151. Are all sins equal?

Sins are not all equal; and just as some venial sins are less light than others, so some mortal sins are graver and more deadly.

152. Among the mortal sins, which are graver and more deadly?

Among the mortal sins, the graver and more deadly are the sins against the Holy Spirit and those that cry to heaven for vengeance in the sight of God.

152 a. The Six Sins Against the Holy Spirit: 1. Despair of salvation; 2. Presumption of being saved without merit; 3. Impugning the known truth; 4. Envy of another's spiritual good; 5. Obstinacy in sin; 6. Final impenitence.

152 b. The Four Sins Crying to Heaven for Vengeance: 1. Wilful murder; 2. The sin of Sodom; 3. Oppression of the poor; 4. Defrauding labourers of their wages.

153. Why are the sins against the Holy Spirit among the graver and more deadly?

The sins against the Holy Spirit are among the graver and more deadly because by them man sets himself against the spiritual gifts of truth and of grace, and therefore, even when he is able to convert, he does so only with great difficulty.

154. Why are the sins that cry to heaven for vengeance in the sight of God among the graver and more deadly?

The sins that cry to heaven for vengeance in the sight of God are among the graver and more deadly because they are directly contrary to the good of mankind and most odious, so much so that they provoke God's chastisements more than other sins.

155. What is particularly helpful in keeping us far from sin?

What is particularly helpful in keeping us far from sin is the thought that God is everywhere and sees the secret of hearts, and the consideration of the Last Things, that is, of what awaits us at the end of this life and at the end of the world.

155 a. The Four Last Things: 1. Death; 2. Judgment; 3. Hell; 4. Heaven.