Chapter V — On sins and their principal kinds

1. How many kinds of sins are there?

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

2. What is original sin?

Original sin is that with which we are all born, and which we contracted through the disobedience of our first father Adam.

3. What harms has Adam's sin caused us?

The harms of Adam's sin are: the privation of grace, the loss of heaven, ignorance, inclination to evil, death, and all the other miseries.

4. How is original sin wiped away?

Original sin is wiped away by holy Baptism.

5. What is actual sin?

Actual sin is that which man, having attained the use of reason, commits with his free will.

6. How many kinds of actual sin are there?

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

7. What is mortal sin?

Mortal sin is a transgression of the divine law, by which one gravely fails in his duties toward God, toward his neighbor, toward himself.

8. Why is it called mortal?

It is called mortal because it gives death to the soul, by making it lose sanctifying grace, which is the life of the soul, as the soul is the life of the body.

9. What harms does mortal sin do to the soul?

1. Mortal sin deprives the soul of the grace and friendship of God; 2. makes it lose heaven; 3. deprives it of the merits acquired, and renders it incapable of acquiring new ones; 4. makes it a slave of the devil; 5. makes it deserving of hell, and also of the punishments of this life.

10. Besides the gravity of the matter, what else is required to constitute a mortal sin?

Besides the gravity of the matter, to constitute a mortal sin there is required full advertence of that gravity and the deliberate will to commit the sin.

11. What is venial sin?

Venial sin is a slight transgression of the divine law, by which one fails only lightly in some duty toward God, toward his neighbor, and toward himself.

12. Why is it called venial?

Because it is slight in comparison with mortal sin, does not make us lose divine grace, and because God more easily forgives it.

13. So is venial sin not to be made much of?

This would be a great deception, both because venial sin always contains some offense against God, and because it brings no small harm to the soul.

14. What harms does venial sin bring?

Venial sin: 1. weakens and cools charity in us; 2. disposes us to mortal sin; 3. renders us deserving of great temporal punishments in this world or in the next.