395. When does one commit a mortal sin?
(Comp 395) One commits a mortal sin when there are simultaneously present: grave
matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. This sin destroys charity in
us, deprives us of sanctifying grace, and, if unrepented, leads us to the
eternal death of hell. It can be forgiven in the ordinary way by means of the
sacraments of Baptism and of Penance or Reconciliation.
“In brief”
(CCC 1874) To choose deliberately - that is, both knowing it
and willing it - something gravely contrary to the divine law and to the
ultimate end of man is to commit a mortal sin. This destroys in us the charity
without which eternal beatitude is impossible. Unrepented, it brings eternal
death.
To deepen and
explain
(CCC 1857) For a sin
to be mortal, three conditions must
together be met: "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which
is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent" (RP 17 §
12). (CCC 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. Mk 3:5-6; Lk
16:19-31) do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a
sin.
Reflection
(CCC 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. (CCC 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.
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