Mortal Sin
Have you ever wondered what constitutes a mortal sin? According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (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."
Whereas venial sin damages our relationship with God, mortal sin severs it. It takes us from being in a state of God’s grace to being voluntarily cut off from that grace. To die in this state is to suffer eternal separation from God. This is why St. John refers to it as “deadly sin” (1 John 5:16).
In order to remove the stain of mortal sins, a person must confess them to a priest. Jesus gave the Church the power to bind and loose – to forgive sin or to hold it bound (Matt. 16:19, Matt. 18:18, John 20:22-23). As you are aware, confessing mortal sins is necessary prior to receiving our Lord in the Eucharist. To receive the Eucharist while in a state of mortal sin is to profane the Body and Blood of our Lord, which St. Paul strictly warns against in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29.
What constitutes grave sin? Sins listed in the 10 Commandments or contrary to the Church’s moral teachings or contrary to scripture might include: murder, envy, abortion, artificial contraception, adultery, fornication, stealing, hatred, heresy, drunkenness, drug abuse, gossip, intentionally missing mass, and many others.
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