Deadly Sins: Catholic Church's Seven Mortal Transgressions

what are the deadly sins according to the catholic church

The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, are a grouping of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, these sins are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. These sins are considered to be the most dangerous as they engender other sins and vices. To be considered a mortal sin, an act must meet three conditions: it must be of grave matter, committed with full knowledge, and with deliberate consent.

Characteristics Values
First deadly sin Pride
Second deadly sin Greed or Avarice
Third deadly sin Wrath or Anger
Fourth deadly sin Envy
Fifth deadly sin Lust
Sixth deadly sin Gluttony
Seventh deadly sin Sloth or Acedia

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Pride: Excessive self-love or the desire to be better or more important than others

Pride is considered the original and worst of the seven deadly sins. It is also thought to be the source of the other capital sins. Pride is the opposite of humility.

Pride is an excessive or inflated self-love, and the desire to be better or more important than others. It is when one cares about nothing or no one but themselves. C.S. Lewis calls pride the "anti-God" state, where the ego and the self are directly opposed to God. In other words, pride is when one's self-image becomes distorted, and they begin to think of themselves as superior to others. This can manifest in different ways, such as:

  • Thinking excessively about oneself
  • Having too much self-love
  • Thinking one's worth is higher than it is
  • Preoccupation with one's image or self
  • Narcissism
  • Self-centredness or ego-centrism
  • Wanting to keep the focus on oneself

Pride can lead to aggressive behaviour and a lack of affiliation with others. It can also cause one to become ignorant and harm their relationships, as nobody likes being with a know-it-all.

Pride can be split into two types: hubristic pride and authentic pride. Hubristic pride is when egocentrism and arrogance take over, while authentic pride is feeling confident and competent about oneself. Experts argue that the difference between these two types is not qualitative but quantitative—in other words, pride itself is not a problem, but excessive pride is.

Pride is considered a grave sin in Catholicism. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, pride can take on four possible forms:

  • Attributing to ourselves perfections that we do not possess
  • Possessing such a perfection but thinking we have earned it through our own efforts
  • Possessing the perfection and knowing God gave it to us, but thinking we deserved it
  • Possessing the perfection and knowing God gave it to us undeservedly, but being unwilling to share it with anyone else

Pride is a sin that needs to be confessed and forgiven, rather than simply prayed away.

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Lust: An intense desire for sexual pleasure, money, power or fame

Lust is one of the seven deadly sins in the Roman Catholic Church, along with pride, wrath, greed, envy, gluttony, and sloth. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, lust is the "disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure." It is considered a mortal sin, or a grave action that is committed in full knowledge of its gravity and with the full consent of the sinner's will.

Lust is an intense desire, usually for sexual pleasure, but also for money, power, or fame. It is similar to passion, but distinct in that passion is considered morally acceptable, while lust is immoral. In English-speaking countries, the term "lust" is often associated with sexual desire, but the word originally had a broader meaning. In the Septuagint, the Koine Greek word "epithumeo" is used in the commandment not to covet, which suggests that lust can refer to coveting a neighbour's house or field, as well as their wife.

Lust is considered a grave sin because it can spur other sins and immoral behaviour. For example, lust may lead to adultery, which is a mortal sin. It is believed that lust can be overcome through the practice of chastity.

Lust is a particularly challenging sin to combat in the modern age, where sexual imagery and discussions of sex are prevalent. It can be addicting, and the effects of lust are obvious in broken marriages, broken hearts, and broken souls. However, by embracing the grace of Christ and saying "yes" to His call, it is possible to triumph over lust.

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Gluttony: Overconsumption of food or drink

Gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins, is the overconsumption of food or drink. It is a corruption of moral reasoning, as it disregards balance and moderation. Gluttony is not about enjoying food or eating a large meal, but rather the excessive and inordinate love of eating and drinking. It is a sin of self-indulgence and self-centredness.

The Latin root of the word, 'gluttire', means to swallow or gulp down. Gluttony is an abuse of food and drink, defying the order dictated by reason, which prescribes necessity as the measure of eating and drinking. Gluttony can manifest in five ways: eating too soon, too expensively, too much, too eagerly, or too daintily.

Gluttony is a sin when it harms one's health or impairs one's ability to carry out their duties. It is also a sin when eating or drinking is done exclusively for the pleasure of the experience. This is a direct rejection of the reference to our last end, which must be found, at least implicitly, in all our actions.

It is important to distinguish between gluttony and obesity. Obesity is a medical condition resulting from overeating or a sedentary lifestyle, whereas gluttony is a sin. Gluttony is about the intention behind the consumption of food and drink. It is a disordered desire centred around food and drink.

In modern times, the concept of gluttony has largely vanished from the Catholic conscience. This may be due to the fact that overconsumption has become deeply ingrained in our society and culture. With the abundance of food and the ease of access to luxurious and indulgent foods, it can be challenging to recognise when we cross the line into gluttony. However, it is important to remember that gluttony is not just about the quantity of food consumed, but also the quality, the timing, and the intention behind it.

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Greed: The desire for and love of possessions

Greed, or avarice, is one of the seven deadly sins in Catholic doctrine. It is defined as the "desire for and love of possessions", or an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs, especially with respect to material wealth.

Greed is considered a mortal sin in Catholic theology, meaning it is a "gravely sinful act which can lead to damnation if a person does not repent of the sin before death". To be classed as a mortal sin, three conditions must be met: the sin must be of "grave matter", it must be committed with "full knowledge" of the sin and its gravity, and it must be committed with "deliberate consent".

Greed is considered a grave matter as it is a violation of the Ninth and Tenth Commandments. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "sin...is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbour caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods".

Greed is also considered a mortal sin because it can lead to other immoral acts. As Saint Thomas Aquinas writes, "like pride, it [greed] can lead to evil". Aquinas also notes that greed, or avarice, is a "disordered use of material goods", and that "the simple needs of life take on an allure that is not proper to them".

Greed is often associated with consumerism and materialism, and can lead to a person placing a higher value on material possessions than on their relationship with God and their neighbour. This can result in a person becoming enslaved to their desire for possessions and wealth, and can ultimately lead to their spiritual downfall.

The Catholic Church teaches that greed can be overcome through the virtue of generosity, which involves sharing gladly with the poor and those in need.

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Sloth: Physical laziness, disinterest in spiritual matters, or neglecting spiritual growth

Sloth, or acedia, is one of the seven deadly sins in the Catholic Church. It refers to physical laziness, disinterest in spiritual matters, or neglecting spiritual growth.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines "acedia" or "spiritual sloth" as "the refusal of joy that comes from God and to be repelled by Divine goodness" (2094). It is understood as a vice that desires ease, even if it comes at the expense of God's will. Thus, while sloth is commonly associated with inactivity, a slothful person may also be caught up in pointless, busy action.

Sloth is a sin that builds on itself in three levels: physical lethargy, despair, and, finally, laziness in pursuing God and goodness. The first level is not considered a sin, but laziness points to a larger problem of emotional or spiritual despair. This laziness is symptomatic of a sinful attitude toward life, one that is ungrateful and lacks hope.

The origin of the word "sloth" comes from the Greek word "acedia", which roughly translates to "not to care" in English. Monks and religious figures in the second through fifth centuries were the first to identify acedia, ranking it above other vices such as gluttony, fornication, and pride. They described acedia as a "noonday demon" that combines listlessness, undirected anxiety, inability to concentrate, and task avoidance. Over time, church theologians adapted the term "acedia" to denote both sadness and sloth, with sloth eventually becoming the more popular term.

Sloth is not to be confused with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or other similar concerns. The despair that arises from sloth is a deliberate consent to the idea that human nature cannot cooperate with God's grace. It is a rejection of God's goodness, with the slothful individual believing they are too wicked to be saved or that God has cast them away.

To overcome sloth, one must identify and address the root causes of their laziness. This may involve organizing one's day properly, focusing on one task at a time, and analyzing areas where hope has been lost. It is important to bring these thoughts and disappointments to God and renew one's hope and dreams.

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Frequently asked questions

The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth.

The idea of the seven deadly sins originated with Tertullian of Carthage and was later developed by Evagrius Ponticus, a fourth-century monk. Pope Gregory I revised the list of sins in AD 590, combining tristitia with acedia and vanagloria with superbia, and adding envy.

A mortal sin is a gravely sinful act that can lead to damnation if a person does not repent before death. It requires three conditions to be met: grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. A venial sin, on the other hand, simply weakens a person's relationship with God and does not deprive them of sanctifying grace or eternal happiness.

Mortal sins include sacrilege, blasphemy, perjury, murder, hatred of a neighbour, adultery, theft, and bearing false witness, among others.

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