Unforgivable Words: Catholic Perspective On Sinful Language

The Catholic Church categorises sins into two types: venial and mortal. These sins are committed through words, thoughts, actions and inactions, and they injure the core component of being human: the ability to love God and others. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also refers to seven capital sins, which are considered the most dangerous as they engender other sins. These are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony and sloth.

Sins of commission and omission

The Catechism of the Catholic Church categorises individual sinfulness into venial and mortal sins. These two kinds of sins each injure the core component of being human—the ability to love God and to love others. They are choices that either wound (venial) or seek to destroy (mortal) our capacity to love. In this way, they attack the image of God that we all carry and jeopardise our communion with the divine and with one another.

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, morality does not just consist of avoiding evil but also doing good. His articulation of the first principle of morality is: "Good is to be done and pursued, and evil is to be avoided".

A sin of commission is a positive act contrary to some prohibitory precept. A sin of omission is a failure to do what is commanded. However, a sin of omission requires a positive act whereby one wills to omit the fulfilling of a precept, or at least wills something incompatible with its fulfilment. The guilt incurred by a sin of omission is determined by the extent of deliberation involved in the act, the magnitude of the precept, and the dignity of the virtue that the omission opposes.

Examples of sins of omission include choosing not to attend Mass on Sundays or holy days of obligation with full knowledge and deliberate consent, or neglecting to do the dishes when one's spouse is unable to do them.

Mortal and venial sins

In the Catholic Church, sins are divided into two types: mortal and venial. Mortal sins are considered more serious, as they imperil your soul and can lead to damnation. On the other hand, venial sins are less serious breaches of God's law and are considered pardonable or forgivable.

For a sin to be considered mortal, three conditions must be met: grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. Grave matter refers to acts that are intrinsically evil and immoral, such as murder, rape, or adultery. Full knowledge means that the person committing the sin is aware that their actions are evil and immoral. Deliberate consent implies that the person freely chooses to commit the act without coercion.

Venial sins, on the other hand, do not destroy the divine life in the soul. They are often minor violations of the moral law or sins committed without full knowledge or complete consent. While venial sins do not lead to damnation, they can weaken the soul and, if left unchecked, may lead to more serious conditions or mortal sins.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies seven "capital sins," also known as the seven deadly sins: pride, lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger or wrath, and envy. These sins are considered dangerous because they give rise to other sins and vices.

Sins of ignorance, passion or infirmity, and malice

Sins of ignorance are those committed by a person who is unaware of the existence of God or does not think of God and His law when acting. Such sins are considered grievous but not mortal, as they do not constitute an offence against God. However, this only applies to vincible ignorance, where the ignorance of God's existence is not the person's fault. Invincible ignorance, on the other hand, is when a person is inculpably ignorant of God and His law, and this does not constitute a sin.

Sins of passion or infirmity are those committed under the influence of ignorance or passion. They are considered less blameworthy than sins of malice, as the sinner's will is not entirely free.

Sins of malice are those committed by a person's own will and accord, without the influence of ignorance or passion. These are considered the most blameworthy of the three categories, as the sinner acts with full knowledge and consent.

Sins of thought, word, or deed

Sins of thought are perhaps the most difficult to avoid, as they are the most private and personal. They are the evil desires, intentions, and imaginings that occur within the mind. Jesus teaches that even the act of looking at a woman with lust is committing adultery in one's heart (Matt. 5:28). Catholics must be vigilant in guarding their thoughts, as all evil deeds are a result of evil thoughts.

Sins of word are those that are expressed verbally. The tongue is powerful and can do more damage than any other part of the human body. It can be used to build others up or tear them down. Gossip, slander, and empty talk are all examples of sins of word.

Sins of deed are those that are carried out in action. They can be further divided into sins of commission, which are positive acts contrary to some prohibitory precept, and sins of omission, which are failures to do what is commanded.

Catholics must examine their consciences in all three areas—thought, word, and deed—to ensure they are living in accordance with God's law and following Jesus's example.

Sins against God and neighbour

The Catechism of the Catholic Church categorises sins into venial and mortal sins. Both types of sin injure the core component of being human—the ability to love God and to love others. They are choices that we make that either wound (venial) or seek to eviscerate and destroy (mortal) our very ability to love. In this way, they attack God's own image that we all carry, and through this attack jeopardise our communion, both now and into eternity, with the divine and with one another.

Venial sins wound our ability to love. They are still choices that we make that impede authentic, mutually self-giving relationships. They are less serious offences that do not completely turn us away from God.

Mortal sins, on the other hand, are more serious offences that turn us away from God and destroy our ability to love. They are defined as a "conscious and voluntary transgression of the eternal law, and [imply] a contempt of the Divine will, a complete turning away from God, our true last end, and a preferring of some created thing to which we subject ourselves."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also refers to seven "capital sins" that are particularly dangerous because they engender other sins. These are pride, avarice/greed, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony and sloth.

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