Ask a Question - or - Return to the Defending the Faith Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
repentance	Susie	Friday, October 15, 2004
Question: I thank you for your work. I am on the way home to rome and I was wondering something. Now I do not believe in once saved always saved and I do believe in mortal vs venial sins although I know we can repent of mortal sin in baptism and confession and venial at the eucharist and such but what if a man does not have the inward repentance of his venial sins? It seems to me very unlikely that a person will be found out of the state of mortal if he doesnt even care concerning the disease of venial. Isnt it contingent for a mans salvation that somewhere he repent of "all" sin or at least do what I call "reflect and accept" that event at baptism,namely forgiveness of all sins? Please help me concerning this important issue.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Susie: Welcome to Christ's Church. I praise God that you are on your way home to the Church. Venial Sin, by definition, does not sever our relationship or friendship with God. Rather, Venial sin damages that relationship, but the relationship still exists. Mortal Sin, by definition, severs completely our relationship with God. Without the relationship with God we are spiritually dead. If a person does not have genuine repentance of his venial sins, all other things being equal, and if no mortal sin is on the person's soul when he dies, such a person will go to heaven through purgatory. In purgatory the person WILL come to offer that repentance for those venial sins. He will be purified. The problem is that if we hold on to venial sins without repentance then we risk damaging our soul to the point that it will make it easier for us to commit a mortal sin and perhaps not repent from that. Besides, the refusal to offer repentance of venial sins could, perhaps, constitute a mortal sin of pride. We need to give ALL of ourselves to God, of course. If we do that, if we live the genuine Catholic life, I do not see how anyone could or would refuse to be remorseful for venial sins. I would imagine such a person would also have difficulty repenting of mortal sins too. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

repentance

Susie

Friday, October 15, 2004

Question:

I thank you for your work. I am on the way home to rome and I was wondering something.

Now I do not believe in once saved always saved and I do believe in mortal vs venial sins although I know we can repent of mortal sin in baptism and confession and venial at the eucharist and such but what if a man does not have the inward repentance of his venial sins?

It seems to me very unlikely that a person will be found out of the state of mortal if he doesnt even care concerning the disease of venial. Isnt it contingent for a mans salvation that somewhere he repent of "all" sin or at least do what I call "reflect and accept" that event at baptism,namely forgiveness of all sins?

Please help me concerning this important issue.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Susie:

Welcome to Christ's Church. I praise God that you are on your way home to the Church.

Venial Sin, by definition, does not sever our relationship or friendship with God. Rather, Venial sin damages that relationship, but the relationship still exists.

Mortal Sin, by definition, severs completely our relationship with God. Without the relationship with God we are spiritually dead.

If a person does not have genuine repentance of his venial sins, all other things being equal, and if no mortal sin is on the person's soul when he dies, such a person will go to heaven through purgatory. In purgatory the person WILL come to offer that repentance for those venial sins. He will be purified.

The problem is that if we hold on to venial sins without repentance then we risk damaging our soul to the point that it will make it easier for us to commit a mortal sin and perhaps not repent from that. Besides, the refusal to offer repentance of venial sins could, perhaps, constitute a mortal sin of pride.

We need to give ALL of ourselves to God, of course. If we do that, if we live the genuine Catholic life, I do not see how anyone could or would refuse to be remorseful for venial sins. I would imagine such a person would also have difficulty repenting of mortal sins too.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary