Holy Cross Seminary

Frequently Asked Questions About Catholicism
Answered by Fr. Peter Scott

Question: How can a person go to Hell for lying too long in bed on a Sunday or deliberately eating a slice of ham on a day of abstinence?

Answer:  The catechism tells us that a mortal sin is a grievous offense against the law of God, and that it is called mortal because it is deadly, and deprives the sinner of sanctifying grace. It also tells us that there are three conditions required for the sin to be mortal, namely that there be grave matter, knowledge of this, and full consent. When all these conditions are fulfilled there is certainly a horrible outrage against the divine order, and against Almighty God Himself. It is a rebellion, and if unrepented before death, will certainly lead the sinner to eternal damnation in hell.

The question is really whether or not the precepts of the Church can constitute such grave matter as to oblige under pain of mortal sin. They must certainly can, since the Church has the authority to bind and loose, which means the authority to govern souls, which means the authority to establish laws which oblige in conscience to such an extent that anybody who knowingly and voluntarily goes against them certainly commits a mortal sin. If the Church did not have the authority to legislate in such a way as to bind the consciences of Catholics, then it would not have any real authority at all.

Some might say that oversleeping or eating meat on a Friday are small matter. The answer is that they are small things in themselves, but when they come under the obligation of a commandment of the Church, they become of serious consequence. The Church binds us for our own good, but the Church does really bind us. Consequently, if someone knowingly and deliberately, without any proportionate reason, breaks the Church’s precepts, he certainly commits a mortal sin, he scorns the Church’s authority, and he rebels against God’s order.

There can be no doubt that many souls will go to Hell for refusing to attend Mass on Sunday and observe the Friday abstinence. However, it is also true that the Church has the authority to change its laws. It is the present ecclesiastical law which obliges under pain of sin, and not the former law which traditional Catholics respect and observe out of custom, spirit of penance, law of Tradition, and desire to live the spirit of the Church.  In most dioceses the obligation of abstinence under pain of mortal sin only exists now on the Fridays in Lent.  Likewise, ecclesiastical law permits the Sunday obligation to be fulfilled on Saturday evening, although we know that the spirit of the Church and the observance of the third commandment of God requires that we sanctify the Sunday by assisting at Mass on Sunday.

It is also important to note that the Church has always allowed many for the many factors that can excuse a person from the obligation of observing the laws of the Church, such as sickness, or distance from the church.

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