Expert: Fr. Michael - 8/31/2011

Question
Dear Father,

I recently told a friend of mine that missing mass was a mortal sin.  She then asked me, who decides that a certain sin is either a mortal or venial sin?  I did not have an answer for her!  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  God bless you.

Nicole

Answer
The severity of a sin may be based on its intrinsic gravity.  For example, sacrilege is by nature grave (mortal) because it is a serious offense against God.  The severity of theft, on the other hand, is determined by the degree.  If one steals a dollar, it is not a grave sin, but nevertheless can consign a soul to Purgatory if not atoned for in this life.

If your friend is confused about this matter, she should have a very serious talk with her traditional confessor.  This is a matter of basic catechism.  There is a list of traditional sites in the Official Traditional Catholic Directory, available on the TRADITIO Traditional Roman Catholic Network, at www.traditio.com/nat.htm.  Beware:  most sites that have "Catholic" on their door are not Catholic, but part of the New Order concocted after Vatican II (1962-1965).