Catholic Sin

In the Roman Catholic church, sin is said to be a moral evil, a deficiency in perfection that can be divided into these categories:

Original Sin

The sacrament of baptism frees a person from original sin. This is why infants are baptised.

Mortal Sins

The penalty is hell. An action undertaken with knowledge and free will in defiance of God's law or right reason. Its affect that is contrary to the eternal law and affects the unity of the church.

Venial Sins

The penalty is purgatory. The sinner is still connected to God, but is on an imperfect path. The sin is pardonable, meriting, not eternal, but temporal punishment.

A sin has two types of penalties:

Temporal Punishment

Suffered in this life or in purgatory or both - this may be remitted by penance or indulgences. Every one must suffer temporal punishment. Nothing done at the cross frees a person from temporal punishment for sin.

Eternal Punishment

This punishment and the guilt is pardoned by confession. Christ's death only frees a person from the guilt of sin.

The punishment of sin is separate from guilt and forgiveness. Only confession helps to free the sinner from some of its guilt, purgatory frees us from its punishment: Punishment must always be experienced whether or not one is forgiven.