Chapter — Marc, Institutiones Morales
Chapter III: On Sins Opposed to Hope
St. Thomas, 2.2, q. 20 seqq.; St. Alphonsus, II, n. 21; Suarez, disp. II, sect. 2-3; Perrone, op. cit., n. 145; Lehmkuhl, I, n. 433; Gopfert, 1, 250.
Things to be noted beforehand. 1. Sins contrary to hope are some of omission, others of commission. But by these the virtue of hope is lost only when they contradict the formal object of the virtue.
- Sins of commission are opposed, some to the desire of eternal beatitude, others to the confidence of obtaining it.
- I. To the desire of eternal beatitude is opposed: 1. the affection of this age, by which earthly things are desired more than heavenly things; 2. the inordinate affection of heavenly happiness, by which beatitude is sought from weariness of life and labor.
The former affection, when it passes into act, is a mortal sin if the ultimate end is placed in earthly things; for example, if someone is so disposed that he would desire to leave heaven to God if God would leave earth to him. The latter does not exceed venial sin, unless there is express rebellion against divine providence. But one licitly wishes death for himself in order to avoid sin or some other immense evil, provided that he submits himself to the divine will (II, 20; Cat. Rom., on the 1st precept, n. 7). Cf. n. 755, II.
- II. To the fiducial expectation of eternal beatitude, desperation is opposed by defect, presumption by excess.
- DESPERATION is diffidence of obtaining beatitude, or the means necessary for attaining it. It is a mortal sin, and indeed most grave and most dangerous; for hope having been taken away, men slip unrestrainedly into vices. Yet it is less grave than the sin of infidelity and hatred of God, because it is not directed against God according as he is in himself, but against God according as his good is participated by us. St. Thom., 2.2, q. 20, a. 3. - Whence desperation properly so called does not admit smallness of matter.
The causes of desperation are reckoned: defect of faith, inordinate adhesion to pleasures, spiritual sloth, presumption, a melancholic disposition (Tanquerey, II, p. 421).
The CONFESSOR ought to examine whether, from an affection of desperation, the customary offices of piety, especially when the precept urged, were interrupted or not: from this he will have a sufficiently safe indication of consent given or denied. Yet let him take note that many penitents despair not of the mercy of God, but of their own cooperation with grace: this is called pusillanimity, and admits smallness of matter (Panzuti, II, 33).
- PRESUMPTION (which is more frequent than desperation) arises from defect of the fear of God, and is customarily defined: rash expectation of eternal beatitude or of the means for attaining it. It is of itself a grave sin, because it inflicts grave injury both upon divine justice, as if sin were to be held as nothing, and upon divine mercy, which the presumptuous man abuses for sinning more freely (Scavini, II, n. 849).
Hence: 1. He sins through presumption who hopes for salvation either only on account of his own merits or only on account of the merits of Christ, without any cooperation of his own works. - Likewise, he who is induced to sin by hope of pardon, so that hope of remission to be obtained from God is the motive inducing to sin, that is, the reason why he more easily either repeats sin or perseveres in sin, because God forgives ten sins as easily as five. But otherwise if someone, for example, should say: I shall accuse ten sins as easily as five or six; this of itself is only venial. 2. He who sins from passion with hope of pardon does not contract guilt of presumption properly so called: namely when hope of pardon to be obtained sometime through penance only accompanies the sinner while he sins or perseveres in sin, yet without being the reason or motive influencing toward sin. But men of this kind, persevering in sin under hope of sometime doing penance, are with difficulty excused from grave sin against charity owed to themselves, since they expose themselves to great danger of damnation (II, 21; H. Ap., IV, 8).
- PRACTICAL RULES. 1. One must diligently inquire from the penitent why he despaired or presumed, in order to know whether the sin is or is not against hope, or even against faith. 2. One must inquire into the causes and effects of the sin; into the causes, so that the confessor may bring a remedy, by prescribing humility to the exalted, confidence and vigor of soul to the pusillanimous; but into the effects, so that from them he may come into knowledge of many other sins which are accustomed to be born from desperation or presumption. 3. The confessor should strive to excite in all penitents, together with divine fear, a great hope of eternal life, and true confidence toward God, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Virgin Mary Mother of God. For desire supplies strength, and a man without confidence is like a soldier without a shield. 4. Especially in the dying, let him raise hope with true detestation of sin; for many either yield to desperation, or are affected only by servilely servile fear, which does not suffice for salvation. Cf. Pratica d'amar G. C., c. 8 and 16; H. Ap., App. 2, § 2, n. 2).