Question One: On Despair

S. Th. II-II, q. 20.

829. Despair is a sin which is opposed to hope by defect. It is not the simple absence of hope, but is an act contrary to hope, by which someone positively withdraws from beatitude and flees it, and thus casts away hope concerning beatitude.

Despair is twofold:

1. Despair improperly so called, by which someone contemns and loathes beatitude, because he judges it not good and not desirable. Thus does he who contemns the supernatural end; or who wishes to leave heaven to God, if God leaves earth to him; or who seriously desires to live perpetually in the world, precisely because he prefers this life to eternal life; - but not he who, by speaking thus, would simply show a great natural inclination toward earthly things, or fear of undergoing damnation.

2. Despair properly so called is that by which someone flees beatitude because he judges it impossible for himself, or too difficult of attainment, or not future, for example, because God is thought to deny pardon to the sinner, or not to give grace for conversion. But just as the act of hope is an act of the will which supposes a judgment of the intellect by which beatitude is judged possible, so despair supposes a previous judgment of the intellect by which someone thinks he will not attain beatitude; but that judgment inducing to despair is not despair itself: for this is an act of the will which follows, by which we positively withdraw from beatitude.

830. Despair differs from infidelity. - Despair, although it is easily joined to infidelity, can nevertheless be had without it, insofar as someone believing (by speculative judgment) in the abstract and universal that beatitude or remission of sins is possible, nevertheless despairs of this or that, because he falsely judges (by practical judgment) that in this particular case or state there is no hope for him of pardon or beatitude, for example, because he judges that he is not predestined, or that beatitude is too difficult of attainment, or that God will not give him pardon. In the same way: he who fornicates judges that fornication here and now is good for himself, although in the universal he judges according to faith that it is evil.

831. Despair is a mortal sin from its whole genus: for it is always most injurious to God to regard beatitude as not good, or as not possible; - indeed it is a sin against the Holy Spirit, because through contempt of divine omnipotence mercifully giving aid it casts away hope, which is a special remedy granted to us by the Holy Spirit against sin. - Yet often despair is venial on account of indeliberation, if it comes from impatience, sadness, melancholic temperament, or scruples. - Hence:

1. It is a sin graver than those which are opposed to the moral virtues. For since by the theological virtues we are directly and principally turned toward God, hence sins directly opposed to them directly and principally imply aversion from God; and therefore they are graver than sins opposed to the moral virtues, which directly imply conversion to some created good, and only by a certain consequence aversion from God.

2. But infidelity and hatred of God are graver than despair, because they are opposed to the truth and goodness of God as they are in themselves; but despair is against God according as goodness is participated by us.

3. Nevertheless despair is more dangerous than these, because by hope we are recalled from evils and led to good; and therefore, when hope has been removed, men fall unrestrainedly into vices.

832. Causes of despair and remedies. - Despair improperly so called arises from lust: for from a great love of bodily delights, among which venereal delights are chief, it happens that man loathes spiritual goods and does not hope for them as certain great goods. - But despair properly so called arises from acedia or spiritual sadness, by which someone reckons that it is too difficult to live well, and flees the labors of good works.

Some remedies are against the causes of despair, concerning which St. Thomas says, II-II, q. 35, a. 1, ad 4: "The assault of sin sometimes must be conquered by fleeing, sometimes by resisting: by fleeing, indeed, when continued thought increases the incentive of sin, as in lust...; but by resisting, when persevering thought removes the incentive of sin, which comes from some slight apprehension. And this happens in acedia, because the more we think about spiritual goods, the more pleasing they are rendered to us; from which acedia ceases" (I Pet. I, 10; Rom. XII, 11, 12). - But other remedies are those which directly foster hope: firm faith concerning the mercy of God toward sinners (which shines forth greatly in the Gospel parables), consideration of the love and Passion of Christ, meditation on the divine promises, the examples of great sinners who became saints, prayer and devotion toward the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is called the salvation of the despairing.