148. What sins against religion are. a. One can sin against religion by omission, by neglecting the precepts of religion, such as due adoration or prayer; and by commission, by positive acts against the negative precepts of religion. The positive sin generically opposed to religion is irreligiosity taken generically, which can be committed by excess and by defect. By excess indeed, not because God can ever be worshiped with greater worship than He Himself deserves, but because divine worship is exhibited viciously.

b. Sins against religion committed by excess are called by the proper name superstition (Aberglaube), which is defined: vicious worship of the true or of a false deity. Divine worship can be vicious in a twofold way: by reason of the object, when something is worshiped as God which is not God; or by reason of mode, when God is worshiped in an undue mode. Wherefore superstition is twofold: one by which God is worshiped with undue worship; another by which a creature (especially the demon) is worshiped with divine worship. This latter superstition, according to the different reason of the end on account of which divine worship is attributed to the creature, is threefold: idolatry, divination, and vain observance, to which magic and malefice are reduced.¹

c. Sins against religion committed by defect are signified by the name irreligiosity taken specifically. Irreligiosity taken in this sense consists in this, that God is affected with irreverence and injury, which can be done by tempting God, sacrilege, and simony. Therefore there will be eight articles of this question: a. on undue divine worship; b. on idolatry; c. on divination; d. on vain observance; e. on magic and malefice; f. on tempting God; g. on sacrilege; h. on simony.

By these are comprehended only sins committed against religion which are prohibited by the first precept of the Decalogue. To gather in one view all sins committed against religion, there must also be added sins against the second and third precepts of the Decalogue, which likewise are opposed to the virtue of religion, namely: blasphemy, perjury, violation of vows, omission of Mass, servile works.

Article First. On the Superstition of Undue Worship

The superstition of undue divine worship is one thing as superstition of false worship, another as superstition of superfluous worship.

¹ Simar, Der Aberglaube, 2nd ed., Cologne: Bachem, 1897, Vereinsschrift der Gorres-Gesellschaft; Walter, Aberglaube und Seelsorge, Paderborn: Schoningh, 1904.

149. 1. Superstition of false worship is committed if in the worship of the true God something of falsity or lie is contained, wherefore it is customarily called superstition of false worship.

This can be done in many ways: a. if God were now worshiped by ceremonies of the old law, for example by eating the paschal lamb; b. if someone proposed false miracles or false revelations for confirming faith, or if he exhibited false relics to be venerated; c. if one who is not a priest presumed to celebrate Mass or absolve; d. if someone wished to worship God by a dishonorable action; e. if someone fabricated a miracle for promoting the worship of some saint.

2. Superstition of false worship is for the most part a grave sin, because it is gravely injurious to God, who cannot be worshiped by falsity and lie, and because it is pernicious to religion, since it renders religion suspect of error.

It is said for the most part because it seems to be conceded that superstition of false worship can sometimes be a venial sin because of smallness of matter. Thus if a preacher in an otherwise true miraculous history added a false circumstance, or fabricated an entire history in order to move the people more, this could be a venial sin, both because the falsity is not employed immediately for worshiping God, and because this does not much prejudice true religion.¹

¹ Cf. Struggl, Theologia moralis, tr. 5, q. 5, n. 6; Lehmkuhl, I, n. 353.

150. 1. Superstition of superfluous or vain worship is committed if God is worshiped contrary to the custom of the Church by some superfluous and useless thing.

a. Worship of this kind is superfluous: to wish to hear Mass before sunrise with a certain number and order of candles, of a priest who is called John or who has the stature of Christ; not to eat from the head of an animal on the day of the beheading of St. John: for these things contribute nothing to the worship of God. To kiss the foot of the chalice when it is put down after the elevation in Mass; in the office or in Mass to add prayers, crosses, alleluias, or other things which are contrary to the rubrics. For all those things which disordered devotion devises contrary to the prescription and custom of the Church, although in themselves they are not vain, nevertheless because they are contrary to the decrees and usage of the Church, are useless, superfluous, and superstitious.

b. This sin of superstition is also committed through new worships and new devotions which, although they contain nothing unfitting, nevertheless are proposed to the faithful and propagated among them without the approval of the Church. In the constitution Officiorum (n. 13), it is expressly prohibited that devotions of this kind be introduced; therefore new devotions introduced without license of the Church have rather often been prohibited.¹

2. Superstition of superfluous worship of itself does not exceed venial sin, because it does not contain grave irreverence; but good faith and simplicity sometimes excuse entirely from sin. Yet by reason of scandal and notable defect against the ordering of the Church, even this superstition could become mortal sin.

¹ Cf. Bucceroni, Casus conscientiae, 3rd ed., Rome: Typographia Augustiniana, 1903, n. 40.