Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume I › Book I. On the General Principles of the Christian Life › Treatise II. On Motion in Order to the Final End, or on the Human Act, Considered according to Moral Being › Dissertation II. On Human Acts Considered according to Moral Being › Part II. On Morality in Particular › Section III. On the Evil Act, or on Sin › Chapter II. On Some Classes of Sins in Particular › Article II. On Mortal and Venial Sin › § II. On Venial Sin

Section — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Scholion I. On Venial Sin by Accident

289.

I. A sin mortal in itself becomes venial by accident:

  1. From invincible erroneous conscience, as if someone holds the theft of a grave thing to be venial.

  2. From defect of perfect consent (St. Thomas, I-II, q. 88, a. 6; St. Alphonsus, V, 54, 55).

  3. Some add: from an excusing cause, which because of only a slight defect does not excuse from the whole. But the legislator, if he urges the substance of a grave precept, seems always to urge it under grave obligation, so that one who injures a grave precept according to its substance without a truly sufficient cause seems to sin gravely.

Mortal and Venial Sin