Morals of the Church
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Section — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Section III. On the Remission of Venial Sins

284.

I. No venial sin is remitted while mortal sin remains. For one who remains in divine enmity and does not offer fitting compensation for the grave injury inflicted upon God is unworthy for pardon of a lighter injury to be granted to him (St. Thomas, 3, question 87, article 4).

II. One venial sin can be remitted without another being remitted. The reason is that one can detest one venial sin, namely because of its greater malice or from its own proper motive, without detesting another.

III. Venial sins are remitted by:

  1. An act of perfect contrition, according to some, remits the venial sins to which it extends formally or virtually. But others say better that perfect contrition concerning one venial sin necessarily extends itself to all, and therefore remits all. For just as in relation to mortal sins contrition is detestation and sorrow concerning sin insofar as it is an offense against God loved above all things, and therefore necessarily extends itself to all mortal sins, so also in relation to venial sins, which are offenses against God in a qualified sense, contrition is detestation and sorrow concerning venial sin insofar as it is an offense in a qualified sense against God loved above all things, and therefore necessarily extends itself to all venial sins.1

  2. An act of perfect charity remits venial sins, of which it involves virtual penance. Hence all venial sins are pardoned by charity "when someone is borne in affection toward God and divine things in such a way that whatever should occur to him which would hinder him from this movement would displease him, and he would sorrow that he had committed it, even if he is not actually thinking about it" (St. Thomas, part 3, question 87, article 1).

  3. Any attrition, whether formal or virtual,2 seems to suffice for the remission of certain venial sins (St. Thomas, 3, question 87, article 2 and ad 3, and article 3): both because the light offenses of friends are more easily pardoned than the grave injuries of enemies, so that perfect contrition does not seem to be required for the remission of venial sins as it is - at least in the absence of the sacrament - for the remission of mortal sins; and because this attrition, as a meritorious act of a friend and son, has a greater proportion to pardon than the act of an unjust man attrite concerning mortal sins. Nevertheless, it is disputed whether any attrition suffices to destroy all venial sins to which it extends formally or virtually, or whether a more perfect attrition is required if the matter concerns a graver venial sin.3

  4. The sacraments. Concerning these, note:

a) It is certain that Baptism, Extreme Unction, Penance, and the Holy Eucharist, at least in some sense, remit venial sins. For Baptism is a perfect washing; absolution extends itself to all things which are subjected to the keys; and the form of Extreme Unction is universal. As regards the Holy Eucharist, this is established from Trent.4 The same is taught rather commonly concerning the three other sacraments (St. Thomas, part 3, question 87, article 2).

b) The sacraments certainly remit venial sins insofar as they move one to the acts explained under 1, 2, and 3, that is, to perfect contrition, to perfect charity, and to attrition.

It is disputed whether, besides this, the sacraments remit venial sins in another way. Moreover, some who deny that outside the sacrament any attrition suffices for destroying the venial sins to which it extends judge that in the sacrament any attrition suffices for the sacraments directly to remit the venial sins to which the attrition extends. Others - such as Suarez and many of those who teach that any attrition of itself alone suffices for the remission of venial sins - think that in the sacraments, at least in the Holy Eucharist, it is enough that "a man approach without actual complacency in venial sin and with the desire of receiving the sacrament and its fruit."5 Finally, others teach that venial sins are never remitted immediately through the sacraments, but only by means of pious movements which are opposed to venial sin either explicitly or implicitly; concerning these see pp. 209-210, under 1, 2, and 3.

  1. Sacramentals. Of these, some remit venial sins because and insofar as they have joined to them an act remissive of venial sins, for example attrition, as the striking of the breast, the Confiteor. Others conduce to their remission insofar as, from the impetration of the Church, God often - not infallibly - confers some pious movement upon those using them, for example blessed water.

Note. It is disputed in what way venial sins are remitted in those who have departed this life with the guilt of venial fault. St. Thomas, to whom St. Alphonsus adheres (Opera dogmatica, vol. I, p. 675), says as follows: "Venial sins are remitted in them after this life even as regards guilt by an act of charity toward God, repugnant to the venial sins committed in this life. Yet because after this life there is not the state of meriting, that movement of love in them indeed removes the impediment of venial fault, but does not merit absolution or diminution of punishment, as in this life" (De Malo, question 7, article 11).

IV. Venial sins are formally remitted by a contrary act, not by the infusion of grace, although this remission does not take place without a concomitant infusion or increase of grace, or at least without a right to this increase. The reason for the former is that no degree of sanctifying grace is incompatible with venial sin; this is clear from the fact that a man having however much grace can sin venially without losing anything of sanctifying grace. Therefore no degree of grace formally expels venial sins. The latter is clear from the fact that no venial sin is remitted without some penance, and therefore without a work meritorious of an increase of grace, or of a right to this increase.

1 Cf. the Salmanticenses, Commentary on part 3, question 87, article 1, nn. 3-4, and De sacramentis in communi, disputation 10, doubt 2, n. 11.

2 Virtual attrition is involved, for example, by a petition for pardon from God, the purpose of not committing such a sin again, an act of the opposite virtue, and any meritorious act referred to obtaining pardon (cf. St. Thomas, part 3, question 87, article 3).

3 There are also some, though few, who require an act of formal penance for the remission of venial sins. Thus, for example, Durandus (IV Sentences, distinction 16, question 2).

4 Session 13, on the Eucharist, chapter 2.

5 Suarez, disputation 12, section 1, n. 9.

SacramentalsThe Remission of Venial Sins