Morals of the Church
Virtues and Vices › Hope › The Vices Against It

Opposed to Hope

The Vices Against Hope

Each vice in the authors' own words, with its kinds and gravity. The arrangement is ours; every reference opens the passage.

A vice with no remedies here has none named for it in the works read. Remedies against sin in general are on the map, and the means of gaining each virtue are on its page.

Despair

What It Is

“it is a voluntary withdrawal from pursuing eternal beatitude, which is judged impossible of attainment”Prümmer n. 548In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 829; Noldin n. 49; Wouters n. 514; McHugh-Callan n. 1061; Marc n. 463; Vermeersch n. 61; Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 17; Sabetti-Barrett n. 162; Concina III, diss. I, ch. XI, n. VII
Not the mere absence of hope: “It is not the simple absence of hope, but is an act contrary to hope”Merkelbach I, n. 829In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 548; McHugh-Callan n. 1061
In the will, after a judgment of the mind: “that judgment inducing to despair is not despair itself: for this is an act of the will which follows”Merkelbach I, n. 829In nearly the same words: St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 2; Wouters n. 514; Prümmer n. 548; Noldin n. 49; McHugh-Callan n. 1061; Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 3
Fled as impossible, not as evil: “Desperation is a flight from beatitude, not as evil, but as impossible”Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 17In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1061; Merkelbach I, n. 829
Against hope, by defect: “the sin of despair, which is directly opposed to hope”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 3In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 548; Merkelbach I, n. 829; Noldin n. 47; Wouters n. 513; McHugh-Callan n. 1059; Marc n. 463; Vermeersch n. 62
Without unbelief: “On this way there can be despair, just as there can be other mortal sins, without unbelief.”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 2In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 830; Prümmer n. 548; Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 13; McHugh-Callan n. 1065

What It Is Not

Fear for one's salvation: “From despair must be distinguished the fear by which sometimes even pious men are distressed because of the uncertainty of salvation”Noldin n. 49In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1064; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; Prümmer n. 548
The trial of devout souls: “The apparent despair that is a trial to holy persons can be distinguished, therefore, from the sin of despair”McHugh-Callan n. 1072In nearly the same words: Noldin n. 49; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164
Distrust of one's own weakness: “Yet these are more faint-hearted than despairing”Noldin n. 50In nearly the same words: Marc n. 463; McHugh-Callan n. 1064
Things one need not hope for: “it would be no sin for a wayfarer to despair of obtaining that which he had no natural capacity for obtaining, or which was not due to be obtained by him”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 1, ad 3In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1062; Noldin n. 49
Wishing for death from weariness of life: “it is not a sin against hope”Noldin n. 47In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1063
Marc counts it against hope's desire, though venial: “the inordinate affection of heavenly happiness, by which beatitude is sought from weariness of life and labor”Marc n. 462

Its Kinds

Improperly so called, loathing beatitude: “Despair improperly so called, by which someone contemns and loathes beatitude, because he judges it not good and not desirable”Merkelbach I, n. 829In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1060; Vermeersch n. 68; Prümmer n. 548
Properly so called: “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”Merkelbach I, n. 829In nearly the same words: St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 4; McHugh-Callan n. 1061
Heaven left to God for earth: “If this desire coheres with that disposition of soul by which someone is prepared to leave heaven to God if He grants him earth, it is a grave sin against hope”Noldin n. 48In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 829; Marc n. 462; Vermeersch n. 65; Wouters n. 514
Yet commonly only a velleity: “Yet for the most part these words do not contain that mortal repudiation of heavenly good before earthly good, but express a mere velleity”Vermeersch n. 65In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 514; Merkelbach I, n. 829; Noldin n. 48
With unbelief, or without: “Despair is distinguished into heretical and simple”Wouters n. 514In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1065; Noldin n. 52
Prümmer's privative despair, for the most part no sin: “Privative desperation is a certain pusillanimity of soul”Prümmer n. 548

Its Gravity

A sin, mortal from its whole genus: “so the contrary movement of despair, which is in conformity with the false opinion about God, is vicious and sinful”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 1In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 548; Merkelbach I, n. 831; Noldin n. 50; Wouters n. 514; McHugh-Callan n. 1068; Marc n. 463; Vermeersch n. 61; Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 14; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; Concina III, diss. I, ch. XI, n. VII
No light matter: “Whence desperation properly so called does not admit smallness of matter.”Marc n. 463In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 548; Noldin n. 50; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; McHugh-Callan n. 1090
Yet often venial, for want of full consent: “Yet often despair is venial on account of indeliberation, if it comes from impatience, sadness, melancholic temperament, or scruples”Merkelbach I, n. 831In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 61; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; McHugh-Callan n. 1069
Against the Holy Spirit: “indeed it is a sin against the Holy Spirit”Merkelbach I, n. 831In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 548; McHugh-Callan n. 1070; Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 17; Spirago THE OBJECT OF CHRISTIAN HOPE
Graver than sins against the moral virtues: “Those sins which are contrary to the theological virtues are in themselves more grievous than others”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 3In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 831; Noldin n. 50; McHugh-Callan n. 1070
Less grave than unbelief and hatred of God: “strictly speaking it is more grievous sin to disbelieve God's truth, or to hate God, than not to hope to receive glory from Him”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 3In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 831; Noldin n. 50; Wouters n. 514; McHugh-Callan n. 1070; Marc n. 463; Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 22
Yet the most dangerous: “despair is more dangerous, since hope withdraws us from evils and induces us to seek for good things, so that when hope is given up, men rush headlong into sin”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 3In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 831; Noldin n. 50; Wouters n. 514; McHugh-Callan n. 1070; Prümmer n. 548; Marc n. 463
Isidore, in St. Thomas: “To commit a crime is to kill the soul, but to despair is to fall into hell.”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 3In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 548; Spirago THE OBJECT OF CHRISTIAN HOPE; Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 21
Not beyond pardon: “it is not unpardonable and may be overcome by divine grace”McHugh-Callan n. 1070In nearly the same words: Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 17
Spirago, more severely: “Despair is a sin against the Holy Ghost, and as such is never forgiven.”Spirago THE OBJECT OF CHRISTIAN HOPE
The sign of consent: “he will be able to ask him whether for this reason he omitted his customary exercises of piety”Noldin n. 49In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 548; Marc n. 463; McHugh-Callan n. 1066

Its Remedies

First, the cause: “The confessor, choosing remedies against desperation, must first see from what cause it has been produced”Prümmer n. 548In nearly the same words: Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; Marc n. 464; McHugh-Callan n. 1074
“consideration of the mercy of God”Wouters n. 514In nearly the same words: Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; Merkelbach I, n. 832; McHugh-Callan n. 1074
“of the greatest sinners reconciled with God, as were St. Paul, St. Augustine, and St. Mary Magdalene”Wouters n. 514In nearly the same words: Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; Merkelbach I, n. 832; McHugh-Callan n. 1074; Spirago The Nature and the Necessity of Penance
“meditation on the parables of Sacred Scripture in which divine mercy shines forth”Prümmer n. 548In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 514; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; Merkelbach I, n. 832
“consideration of the love and Passion of Christ”Merkelbach I, n. 832In nearly the same words: Sabetti-Barrett n. 164
“meditation on the divine promises”Merkelbach I, n. 832
From the Creed: “there is no sinner, however abandoned, however depraved, who should not confidently hope for pardon, provided he sincerely repent of his past transgressions”Roman Catechism Article X: “The Forgiveness of Sins”
“prayer, especially devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, salvation of the despairing”Wouters n. 514In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 832; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; St. Alphonsus True Spouse, ch. XXI
In the temptation itself, St. Catherine of Siena: “when tempted to despair, would make an act of confidence in God”St. Alphonsus True Spouse, ch. XI
Against sloth, thinking on spiritual goods: “the more we think about spiritual goods, the more pleasing they are rendered to us”Merkelbach I, n. 832In nearly the same words: St. Thomas II-II, q. 35, a. 1, ad 4
Against lust: “one should learn that spiritual joys are nobler and more enduring than the joys of the flesh”McHugh-Callan n. 1074
The sacraments: “approach frequently the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist”Prümmer n. 548
For melancholy: “those who are naturally nervous or melancholy, should employ such therapeutical or preventive measures as are useful or necessary”McHugh-Callan n. 1074
The confessor's manner: “Penitents given to despair are to be moderated with great circumspection, prudence, and patience”Sabetti-Barrett n. 164In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 548
“Especially in the dying, let him raise hope with true detestation of sin”Marc n. 464
Hope cultivated: “a good conscience greatly contributes to the increase of hope”Prümmer n. 550

A daughter of Sloth and of Lust, whose remedies are given on their pages: “when the cause has been removed, the effect also is taken away.”

Where It Comes From

Despair is also a daughter of sloth.

From sloth chiefly: “despair is born of sloth in a more special way”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 4In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 832; McHugh-Callan n. 1071; Prümmer n. 548; Wouters n. 514; Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 17; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164
From lust: “On this way despair is caused by lust.”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 4In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 832; Prümmer n. 548; Wouters n. 514; McHugh-Callan n. 1071; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164
From weak faith: “Defect of faith”Prümmer n. 548In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 514
From melancholy and scruples: “3rd. from melancholy, which inclines to sadness and turns away from confidence”Sabetti-Barrett n. 164In nearly the same words: Sabetti-Barrett n. 164; Prümmer n. 548
Marc's list, after Tanquerey: “defect of faith, inordinate adhesion to pleasures, spiritual sloth, presumption, a melancholic disposition”Marc n. 463
St. Gregory, in Bontempi: “it arises also from pride”Bontempi Sole Question: Of what power despa, n. 19
Even from good things misused: “fear of God or horror of one's own sins may lead to despair, in so far as man makes evil use of those good things”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 1, ad 2
Forgetting God's favors: “This very neglect to consider the Divine favors arises from sloth.”St. Thomas II-II, q. 20, a. 4, ad 3

Presumption

What It Is

“there may be presumption through immoderation, in the fact that a man tends to some good as though it were possible by the power and mercy of God, whereas it is not possible”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 1In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 549; Merkelbach I, n. 833; Noldin n. 51; Wouters n. 515; McHugh-Callan n. 1078; Marc n. 463; Bontempi Sole Question: What presumption is, n. 2; Sabetti-Barrett n. 162
Not hoping too much in God: “Presumption does not denote excessive hope, as though man hoped too much in God; but through man hoping to obtain from God something unbecoming to Him”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 2, ad 2In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1082
Against hope by excess, and against fear: “presumption is more directly opposed to hope than to fear”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 3In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 549; Bontempi Sole Question: What presumption is, n. 5; Noldin n. 47; Wouters n. 513; McHugh-Callan n. 1059; Vermeersch n. 62; Marc n. 463
Presumption on one's own power belongs to magnanimity: “This presumption is contrary to the virtue of magnanimity which holds to the mean in this kind of hope.”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 1In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 833; McHugh-Callan n. 1077; Bontempi Sole Question: What presumption is, n. 9
Without unbelief: “it can exist without this, in the same way as despair”Merkelbach I, n. 833In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1084; Bontempi Sole Question: What presumption is, n. 8
A confidence in the divine mercy: “Presumption is a perverse, or inordinate, confidence in the divine mercy.”Concina III, diss. I, ch. XI, n. VIII

What It Is Not

In a good sense: “Presumption sometimes stands for hope, because even the right hope which we have in God seems to be presumption, if it be measured according to man's estate”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 2, ad 1In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1076
Other senses of the word: “among the Jurists, by interpreting, or consenting for the absent, or judging according to presumed causes, it signifies nothing illicit”Bontempi On Presumption, n. 1In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1075; Vermeersch n. 62
Sinning with hope of pardon, not because of it: “To sin, however, with the hope of obtaining pardon some time, and with the intention of refraining from sin and of repenting of it, is not presumptuous, but diminishes sin”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 2, ad 3In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 837; Prümmer n. 549; Noldin n. 51; Wouters n. 515; McHugh-Callan n. 1087; Marc n. 463; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164
Because confession is easy: “likewise is not presumption, because the motive inducing one to repeat sins is not the ease of obtaining pardon, but the ease of confession”Noldin n. 51In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 834; Wouters n. 515; Sabetti-Barrett n. 164
Putting off repentance, a sin against charity to oneself: “these men sin by rashness against charity toward themselves, and by ingratitude toward God”Vermeersch n. 63In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1085; Marc n. 463; Concina III, diss. I, ch. XI, n. VIII
Careless of venial sins: “It is not the sin of presumption if a man in no way avoids venial sins”Prümmer n. 549
Hoping for God's help in sin, which others count presumption: “blasphemous hope expects that God will help one in working revenge or committing other sin”McHugh-Callan n. 1081In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 67

Its Kinds

Against hope, and beside it: “Presumption is one kind directly against hope, another kind beside hope”Merkelbach I, n. 834In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 62; McHugh-Callan n. 1085
On one's own powers alone: “and this presumption is called Pelagian”Merkelbach I, n. 834In nearly the same words: Noldin n. 51; Wouters n. 515; Prümmer n. 549; Bontempi Sole Question: What presumption is, n. 7; Vermeersch n. 62; Marc n. 463; McHugh-Callan n. 1084
On God, without repentance or merit: “if a man hope to obtain pardon without repenting, or glory without merits”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 1In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 834; Noldin n. 51; Wouters n. 515; Prümmer n. 549; Bontempi Sole Question: What presumption is, n. 7; Vermeersch n. 62; Marc n. 463
Beyond the order of Providence: “by hoping from God for extraordinary supernatural goods outside the common order of divine providence”Merkelbach I, n. 834In nearly the same words: Noldin n. 51; Wouters n. 515; McHugh-Callan n. 1079; Prümmer n. 549
Repentance looked for only at death: “such as time for penance precisely at the end of life, while caring nothing about salvation”Merkelbach I, n. 834In nearly the same words: Bontempi Sole Question: What presumption is, n. 7
Mercy made a motive for sinning: “by taking confidence in God as a motive for sinning more freely”Merkelbach I, n. 834In nearly the same words: Noldin n. 51; Wouters n. 515; Prümmer n. 549; Marc n. 463; McHugh-Callan n. 1088; St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 2, ad 3
God's help for evil, as Noldin, Wouters and Prümmer count it: “If someone trusts that he will obtain divine help for carrying out evil”Noldin n. 51In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 515; Prümmer n. 549
The heretical forms: “Four heretical presumptions are distinguished by theologians, namely, Pelagian presumption, Lutheran presumption, Calvinist presumption, and pietistic presumption”Prümmer n. 549In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1084

Its Gravity

Against hope, mortal from its whole genus: “Presumption which is against hope is a mortal sin from its whole genus”Merkelbach I, n. 835In nearly the same words: Noldin n. 52; Wouters n. 515; Vermeersch n. 62; Prümmer n. 549; McHugh-Callan n. 1082; Marc n. 463; Bontempi Sole Question: What presumption is, n. 3
Beside hope, admitting light matter: “Presumption which is only beside hope is a mortal sin from its genus, which admits lightness of matter”Merkelbach I, n. 835In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 549; Noldin n. 52; Wouters n. 515; McHugh-Callan n. 1090
Sabetti-Barrett, of all presumption: “the sin of presumption is indeed mortal from its genus, but not from its whole genus”Sabetti-Barrett n. 164
Light, for example: “if someone in some danger, without prayer and preparation, hopes for ordinary but small help, which God has not promised”Merkelbach I, n. 835In nearly the same words: Noldin n. 52
Less grave than despair: “presumption is a sin, but less grave than despair, since, on account of His infinite goodness, it is more proper to God to have mercy and to spare, than to punish”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 2In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 835; Prümmer n. 549; Wouters n. 515; McHugh-Callan n. 1083; Vermeersch n. 62; Bontempi Sole Question: What presumption is, n. 4
Graver than presuming on oneself: “presumption whereby a man relies on God inordinately, is a more grievous sin than the presumption of trusting in one's own power”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 1, ad 1In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1083
Among its kinds: “Yet Lutheran presumption is graver than Pelagian”Merkelbach I, n. 835In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 62
Against the Holy Spirit: “This presumption is, properly, the sin against the Holy Ghost”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 1In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 835; Prümmer n. 549; McHugh-Callan n. 1082
Rare: “The sin of presumption is rarely fully deliberate”Merkelbach I, n. 835In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 1086; Vermeersch n. 62; Noldin n. 51; Wouters n. 515
Otherwise, more frequent than despair: “PRESUMPTION (which is more frequent than desperation)”Marc n. 463In nearly the same words: Concina III, diss. I, ch. XI, n. VIII
Whether hope itself is lost: “The habit of hope is not lost through every sin against hope, but only through that which is directly opposed to the formal object of hope”Noldin n. 52In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 515; McHugh-Callan n. 1085; Vermeersch n. 68
In confession: “it must be declared in confession if someone committed some sin from this motive, because it is a circumstance changing the species”Merkelbach I, n. 837
Careless Christians, though not presumptuous properly so called: “This crass negligence alone, this stupid torpor and indolence in the gravest business of eternal salvation, is a grave sin.”Concina III, diss. I, ch. XI, n. VIII

Its Remedies

“humility, which is directly opposed to the causes of presumption, namely, pride and empty glory”Merkelbach I, n. 836In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 515; Prümmer n. 549; Marc n. 464; St. Alphonsus True Spouse, ch. XI
“meditation on the inscrutable judgments of God, which directly fosters the fear of God, by which presumption is excluded”Merkelbach I, n. 836In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 515
Fear held with confidence: “Confidence in God and fear of God must ever be equally present in us.”Spirago THE OBJECT OF CHRISTIAN HOPEIn nearly the same words: Marc n. 464
Against putting off repentance: “but only one, that nobody might presume, and put off repentance until the hour of death”Spirago The Nature and the Necessity of PenanceIn nearly the same words: Roman Catechism Article X: “The Forgiveness of Sins”
In the temptation itself: “When, therefore, Satan tells you that you are in no danger of falling, tremble”St. Alphonsus True Spouse, ch. XI
The confessor, with one who sinned meaning to confess later: “Nevertheless he must be carefully admonished concerning the falsity of his opinion”Prümmer n. 549

Where It Comes From

Presumption is also a daughter of pride.

Presumption on oneself, from vainglory: “Such like presumption clearly arises from vainglory”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 4In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 836; Wouters n. 515; McHugh-Callan n. 1091
Presumption on God, from pride: “Such like presumption seems to arise directly from pride”St. Thomas II-II, q. 21, a. 4In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 836; McHugh-Callan n. 1091; Prümmer n. 549
From errors in faith: “Presumption indirectly arises from the errors in faith described above”Merkelbach I, n. 836In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 549
Marc: “arises from defect of the fear of God”Marc n. 463