The Church once taught that certain acts and behavior constituted a mortal sin. We were taught that we were no longer in Sanctifying Grace if we had a mortal sin on our soul, and that if we died in that state we were placing our souls in eternal jeopardy.
It is the rare priest that will even mention the possibility of anyone going to hell today. The term, mortal sin, has not been mentioned in most churches for over 50 years. Indeed, even the new term, “serious sin”, intended as a substitute for “mortal sin” is also not mentioned.
The teaching on the Church has not changed, although the teachings of the popes and the bishops have changed dramatically. In fact, with respect to specific sins which were once called “mortal sins”, (the practice of homosexuality, or second marriages without annulment of the first) it would depend upon the episcopal conference one listened to in order to determine whether it would fall under it or not.
Generally speaking, fewer than 2% (by one statistic) of Catholics avail themselves of the Sacrament of Confession even once a year. Many have given it up completely. This is largely because many priests teach that it is almost impossible to commit a “serious” sin (formally “mortal” sin). Consequently, few see the need for Confession.
Protestants have taught since the days of Luther, to “let your conscience be your guide”. Essentially, that is what Pope Francis teaches today as well. As a result, many Catholics who are guided by their conscience have adopted erroneous beliefs like, birth control is not sinful, living together as man and wife is acceptable if you intend to ultimately get married, homosexuality is not wrong if you truly love your same sex partner, etc. etc.
The true teaching of the Catholic Church rejects, out of hand, the notion that we should be guided by our conscience. She has always taught that we are to be guided by the true teachings of the Catholic Church. Today, those teachings have gone silent, as the popes, bishops and priests of the Church no longer engage in that teaching.
My concern is based on what you say yourself that about the concept of mortal sin we all used to know.
Then, as now, the commission of a mortal sin required the matter be grave, the actor must have full knowledge it is grave and must do the act with full consent of the will.
Because of poor catechizes etc. many people do not have the certainty of grave matter and and are not trained in the use of their own will, but rely on feelings.
So they are often victims committing acts of grave matter and reaping the whirlwind of them. But again, the Church leaders will keep up the cruelty of bending over backwards to try to keep people from falling into mortal sin, that they continue mushy teachings , pat them on the back and leave them in the unhappy state of the pain of the results of objectively evil acts.
I will never the pain in the voice of one woman who cried out at a meeting with the bishop “why didn't you tell us about NFP”?
We have to speak out.