Excerpt:
Pride was the first sin committed. It was the sin of Lucifer. It was also the root of the Original Sin committed by Adam and Eve. Pride is the greatest of sins because it is the summit of self-love and is directly opposed to submission to God. It is, therefore, the sin most hated by God, and the one He punishes most severely. The punishment of the Angels, of Adam and Eve, of Nabuchodonosor, related in the Book of Daniel (4:27-30), bear witness to this. Pride is likewise the greatest sin because it is the fountainhead of the self-love in which all other sins take root: “From pride all perdition took its beginning.” (Tob. 4:14).
|
Capital Sin |
Definition |
Contrary Virtue |
| Pride |
Unrestrained appreciation of our own worth |
Humility |
| Greed |
Immoderate desire for earthly goods |
Liberality |
| Lust |
Hankering for impure pleasures |
Chastity |
| Anger |
Inordinate desire for revenge |
Meekness |
| Gluttony |
Unrestrained use of food and drink |
Temperance |
| Envy |
Sorrow over another's good fortune |
Brotherly Love |
| Sloth |
Laxity in keeping the Faith and the practice of virtue |
Diligence |
Note:
The 7 Capital Sins, also known as "The 7 Deadly Sins," are those sins that give rise to other sins. They were first enumerated by Pope St. Gregory the Great in "Moralia in Job."
I'll go a step further and say that pride is the only sin committed.
Everything else is just a symptom--which is why there is only one punishment for sin. There is only one sin.