VENIAL SIN
An offense against God which does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace. It is called venial (from venia, pardon) because the soul still has the vital principle that allows a cure from within, similar to the healing of a sick or diseased whose source of animation (the soul) is still present to restore the ailing bodily function to health.
Deliberate venial sin is a desease that slackens the spiritual powers, lowers one's resistance to evil, and causes one to deviate from the path that leads to heavenly glory. Variously called "daily sins" or "light sins" or "lesser sins," they are committed under a variety of conditions: when a person transgresses with full or partial knowledge and consent to a divine law that does not ablige seriously; when one violates a law that obliges gravely but either one's knowledge or consent is not complete; or when one disobeys what is an objectively grave precept but due to invincible ignorance a person things the obligation is not serious.
The essence of venial sin consists in a certain disorder but does not imply complete aversion from humanity's final destiny. It is an illness of the soul rather than its supernatural death. When people commit a venial sin, they do not decisively set themselves on turning away from God, but from overfondness for some created good fall short of God. They are like person who loiter without leaving the way.
All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
AMEN and thank-you for your explainations Salvation.
Acts 17
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Have you attempted to thoroughly verify the biblical basis for all those Catholic definitions you post? Or do you simply trust Father Hardon?
Are you a Berean? Do you search the Scriptures to see if what you are taught is so?
Excellent answers, Salvation.
And while I would not presume to know who .45 Long Colt or Gamecock might consider the authoritative source on Biblical exegesis, there are few who would stand to question St Thomas Aquinas. His Summa Theologica is the unquestioned authority for most serious scholars. If .45 Long Colt and Gamecock are seriously interested in a scholarly understanding of mortal and venial sin, they should review this work.
Summa Theologica is online and questions regarding mortal and venial sin may be found, generally, beginning at question 88 of the First Part of the Second Part. In spite of the academic seriousness of the work, it is a relatively easy read.