Is fornication a mortal sin?

Asked by: Dr. Teresa Boyer II  |  Last update: July 8, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (4 votes)

Fathers of the Church In AD 385, Pacian of Barcelona, in his Sermon Exhorting to Penance, gives contempt of God, murder, and fornication as examples of "mortal" or "capital sins".

What type of sin is fornication?

Catholicism equates premarital sex with fornication and ties it with breaking the sixth commandment ("Thou shalt not commit adultery") in its Catechism: Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman.

What mortal sins cannot be forgiven?

One eternal or unforgivable sin (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit), also known as the sin unto death, is specified in several passages of the Synoptic Gospels, including Mark 3:28–29, Matthew 12:31–32, and Luke 12:10, as well as other New Testament passages including Hebrews 6:4–6, Hebrews 10:26–31, and 1 John 5:16.

Which is worse, fornication or adultery?

However, adulterous offenders were punished more severely than those who simply engaged in fornication. Adultery was considered a more serious sin because it betrayed the marriage vows and could produce illegitimate children (Brundage, "Sex and Canon Law," 42).

What are the 10 mortal sins?

The Catechism is explicit about the grave nature of particular sins, including sacrilege (2120), blasphemy (2148), perjury (2152), deliberately avoiding Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation (2181), murder (2268), hatred of neighbor “when one deliberately desires him grave harm” (2303), prostitution (2355), ...

Why is Sex Outside of Marriage a Mortal Sin, According to St. Thomas Aquinas?

21 related questions found

Is abortion a mortal sin?

The Catholic Church teaches that procured abortion is a mortal sin against the Fifth Commandment ("Thou shalt not kill").

Can you go to heaven without confession?

The answer is that God accepts all into his kingdom who come to him through faith in Christ, baptism or public confession or not. If the thief on the cross is with Jesus in Paradise, having believed only hours before his death (Luke 23:39-43), then so too is the last-minute convert today.

What did Jesus say about fornication?

But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving. for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and. whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

What is considered fornication?

for·​ni·​ca·​tion ˌfȯr-nə-ˈkā-shən. : consensual sexual intercourse between a man and especially single woman who are not married to each other. also : the crime of engaging in fornication compare adultery. Note: Where still considered a crime, fornication is classified as a misdemeanor.

Which commandment forbids fornication?

Just as with the other commandments, there is an obvious level: The sixth commandment forbids all sexual union except within a validly sanctioned, monogamous marriage. Hence it forbids fornication, adultery, prostitution, and rape.

What are 3 sins God will not forgive?

With this declaration, Alma identified for Corianton the three most abominable sins in the sight of God: (1) denying the Holy Ghost, (2) shedding innocent blood, and (3) committing sexual sin. Adultery was third to murder and the sin against the Holy Ghost as abominable sins.

What are the only 2 sins that Cannot be forgiven?

And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come (Matthew 12:31–32).

Can you go to heaven with mortal sin?

Answer: No. “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him forever by our own free choice” (CCC 1033).

What is the most hated sin?

Pride, also known as hubris (from Ancient Greek ὕβρις) or futility, is considered the original and worst of the seven deadly sins on almost every list, the most demonic. It is also thought to be the source of the other capital sins. Pride is the opposite of humility.

Does the soul go to heaven after death?

Even as disembodied souls, there will be a continued consciousness of our personal existence. The instant we die, we go into heaven in our soul-state, and then we await the final consummation of the resurrection of our bodies.

What does the Bible say about fornication before marriage?

The subject of cohabitation or sex before marriage is not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament either. Instead, both in the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 15:19, Mark 7:21) and Paul (1 Corinthians 6:18, Galatians 5:19), we are urged to avoid porneia, translated 'fornication' or 'sexual immorality'.

Is fornication among the Ten Commandments?

However, the Greek word porneia, often translated fornication in the King James Version, has a broader meaning. Several times in the New King James Version it is translated “sexual immorality.” The Seventh Commandment in principle covers all forms of sex outside of marriage. It is designed to protect marriage.

Is kissing a sin before marriage?

The Bible does not state that romantic kissing is a sin. Many Christians believe that kissing on its own isn't a sin, but it can become sinful if it leads to more intimate or sexual acts before marriage. Through prayer and discussion, you and your partner can decide if kissing is okay or not.

What do Jews believe about fornication?

Fornication is the same in Jewish as in the common law. It is a much lighter offense than Adultery or Incest, in which both participants are punished with death.

What is the root of fornication?

1300, from Old French fornicacion "fornication, lewdness; prostitution; idolatry" (12c.), from Late Latin fornicationem (nominative fornicatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of fornicari "to fornicate," from Latin fornix (genitive fornicis) "brothel" (Juvenal, Horace), originally "arch, vaulted chamber, a ...

What did Jesus mean by "except for fornication"?

If we take "a word" to literally mean "one word" (not a commandment or a saying), and that word to be "fornication", then Jesus could have meant, that outside of "fornication" there is no other exception to divorce and remarriage.

Did Jesus speak on homosexuality?

Jesus did speak about sex and marriage

While it is true that Jesus never specifically mentions homosexuality, it doesn't mean that He had nothing to say about sexuality or marriage.

What is the only sin that will keep you out of heaven?

These seven sins—idolatry, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, dishonesty, drunkenness, and foul language—can lead us away from God and prevent us from entering heaven. But there is hope. Repentance and turning away from these sins are key to restoring our relationship with God.

What are the 4 sins that cry out to heaven?

Reformed theologian William M'Gavin opined that "the four sins that cry to heaven for vengeance; these are, wilful murder—sin of Sodom—oppression of the poor—to defraud servants of their wages" are greater in gravity than the seven deadly sins.

Will God forgive unconfessed sin?

Every Christian dies with most sins unconfessed. It is NOT our act of confessing that results in the sins being forgiven. Instead, Jesus did everything with His death on the cross. All your sins, even ones you are unaware of, were already forgiven 2000 years ago.