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According to Catholicism, a mortal sin, unlike a venial sin, must meet all of the following conditions:
- subject must be grave matter;
- it must be committed with full knowledge
- it must be committed with deliberate and complete consent.
Mortal sin is defined by St. Augustine (Contra Faustum, XXII, xxvii) as "Dictum vel factum vel concupitum contra legem æternam", i.e., something said, done or desired contrary to the eternal law, or a thought, word, or deed contrary to the eternal law. According to Catholic doctrine, a mortal sin produces macula, or stain on the soul, and a person who dies in a state of mortal sin, i.e., without having repented, has thereby chosen or merited eternal separation from God in hell.
Some sins that orthodox Catholics consider to be mortal (if the conditions above are met) include adultery, murder, lust, missing mass on Sunday (except when one must, e.g., child care, dangerous roads, etc.), perjury, and the use of contraceptives. It should not be said that the sin of missing mass on Sunday is considered equal in gravity to murder: the Catholic belief holds that mortal sins can vary in their seriousness, although the "mortal" effect remains present for all sins in this category.
Mortal sins are not to be confused with the deadly sins. Mortal sins may also be called "grave" or "grevious" sins, because of the seriousness of their matter, or "serious sin", although many Catholics criticize the latter term, believing that all sin should be considered serious, whether venial or mortal.
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Mortal Sin is also the name of a Australian thrash metal band.
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