Rosal

The seven deadly sins and their virtues

At bedtime, a boy hugs his little sister to say sorry while their mother watches from the bed

The seven deadly sins, which the Church calls the capital sins, are pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth. They are called capital because they are the head (in Latin, caput) of other sins: many more grow out of them. Each one has a virtue that overcomes it.

  1. Pride

    Thinking we are better than others, or that we don’t need God. It is overcome by humility.

  2. Greed

    Wanting more and more, and not sharing. It is overcome by generosity.

  3. Lust

    Seeking sexual pleasure apart from the love God made it for. It is overcome by chastity.

  4. Anger

    Anger without measure, and wanting revenge. It is overcome by patience.

  5. Gluttony

    Eating or drinking more than we need. It is overcome by temperance.

  6. Envy

    Being sad at someone else’s good. It is overcome by charity, which is glad for others.

  7. Sloth

    Laziness about doing good, above all in the things of God. It is overcome by diligence.

A capital sin is not always a grave sin: it is a tendency that leads to other sins if we don’t fight it. That is why the list has long been used to examine one’s conscience before Confession. It goes back to Saint John Cassian and Saint Gregory the Great.

As a family

Before bed, each person can think of one: where did it get the better of me today, and how can I practice its virtue tomorrow? If someone at home is owed an apology, this is a good moment.

To read more, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1865, 1866.

The feast that goes with this topic

46 days before EasterAsh Wednesday

In the app, the lesson “When we say no to God” in Unit 4 goes with this topic.

More from the catechism