Deadly sins in Orthodoxy: a list in order and the commandments of God. Many believers, reading the holy scriptures, often pay attention to such an expression as “the seven deadly sins.” These words do not refer to any specific seven actions, because the list of such actions can be much larger. This number indicates only the conditional grouping of actions into seven main groups.

Gregory the Great was the first to propose such a division back in 590. The church also has its own division, in which there are eight main passions. Translated from Church Slavonic, the word “passion” means suffering. Other believers and preachers believe that there are 10 sins in Orthodoxy.

Deadly sins in Orthodoxy

The most serious possible sin is called a mortal sin. It can only be redeemed by repentance. Committing such a sin does not allow a person's soul to enter heaven. Basically in Orthodoxy there are seven deadly sins.

And they are called mortal because their constant repetition leads to the death of a person’s immortal soul, and therefore its ending in hell. Such actions are based on biblical texts. Their appearance in the texts of theologians dates back to a later time.

Deadly sins in Orthodoxy. List.

1. Anger, anger, revenge. This group includes actions that, as opposed to love, bring destruction.
2. Lust b, debauchery, fornication. This category includes actions that lead to an excessive desire for pleasure.
3. Laziness, idleness, despondency. This includes a reluctance to do both spiritual and physical work.
4. Pride, vanity, arrogance. Arrogance, boasting, and excessive self-confidence are considered disbelief in the divine.
5. Envy, jealousy. This group includes dissatisfaction with what they have, confidence in the injustice of the world, desire for someone else's status, property, qualities.
6. Gluttony, gluttony. The need to consume more than necessary is also considered a passion.
7. Love of money, greed, greed, stinginess. Most of all, attention is paid to when the desire to increase one’s material wealth comes at the expense of spiritual well-being.

List of sins for confession in Orthodoxy

Confession is one of the rites that help get rid of sins and cleanse the soul. The clergy believe that if repentance is supported by alms, fervent prayer and fasting, then after it a person can return to the state in which Adam was before the Fall.

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You can go to confession in any setting, but often it is a church during a service or another time that the priest appoints. A person who wants to repent must be baptized, walk in Orthodox Church, recognize the foundations of Orthodoxy and desire to repent of their sins.

To prepare for confession, repentance and faith are necessary. It is recommended to fast and read prayers of repentance. A repentant person needs to confess his sins, thereby showing recognition of his sinfulness, while highlighting those passions that are especially characteristic of him.

It would not be superfluous to name specific sins that burden his soul. Here short list sins for confession:

• Offense against God.
• Caring only about worldly life.
• Violation of God's Law.
• Condemnation of clergy.
• Unbelief, lack of faith, doubts about the existence of God, about the truth of the Orthodox faith.
• Insult to God Holy Mother of God, saints, holy Church. Mentioning the Name of God in vain, without reverence.
• Violation of fasts, church regulations and prayer rules.
• Failure to keep promises that were made to God.
• Lack of Christian love.
• Non-attendance or rare attendance at the temple.
• Envy, malice, hatred.
• Homicide, abortion. Suicide.
• Lies, deceit.
• Lack of mercy, failure to provide assistance to those in need.
• Pride. Condemnation. Resentment, no desire to reconcile, forgive. Grudge.
• Stinginess, greed, money-grubbing, bribery.
• Temptation for any sin.
• Extravagance.
• Superstition.
• Use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs...
• Entering into direct communication with evil spirits.
• Fornication.
• Gambling.
• Divorce.
• Self-justification.
• Laziness, sadness, gluttony, despondency.

Is not full list sins. It can also be expanded. At the end of the confession, we can say this: I sinned in deed, in word, in thoughts, with all the feelings of soul and body. It is impossible to list all my sins, there are so many of them. But I repent of all my sins, both spoken and forgotten.

The most terrible sin in Orthodoxy

People often argue about which sin is the most terrible and which sins God agrees to forgive. It is generally accepted that suicide is considered the most serious sin. He is considered incorrigible, because having passed away, a person can no longer beg God’s forgiveness for his soul.

There is no clear ranking of sins in Orthodoxy. After all, if a small sin is not prayed away and repented of, it can lead to the death of a person’s soul and burden him.

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You can often hear about original sin in Orthodoxy. This is the name given to the act of Adam and Eve that they committed. Since it was committed in the first generation of people, it was recognized as the first sin of all mankind. This sin damaged human nature and is passed on to descendants by inheritance. In order to reduce its influence on a person or lose it altogether, it is recommended to baptize children and accustom them to the church.

Sin of Sodom in Orthodoxy

This is the customary name for a sinful thought, act or desire that is based on a person’s sexual attraction to a representative (representatives) of the same sex. Often the clergy classified this sin as one of the types of fornication, although some drew a fairly clear line between such concepts.

In turn, the sin of fornication in Orthodoxy is classified as a mortal sin. After all, it is believed that when connecting with a person, not only physical, but also spiritual intimacy occurs. And all this remains on our soul. She becomes unclean. In the middle, everything seems to be burned out.

That is why it is necessary every time to think about your carnal desires, and think about what this can lead to.

We cannot atone for sins in Orthodoxy on our own. But we have hope that the Lord has given us. To ease your burdens, you need to pray fervently. It is necessary to go to church and confess to God and the priest.

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God. Drive away from me all the misfortunes that tempt carnal passions. In redemption I fall down, I forget about my sins in the vanity. Forgive me for the sins that happened, and they have not yet been forgotten. Those sins that are still smoldering in the soul too often cause illness. Thy will be done. Amen".

The Lord is always with you!

Deadly sin- this is the most serious of all possible sins, which can only be atone for by repentance. For committing a mortal sin, a person’s soul may lose the opportunity to go to heaven. Interested in this topic, many people ask the question of how many mortal sins there are in Orthodoxy. There are seven mortal sins in Christian teaching, and they are called so because, despite their seemingly harmless nature, if regularly practiced, they lead to much more serious sins and, consequently, to the death of an immortal soul that ends up in hell. Mortal sins are not based on biblical texts and are not a direct revelation of God; they appeared in the texts of theologians later.

If we begin to live like those who die every day, then we will not sin (St. Anthony the Great, 88, 17).

Seven deadly sins list
LOVE OF AVERAGE
PRIDE
FORNICATION
ENVY
Gluttony (Gluttony)
ANGER
DEPRESSION

The history of the appearance of the list of seven sinful acts or 7 deadly sins

Acts considered mortal in Orthodox faith distinguishes the degree of severity and the possibility of their redemption. Speaking about sinful acts, especially more attention should be paid to the seven acts that are considered mortal. Many have heard about this, but not everyone knows which of the sinful acts will be on this list, and what will distinguish them. Sin is called mortal not from the head, because Christians believe that when committing these sins, human souls can perish.

It is worth noting that seven deadly sins, although the opinion of society is not sure of this, is not described by the Bible, because their direction of the concept appeared later than the composition of the Holy Letter began. It is believed that the monastic works of Evgarius of Pontius could serve as a basis. He compiled a list that initially included eight human sins. It was later reduced to seven positions.

Deadly sins in Orthodoxy: list in order and commandments of God

Why were the sins like this?

It is clear that these sinful acts or the seven deadly sins in Orthodoxy are not as terrible as theologians believed. They are not beyond redemption, they can be confessed, it’s just that committing them can contribute to people becoming worse, moving further and further away from God. If you put in more effort, you can live in such a way that you do not break any of the ten commandments, but it is difficult to live in such a way that you do not commit any of the seven sinful acts. Essentially, sinful acts and mortal sins in Orthodoxy in the amount of shadow mother nature placed in people.

Under certain circumstances, people are able to survive by contradicting the teaching about sinful acts, but, not paying attention to this, they believe that this cannot achieve good fruits. When you haven't heard anything about what is meant by the seven deadly sins, the list with short explanations presented below can clear up the matter.

Seven deadly sins in Orthodoxy

It is common for a person to want a lot of money, making every effort to obtain material values. However, he does not think whether they are needed in general. These unfortunate people are blindly collecting jewelry, money, and property. They try to get something more than they have, without knowing the limit, without even having the desire to know it. This sin is called love of money.

Self-esteem, self-respect. Many people can do something by trying to be higher than others. More often, the actions that are performed are certainly necessary for this purpose. They delight society, and in those who are subject to a sense of pride, a fire is born that burns all the feelings considered to be the best within the soul. After a certain period of time, a person tirelessly thinks only about his beloved self.

3. Fornication.(That is sex life before marriage), adultery (i.e. adultery). Dissolute life. Failure to store feelings, especially
touch, where is the insolence that destroys all virtues. Foul language and reading voluptuous books. Voluptuous thoughts, indecent conversations, even a single glance directed with lust at a woman are considered fornication.

The Savior says this about it: “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, “You shall not commit adultery,” but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”(Matt. 5, 27. 28).
If he who looks at a woman with lust sins, then the woman is not innocent of the same sin if she dresses up and adorns herself with the desire to be looked at, seduced by her, “For woe to that man through whom temptation comes.”

4. Envy. Feelings of envy may not always exist white. Often it can become a cause that contributes to the emergence of discord and crime. Not everyone can easily accept the fact that someone was able to achieve better conditions for accommodation. History gives many examples when feelings of envy led to murder.

5. Gluttony. People who eat a lot and overeat at the same time cannot evoke anything pleasant. Food is necessary to sustain life, to have the ability to perform meaningful actions in relation to beauty. But those who are subjected to the sinful act of gluttony believe that they were born for the purpose of eating.

6. Anger. Hot temper, irritability, adoption of angry thoughts: dreams of revenge, indignation of the heart with rage, darkening of the mind with it: obscene
shouting, arguing, cruel, abusive and caustic words. Slander, memory malice, indignation and insult to one's neighbor, hatred, enmity, vengeance, condemnation. Unfortunately, we are not always able to control ourselves and our anger when the wave of emotions overwhelms us. First of all, it is cut from the shoulder, and then it is only observed that the consequences are irreversible. You need to fight your passions!

7. Dejection. Laziness towards everyone good deed, especially to prayer. Excessive restfulness with sleep. Depression, despair (which often leads a person to suicide), lack of fear of God, complete carelessness about the soul, carelessness about repentance until last days life.

Fighting Sin

You need to fight your passions, tame your emotions, because this leads to a disastrous end! Sin must be fought at the initial stage of its inception! After all, the deeper sin enters our consciousness, our soul, the harder it becomes to fight it. Judge for yourself, in any matter, illness, education, work, the longer you put off work, the more difficult it is to catch up!

And most importantly, forgive God's help! After all, it is very difficult for a person to overcome sin! The devil is plotting, trying to ruin your soul, pushing it to sin in every possible way. These 7 deadly sins It’s not so difficult not to commit if you ask the Lord for help in fighting them! One has only to take a step towards meeting the Savior and He will immediately come to the rescue! God is merciful and does not abandon anyone!

ARTICLE 1. CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY

Eight deadly sins and the fight against them

"The Ladder" by St. John Climacus

In the old days in Rus', the favorite reading was always “The Philokalia”, “The Ladder” of St. John Climacus and other soul-helping books. Modern Orthodox Christians, unfortunately, rarely pick up these great books. It's a pity! After all, they contain answers to questions that are often asked in confession today: “Father, how not to get irritated?”, “Father, how to deal with despondency and laziness?”, “How to live in peace with loved ones?”, “Why?” Do we keep returning to the same sins?

Every priest has to hear these and other questions. These questions are answered by theological science, which is called asceticism. She talks about what passions and sins are, how to fight them, how to find peace of mind, how to acquire love for God and neighbors. The word “asceticism” immediately evokes associations with ancient ascetics, Egyptian hermits, and monasteries. And in general, ascetic experiences and the struggle with passions are considered by many to be a purely monastic matter: we, they say, are weak people, we live in the world, that’s just how we are... This, of course, is a deep misconception. Everyone is called to daily struggle, war against passions and sinful habits. Orthodox Christian without exception. The Apostle Paul tells us about this: “Those who are Christ’s (that is, all Christians. – Auth.) crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:24).

Just as soldiers take an oath and make a solemn promise - an oath - to defend the Fatherland and crush its enemies, so a Christian, as a warrior of Christ, in the sacrament of baptism swears allegiance to Christ and “renounces the devil and all his works,” that is, sin. This means there is a battle ahead with these fierce enemies of our salvation - fallen angels, passions and sins. A life-or-death battle, a difficult and daily, if not hourly, battle. Therefore, “we only dream of peace.”

Deadly sins in Orthodoxy: list in order and commandments of God

I will take the liberty to say that asceticism can be called, in some way, Christian psychology. After all, the word “psychology” translated from Greek means “the science of the soul.” It is a science that studies mechanisms human behavior and thinking. Practical psychology helps a person cope with his bad tendencies, overcome depression, and learn to get along with himself and people. As we see, the objects of attention of asceticism and psychology are the same.

Saint Theophan the Recluse said that it was necessary to compile a textbook on Christian psychology, and he himself used psychological analogies in his instructions to questioners. The trouble is that psychology is not unified scientific discipline, such as physics, mathematics, chemistry or biology. There are many schools and areas that call themselves psychology. Psychology includes psychoanalysis by Freud and Jung, and newfangled movements like neurolinguistic programming (NLP). Some trends in psychology are completely unacceptable for Orthodox Christians. Therefore, we have to collect some knowledge bit by bit, separating the wheat from the chaff.

I will try, using some knowledge from practical, applied psychology, to rethink them in accordance with the teaching of the Holy Fathers on the fight against passions.

Before we start talking about the main passions and methods of dealing with them, let's ask ourselves the question: “Why do we fight our sins and passions?”

Recently I heard one famous Orthodox theologian, a professor at the Moscow Theological Academy (I will not name him, because I respect him very much; he was my teacher, but in this case I fundamentally disagree with him) said: “Divine services, prayer, fasting - all this, so to speak, is scaffolding, supports for the construction of the building of salvation, but not the goal of salvation, not the meaning Christian life. And the goal is to get rid of passions.” I can’t agree with this, since getting rid of passions is also not an end in itself, but speaks of the true goal Venerable Seraphim Sarovsky: “Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved.”

That is, the goal of a Christian’s life is to acquire love for God and neighbors. The Lord Himself speaks of only two commandments, on which the entire law and prophets are based. This “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." And “love your neighbor as yourself”(Matt. 22:37, 39). Christ did not say that these were just two of the ten, twenty other commandments, but said that “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”(Matthew 22:40). These are the most important commandments, the fulfillment of which is the meaning and purpose of Christian life. And getting rid of passions is also only a means, like prayer, worship and fasting. If getting rid of passions were the goal of a Christian, then we would not be far from Buddhists, who also seek dispassion - nirvana.

It is impossible for a person to fulfill the two main commandments while passions dominate over him. A person subject to passions and sins loves himself and his passion. How can a vain, proud person love God and his neighbors? And the one who is in despondency, anger, serving the love of money? The questions are rhetorical.

Serving passions and sin does not allow a Christian to fulfill the most important, key commandment of the New Testament - the commandment of love.

Passions and suffering

From the Church Slavonic language the word “passion” is translated as “suffering”. Hence, for example, the word “passion-bearer,” that is, one who endures suffering and torment. And indeed, nothing torments people more: neither illnesses nor anything else, than their own passions, deep-rooted sins.

First, passions serve to satisfy the sinful needs of people, and then people themselves begin to serve them: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34).

Of course, in every passion there is an element of sinful pleasure for a person, but, nevertheless, passions torment, torment and enslave the sinner.

The most striking examples of passionate addiction are alcoholism and drug addiction. The need for alcohol or drugs not only enslaves a person’s soul, but alcohol and drugs become a necessary component of his metabolism, part of the biochemical processes in his body. Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a spiritual-physical addiction. And it needs to be treated in two ways, that is, by treating both the soul and the body. But at the core is sin, passion. An alcoholic or drug addict's family falls apart, he is kicked out of work, he loses friends, but he sacrifices all this to passion. A person addicted to alcohol or drugs is ready to commit any crime to satisfy his passion. No wonder 90% of crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol and drugs. That's how strong the demon of drunkenness is!

Other passions can enslave the soul no less. But with alcoholism and drug addiction, the enslavement of the soul is further intensified by bodily dependence.

People who are far from the Church and from spiritual life often see only prohibitions in Christianity. They say they came up with some taboos and restrictions to make life more difficult for people. But in Orthodoxy there is nothing accidental or superfluous; everything is very harmonious and natural. The spiritual world, as well as the physical world, has its own laws, which, like the laws of nature, cannot be violated, otherwise it will lead to damage and even disaster.

Some of these laws are expressed in commandments that protect us from harm. Commandments and moral instructions can be compared to signs warning of danger: “Caution, high voltage!”, “Don’t get involved, it will kill you!”, “Stop! Radiation contamination zone" and the like, or with inscriptions on containers with toxic liquids: "Poisonous", "Toxic" and so on.

We, of course, are given freedom of choice, but if we do not pay attention to the alarming signs, then we will only have to take offense at ourselves. Sin is a violation of very subtle and strict laws of spiritual nature, and it causes harm, first of all, to the sinner himself. And in the case of passions, the harm from sin increases many times over, because sin becomes permanent and takes on the character of a chronic disease.

The word "passion" has two meanings.

Firstly, as the Monk John of the Climacus says, “passion is the name given to the very vice that has been embedded in the soul for a long time and through habit has become, as it were, a natural property of it, so that the soul already voluntarily and by itself strives towards it” (Ladder. 15: 75). That is, passion is already something more than sin, it is sinful dependence, slavery to a certain type of vice.

Secondly, the word “passion” is a name that unites a whole group of sins. For example, in the book “The Eight Main Passions with Their Divisions and Branches,” compiled by St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), eight passions are listed, and after each there is a whole list of sins united by this passion. For example, anger: hot temper, acceptance of angry thoughts, dreams of anger and revenge, indignation of the heart with rage, darkening of his mind, incessant shouting, arguing, swear words, stress, pushing, murder, memory malice, hatred, enmity, revenge, slander, condemnation, indignation and resentment of one's neighbor .

Most holy fathers speak of eight passions:

1. gluttony,
2. fornication,
3. love of money,
4. anger,
5. sadness,
6. despondency,
7. vanity,
8. pride.

Some, speaking about passions, combine sadness and despondency. Actually it's a few different passions, but this will be discussed below.

Sometimes the eight passions are called mortal sins . Passions have this name because they can (if they completely take over a person) disrupt spiritual life, deprive them of salvation and lead to eternal death. According to the holy fathers, behind every passion there is a certain demon, dependence on which makes a person captive to a certain vice. This teaching is rooted in the Gospel: “When the unclean spirit leaves a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and not finding it, he says: I will return to my house from whence I came, and when he comes, he finds it swept and tidied up; then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and live there, and the last thing for that person is worse than the first” (Luke 11: 24-26).

Western theologians, for example Thomas Aquinas, usually write about the seven passions. In the West, in general, the number “seven” is given special significance.

Passions are a perversion of natural human properties and needs. In human nature there is a need for food and drink, a desire for procreation. Anger can be righteous (for example, towards enemies of faith and the Fatherland), or it can lead to murder. Thrift can degenerate into love of money. We mourn the loss of loved ones, but this should not develop into despair. Purposefulness and perseverance should not lead to pride.

One Western theologian gives a very successful example. He compares passion to a dog. It’s very good when a dog sits on a chain and guards our house, but it’s a disaster when he climbs his paws onto the table and devours our lunch.

Saint John Cassian the Roman says that the passions are divided into sincere, that is, coming from mental inclinations, for example: anger, despondency, pride, etc. They feed the soul. AND bodily: they originate in the body and nourish the body. But since a person is spiritual and physical, passions destroy both soul and body.

The same saint writes that the first six passions seem to arise from one another, and “the excess of the previous one gives rise to the next one.” For example, from excessive gluttony comes prodigal passion. From fornication - love of money, from love of money - anger, from anger - sadness, from sadness - despondency. And each of them is treated by expelling the previous one. For example, to overcome fornication, you need to bind gluttony. To overcome sadness, you need to suppress anger, etc.

Vanity and pride are especially important. But they are also interconnected. Vanity gives rise to pride, and you need to fight pride by defeating vanity. The Holy Fathers say that some passions are committed by the body, but they all originate in the soul, come out of the heart of a person, as the Gospel tells us: “From the heart of a person come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy - this defiles a person "(Matthew 15: 18–20). The worst thing is that passions do not disappear with the death of the body. And the body, as the instrument with which a person most often commits sin, dies and disappears. And the inability to satisfy one’s passions is what will torment and burn a person after death.

And the holy fathers say that there passions will torment a person much more than on earth - without sleep and rest they will burn like fire. And not only bodily passions will torment people, not finding satisfaction, like fornication or drunkenness, but also spiritual ones: pride, vanity, anger; after all, there will also be no opportunity to satisfy them. And the main thing is that a person will also not be able to fight passions; this is possible only on earth, because earthly life is given for repentance and correction.

Truly, whatever and whom a person served in earthly life, he will be with in eternity. If he serves his passions and the devil, he will remain with them. For example, for a drug addict, hell will be an endless, never-ending “withdrawal”; for an alcoholic, it will be an eternal hangover, etc. But if a person served God and was with Him on earth, he can hope that he will be with Him there too.

Earthly life is given to us as preparation for eternity, and here on earth we decide what O What’s more important for us is that O constitutes the meaning and joy of our life - the satisfaction of passions or life with God. Paradise is a place of God’s special presence, an eternal sense of God, and God does not force anyone there.

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin gives one example - an analogy that allows us to understand this: “On the second day of Easter 1990, Bishop Alexander of Kostroma served the first service since the persecution in the Ipatiev Monastery. Until the last moment, it was unclear whether the service would take place - such was the resistance of museum workers...

When the Bishop entered the temple, the museum workers, led by the director, stood in the vestibule with angry faces, some with tears in their eyes: “The priests are desecrating the temple of art...” During procession I was holding a bowl of holy water. And suddenly the bishop says to me: “Let’s go to the museum, let’s go into their offices!” Let's go. The Bishop says loudly: “Christ is risen!” – and sprinkles the museum workers with holy water. In response - faces distorted with anger. Probably, in the same way, those who fight against God, having crossed the line of eternity, will themselves refuse to enter heaven - it will be unbearably bad for them there.”

We hope you enjoyed reading the article about mortal sins in Orthodoxy: a list in order and the commandments of God. Stay with us on the portal of communication and self-improvement and read other useful and interesting materials about this theme! The source of information for this article was taken from

Sin is a religious concept that implies a complete or partial, direct or indirect violation by a person of established taboos as a result of conscious actions, contrary to the norms of this religion. It is often understood as a violation of generally accepted ethical and moral norms of a given society.

IN Orthodox tradition sin is an act that harms a person’s soul. What is important, first of all, is not what kind of sins there are, but eternal posthumous condemnation and the torment of hell for those who sincerely do not repent of their deeds.

What sins do people have in Orthodoxy?

What are the sins in Orthodoxy? There are various classifications. The most common is the following.

• Sins against one's own personality. Excessive narcissism and narcissism are not encouraged. On the contrary, humility and obedience are recommended. This category also includes lies, envy and idle talk, laziness, persistent resentment and ostentatious good behavior, excessive concentration on physical health to the detriment of the spiritual. Also - the use of alcoholic beverages and drugs, gambling, passion for erotica and pornography, cheating on a spouse, sex outside of marriage (church) and any thoughts on this matter.

• Sins against other people. Hatred of neighbors, inability to sincerely forgive and forget grievances, unwillingness to give up revenge. The same category includes disrespectful attitude towards parents and other older people, failure to fulfill promises and failure to repay borrowed money on time. This is also advice that pushes others to sinful acts (for example, abortion) and corruption, theft, refusal to help when it is possible to provide it, irresponsible attitude towards one’s work and the fruits of other people’s labor. Also – refusal of parental responsibilities, neglect of raising children, slander and spreading slander and even just gossip, ridicule behind one’s back and hypocrisy in one’s face.
• Sins against God. First of all, non-compliance with his will, expressed in the biblical commandments and canonical texts. Also – lack of faith, lack of gratitude, feigned religiosity, susceptibility to superstition. These also include frequent mention of God without a worthy reason, blasphemy, dissatisfaction with the hardships and trials experienced in life, insincere prayers and irregular visits to temples, and suicidal thoughts.

Deadly sins

What are the mortal sins? They were formulated almost one and a half thousand years ago. What they have in common is that whoever commits any of them forever loses his immortal soul, which perishes. Without repentance there is no way to salvation.

1. Pride. It all starts with ascribing to oneself fictitious virtues that elevate oneself above others. Then communication, acquaintance and all contacts with those who are considered unsuitable company due to low social status, insufficient intellectual development, and so on. Connections with friends and loved ones are severed. As a result, spiritual callousness leads to the inability to love.
2. Envy. The desire to have what others have.
3. Gluttony. Remember that we eat to live, not live to eat. It is important to observe moderation in food. Uncontrolled gluttony and refusal of spiritual food for the sake of food lead to the death of the soul.
4. Fornication. This category includes promiscuity, any sexual perversion, betrayal of a spouse, and extramarital affairs. And not only in deeds, but also in thoughts.
5. Greed. Besides money and things, there are much more important things in life. For a person who values ​​material well-being and the pathological desire to possess certain things above all else, the path to salvation is closed by definition.
6. Anger. There is, of course, just anger, the object of which is everything sinful and ungodly. But the dangerous one is that directed against others, expressed in obscene insults, abuse, and assault.
7. Dejection. Frequent complaints about life's hardships and difficulties, general pessimism, concentration on failures that have occurred and failed plans.

Video on the topic of the article

Question: “I have a question related to the previous program, when you, Father Dimitri, spoke about children’s consciousness. And again I touch on the accuracy of the rituals: You talked about fasting. But our situation is a little different: the new priest, who now serves in our church, is very strict about kneeling during Divine Liturgy on weekends. Please tell me, are these things really very important to observe, or can we be more tolerant about this and kneeling on weekends is not such a big sin? Thanks a lot. Sorry for the stupid question."

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov answers:
– I’m happy that you think this question is stupid. That's who he is. There is a rule in church that we do not kneel on Sunday. The priests bow before the Throne of God.

Personally, I only do half of all the required bows because my bones hurt. I have a choice: either stay home and lie down, or go to church, but do only half of what I’m supposed to do. Now call me a person who will tell me that I am doing wrong and that it would be better for you to stay at home and lie down than to come to the temple and do only half of what is required.

But priests are different. There are priests who are very smart, and there are others who are stupid. There are young priests - they can bow as much as they want, but there are already old pensioners - they can do much less. There are young zealous priests who want to force everyone and everything, because they think that this is the most important thing about Christianity. But be patient a little. 20 years will pass - your father will soften up. He still can’t force you.

- Father, but here, as I understand it, the question is a little different. On the contrary, the priest does not bless bows on weekends, but the person wants to do these bows.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov:
- If he wants, let him do it. Well, let the priest scold him - he won’t beat you. And he will not be kicked out of the temple.

Archpriest Alexander Berezovsky:
- They might kick you out...

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov:
- Kick you out? This means writing to the dean: “Your Reverence, the priest Father Peter kicked me out because I bowed to the ground in the church.” He will call and say: “What are you doing, brother? Completely crazy, or what?”

I don’t understand what the fuss is about here? Well, if a person wants to, well, let him do it! Or then this: let the priest himself do everything that is required and not do what is not required. Priests too - they do something, don’t do something, forgive themselves for something.

Archpriest Alexander Berezovsky:
- They forgive a lot...

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov:
- Well, can’t the poor woman be forgiven? She had a repentant feeling and wanted to bow. What, kill her now? Or expel you from the temple?

We must go further, because the rule about bowing is a church tradition, but still not the Gospel! Previously, in our church, men stood on the left, women on the right. And now? Imagine if all the women are in one pile, and the men are on the other side - two people stand. So there are some traditions that are ridiculous to even perform.

I once visited a temple in the north. Men are only in the altar, and the temple is quite large. Well, not a single man. So how is it? Should women now stand along the axis in one direction - let them crowd together, and on the other side - no one? But standing like this is a rule that has been hallowed for centuries! Men are on the one hand, women are on the other. So what now?
What is Christianity about when to bow? Or – where to stand? Or how to join the legs of Christ the Savior on a crucifixion? Is this what Christianity is about?

Translated from Greek the word "sin" means "miss, miss the target". Man was created in the image and likeness of God. His goal should be the desire for spiritual insight, for union with the Highest, eternal and unchanging. Only this brings true pleasure. But often, people put in first place things that are transitory, perishable, which is considered a sin.

Initially, a person has freedom. Sometimes he chooses life without God, and then he falls away from Him, withdrawing into his corruptible nature. Instead of searching for truth, he seeks pleasure in the world, tries to satisfy his sensual desires. He thinks this will make him happy. But the joy from everything transitory is fleeting. People become slaves to their sensual aspirations, but are never completely satisfied. Sin eats away at their souls, and they move further and further away from God, living in discord with their true nature.

What is a mortal sin?

called "mortals". The concept of sins “to death” and “not to death” was first mentioned in the Bible by John the Theologian. Mortal sins cause irreparable harm to the soul and lead to its death. Committing such offenses completely destroys the connection between God and man. It can only be restored through repentance.

The clergy emphasize that the division of sins according to this principle is conditional. Any wrongdoing alienates a person from God, no matter how insignificant it may seem. It's like dividing diseases into mild and severe. People treat minor illnesses with disdain, carrying them on their feet. However, even a small cold with this attitude can lead to serious complications and lead to death. Likewise, ordinary sins, when accumulated, can destroy the soul.

Since ancient times, clergy have tried to create a classification of mortal sins in Orthodoxy. Their list included many serious sins such as murder, suicide, theft, insulting God, abortion, turning to dark forces, lies, etc.

The first attempts to unite all mortal sins into several groups were made by Cyprian of Carthage in the 3rd century AD. e. In the 5th century, Evagrius of Pontus wrote a whole teaching in which he listed the eight main sins that underlie all the others. Subsequently, their number was reduced to seven.

Seven is a sacred number in Orthodoxy. God created the Universe in seven days. The Bible consists of 70 books. In them, the number “seven” is mentioned exactly 700 times. There are seven sacraments through which Divine power is transmitted to believers. So the mortal sins that separate us from God have been conditionally divided into seven groups.

Let us list the sins included in the generally accepted list:

It seems to many that depression is just an innocent human weakness. However, the Church warns against such erroneous judgments. Despondency leads loss of strength, laziness, indifference to other people. Instead of trying to change something, a person despairs, stops hoping for a better outcome and exists in discord with his soul. As a result, he loses faith in God and his mercy.

• Envy

This feeling is based on an inferiority complex and disbelief in the Creator’s plan. It seems to us that God has given others more material goods, power, virtues, beauty, etc. At the same time, we feel disadvantaged, forgetting that everyone is given according to their needs. Instead of improving and honestly achieving what they want, people lose joy in life and begin to grumble at God. Envy leads to the most serious offenses in the form of murder, theft, and betrayal.

No less terrible is the anger that often engulfs self-loving people. A person becomes hot-tempered and irritable if someone contradicts him or acts contrary to his wishes. In the most severe cases anger can lead to murder or violence. In milder cases, it destroys relationships with loved ones and becomes the cause of conflicts, disputes, and misunderstandings. The main damage is caused to the soul, which is corroded from within by resentment and the desire for revenge.

• Gluttony

Understands overeating, as well as drinking alcohol, drugs, smoking cigarettes for pleasure. People susceptible to this vice value sensual pleasures more than spiritual ones. Excessive food bad habits destroy their body, lead to illness, dull the mind. It was gluttony that destroyed Adam and Eve, and through them, the entire human race. If you have overcome this addiction, then the fight against other sins is much easier.

Church blesses intimate relationships men and women legally married. They put love, spiritual unity and mutual responsibility in the first place. However, adultery, sexual relations outside of marriage, dissolute living, lewd thoughts, reading lewd books or watching related videos considered a mortal sin. Those who surrender to him are distrustful of opposite sex. Such behavior defiles the soul, since receiving bodily pleasure is put at the forefront of everything. This sin is close in essence to the previous one - in both cases a person is not able to curb his carnal desires.

• Greed

The desire to take more benefits for yourself inherent in a person from birth. Children fight over toys, adults chase cars, houses, career advancement, a rich spouse. Greed drives people to steal, kill, deceive, and extort. The reason for this behavior is spiritual emptiness. Without feeling unity with God, a person feels like a beggar. He tries to compensate for this by possessing material wealth, but fails every time. Not understanding what the matter is, he tries to get even more wealth, thereby moving further and further away from the Creator.

It was this sin that Satan was subject to. At the heart of pride lies t excessive attention to one’s own person, desire for superiority. Pride pushes us to lies, hypocrisy, the desire to teach others, irritability, anger if someone has disrespected us. Considering himself superior to others, a person spoils relationships with others and treats them with disdain. By valuing himself above God, he also rejects God.

Redemption

Human nature is imperfect. Every day we commit sins, big or small, in thoughts or actions. Therefore, it becomes relevant to know how atone for your sins.

There are three erroneous methods that ignorant people resort to:

It is important to understand: we cannot atone for our sins. But we can receive forgiveness through the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ, having lived his earthly life and accepted death on Calvary, gave his soul to atone for our sins. He founded the Church with its Sacraments, through which liberation is granted. One of these Sacraments is confession. Every person can come to Church and repent of their sins.

- This is the reconciliation of man with God. The sacrament takes place in the presence of a witness - a priest. Many churchgoing people are confused by this fact. Of course, it is easier to repent to God without witnesses. But this is exactly what Jesus Christ decreed, and we must come to terms with his will. By submitting, we fight the most serious sin - our pride.

It is not the priest who grants us absolution, but God through him. The clergyman in this sacrament acts as a mediator who sympathizes with us and prays for us.

Preparing for Confession

Let's consider how to properly prepare for repentance

• You need to start by realizing your sins. Churches often publish special lists of sins to help repentant people. They must be treated with caution. Confession should not be a formal reading of excerpts from such a list. You should listen more to your conscience.
• Talk only about your sins, do not try to justify them, do not compare them with the misdeeds of other people.
• There is no need to be shy and look for special words. The priest will understand and will not judge.
• Start confession with the main sins. Some people prefer to talk about small things like watching TV or sewing on Sunday, but keep silent about serious things.
• You should not wait for the day of confession to renounce sin.
• In order for God to forgive us, we ourselves must forgive the offenders and apologize to those whom we have harmed.

Sometimes during confession the priest appoints. This could be reading prayers, doing charitable deeds, prostrations, abstaining from communion. Penance should not be confused with punishment. It is prescribed so that the believer fully understands his sin or overcomes it through spiritual exercises. Penance is imposed for a certain time.

Confession ends with a prayer of permission, read by the clergyman. After the Sacrament of Repentance, a burden falls from the soul, it is freed from impurities. You can ask the priest for a blessing for communion.

Communion- This religious rite, during which we commune with God through eating bread and wine. The bread symbolizes the flesh, and the wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ. By sacrificing himself, he thereby restored the fallen nature of man. Through the Sacrament of Communion we unite with the Creator, we gain our original unity with Him, which existed before the expulsion of people from paradise.

It is important to understand that a person cannot cope with his sinful nature on his own. But he can do it with God's help. It is necessary to ask for this help, because God has endowed man with free will. He will not interfere in our lives arbitrarily. By sincerely confessing our sins, striving to live according to the covenants of Christ, and reverently communing with the Highest through the Sacrament of Communion, we gain salvation and begin to live in harmony with our own soul.

QUESTION: In the summer I often have to go somewhere for the weekend without being able to participate in Holy Mass. Is this a grave sin?

ANSWER: the order to participate in Holy Mass on Sundays and holidays is strict, that is, its failure to comply – grave sin, without which it is impossible to proceed to Holy Communion in the future.

Repeatedly mentioning the duty of the faithful to attend Mass on Sundays and prescribed holidays, the Catechism Catholic Church states: “The faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on prescribed feast days, unless they are exempted from this obligation for a serious reason (for example, illness or caring for infant) or if their priest has not discharged their obligation” (CCC 2181). It goes on to say, “Those who knowingly fail to fulfill this obligation commit a grave sin.”

In Christianity, honoring Sunday and prescribed holidays has always been considered one of the main needs of Christian life. Sunday Liturgy- this is participation in the life of the community and evidence of faith in the risen Lord.

St. Ignatius of Antioch, who lived in the second century, wrote: “Whoever does not appear in (the church meeting) has been overcome by pride and has already condemned himself.”

The local Council of Elvira, held in the 4th century, stated: “Whoever lives in the city and does not come to Church for three Sundays should be excommunicated for some time, so that the censure is noticeable” (canon 21 of the Council of Elvira).

The same is prescribed by the rules of the Sardician and Agde Councils (in the 4th and 6th centuries, respectively).

In one of his messages dedicated to Sunday - “Dies domini” - Pope John Paul II wrote: “These decrees of local Councils led to a widespread custom, the obligatory nature of which was perceived as something completely natural (...) This legal provision was usually understood as imposing very serious duty: this is the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church – and it is not difficult to understand why, if we consider how vital Sunday is for the Christian life” (47).

Of course, it cannot be said that the author’s violation of the commandment to honor Sunday is explained by contempt for the instructions of the Church or laziness. However, this is a sign that the Lord is not in the first place in life, that we do not love Him with all our hearts and with all our strength.

We are talking about revising the scale of values.

Let us take as an example our almost contemporary – Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. He was passionate about hiking in the mountains. We read in one of his letters: “Every day that passes, I passionately fall in love with the mountains, they fascinate me”; “I would like to spend whole days in the mountains, contemplating the greatness of the Creator in their pure air.” Pier Giorgio Frassati's love for the mountains is truly colossal. But if hiking in the mountains did not guarantee him the opportunity to participate in Holy Mass, he refused these walks. Communion of the Lord Jesus Christ was his vital need; he could not live without it.

If possible, it would be wonderful to combine Sunday walks and hikes with Holy Mass. Of course, not everyone has such an opportunity and not always. But a person for whom the love of God truly comes first will find a way to spend the weekend so as not to deprive himself of the Eucharist.

Note that the author of the question is talking about “weekends”, and not about Sunday. There is a big difference between these two concepts. “Weekends” are days free from work and study, intended for rest and strengthening. Sunday is the Lord's day, sanctified by Himself and dedicated to Him. This should be the guideline for the life of a Christian.

Our desire to spend more time with our family, to devote it to our neighbors, can in no way contradict the main meaning of the Lord's Day. Of course, there are situations when our loved ones do not share our faith and do not participate with us in the Eucharist. Each case is purely individual, but God’s love is worth certain sacrifices. On the contrary, our participation in Sunday Mass, our communion of the mysteries of Christ will transform not only us, but also our relationships with those closest to us, even if they do not fully or do not share our faith at all.

In the end, you can organize family holiday so as to be able to participate in Holy Mass on Saturday evening or Sunday evening - at the end of the two-day weekend.

To summarize, it must be noted once again that when a Catholic does not participate in the Holy Mass on Sundays and prescribed holidays, he commits a grave sin. If we go away for the weekend, knowing that this will interfere with participation in the Eucharist, this sin is committed deliberately. It must be confessed, and having it in your soul, you cannot begin Communion. Of course, there are times when we plan to participate in Sunday Mass in a holiday destination, but contrary to our expectations, it turns out that such an opportunity is not there. In that case, although we're talking about about serious matters, we are not responsible for breaking the commandment and can proceed to Holy Communion at the next Mass.