Pride

A distinction should be made between 'capital sins' and 'mortal sins'. According to the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a capital sin is one that engenders other sins. As capital sins the Catechism then lists: pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia (Catechism 1994: 411-412). This is, of course, more or less the familiar list of the Latin and medieval tradition which is known under the name of SALIGIA (superbia, avaritia, luxuria, invidia, gula, ira, acedia). A mortal sin, on the other hand, is defined as a 'sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent' (Catechism 1994: 410). Back in the early Middle Ages, or even before that, such a distinction became confused through the introduction of the sacrament of penance. One had to confess one's sins at least once a year, and in order to find a convenient classification, the list of the seven (or originally eight) capital sins was used. However, if one commits the sin of, say, gluttony without full knowledge and deliberate consent, even if it may engender other sins or vices, it is not as such a mortal sin. But in popular parlance the distinction has been blurred so that a capital sin and a mortal sin mean one and the same. Being a Protestant myself, I prefer to speak of capital sins, because otherwise I would be lured into a discussion of whether some sins are mortal and some only venial. But in either case, whether we speak of capital sins or mortal sins, the list is headed by pride or superbia, because — as St. Augustine has stated — 'the cause of all the human vices is pride'. And so, here in my article, we have come to the root sin, the sin that causes all the other sins that have been discussed so far. But before I embark upon a treatment of pride or superbia, I would like to reflect on the reasons why the seven capital and/or mortal sins were chosen as the subject for the conference on which this issue is based. I take it that semioticians are not especially interested in or perhaps not even familiar with the ethical or moral discussions of today. However, that they should choose such a topic as the seven capital sins may been