Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that covetousness is always a mortal sin. For no one is worthy of death save for a mortal sin. But men are worthy of death on account of covetousness. For the Apostle after saying (Rm. 1:29): "Being filled with all iniquity . . . fornication, covetousness ," etc. adds (Rm. 1:32): "They who do such things are worthy of death." Therefore covetousness is a mortal sin.

Objection 2: Further, the least degree of covetousness is to hold to one's own inordinately. But this seemingly is a mortal sin: for Basil says (Serm. super. Luc. xii, 18): "It is the hungry man's bread that thou keepest back, the naked man's cloak that thou hoardest, the needy man's money that thou possessest, hence thou despoilest as many as thou mightest succor."

Now it is a mortal sin to do an injustice to another, since it is contrary to the love of our neighbor. Much more therefore is all covetousness a mortal sin.

Objection 3: Further, no one is struck with spiritual blindness save through a mortal sin, for this deprives a man of the light of grace. But, according to Chrysostom , "Lust for money brings darkness on the soul." Therefore covetousness, which is lust for money, is a mortal sin.

On the contrary, A gloss on 1 Cor. 3:12, "If any man build upon this foundation," says (cf. St. Augustine, De Fide et Oper. xvi) that "he builds wood, hay, stubble, who thinks in the things of the world, how he may please the world," which pertains to the sin of covetousness. Now he that builds wood, hay, stubble, sins not mortally but venially, for it is said of him that "he shall be saved, yet so as by fire." Therefore covetousness is some times a venial sin.

I answer that, As stated above (Article 3) covetousness is twofold. In one way it is opposed to justice, and thus it is a mortal sin in respect of its genus. For in this sense covetousness consists in the unjust taking or retaining of another's property, and this belongs to theft or robbery, which are mortal sins, as stated above (Question 66, Articles 6,8). Yet venial sin may occur in this kind of covetousness by reason of imperfection of the act, as stated above (Question 66, Article 6, ad 3), when we were treating of theft.

In another way covetousness may be take as opposed to liberality: in which sense it denotes inordinate love of riches. Accordingly if the love of riches becomes so great as to be preferred to charity, in such wise that a man, through love of riches, fear not to act counter to the love of God and his neighbor, covetousness will then be a mortal sin. If, on the other hand, the inordinate nature of his love stops short of this, so that although he love riches too much, yet he does not prefer the love of them to the love of God, and is unwilling for the sake of riches to do anything in opposition to God or his neighbor, then covetousness is a venial sin.

Reply to Objection 1: Covetousness is numbered together with mortal sins, by reason of the aspect under which it is a mortal sin.

Reply to Objection 2: Basil is speaking of a case wherein a man is bound by a legal debt to give of his goods to the poor, either through fear of their want or on account of his having too much.

Reply to Objection 3: Lust for riches, properly speaking, brings darkness on the soul, when it puts out the light of charity, by preferring the love of riches to the love of God.

Articulus 4

Argumentum 1

Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod avaritia semper sit peccatum mortale. Nullus enim est dignus morte nisi pro peccato mortali. Sed propter avaritiam homines digni sunt morte, cum enim apostolus, ad Rom. I, praemisisset, repletos omni iniquitate, fornicatione, avaritia, subdit, qui talia agunt digni sunt morte.

Ergo avaritia est peccatum mortale.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, minimum in avaritia est quod aliquis inordinate retineat sua. Sed hoc videtur esse peccatum mortale, dicit enim basilius, est panis famelici quem tu tenes, nudi tunica quam conservas, indigentis argentum quod possides. Quocirca tot iniuriaris quot exhibere valeres.

Sed iniuriari alteri est peccatum mortale, quia contrariatur dilectioni proximi.

Ergo multo magis omnis alia avaritia est peccatum mortale.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, nullus excaecatur spirituali caecitate nisi per peccatum mortale, quod animam privat lumine gratiae. Sed secundum chrysostomum, tenebra animae est pecuniarum cupido.

Ergo avaritia, quae est pecuniarum cupido, est peccatum mortale.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod I ad Cor. III, super illud, si quis aedificaverit super hoc fundamentum etc., dicit Glossa quod lignum, faenum et stipulam superaedificat ille qui cogitat quae mundi sunt, quomodo placeat mundo, quod pertinet ad peccatum avaritiae.

Ille autem qui aedificat lignum, faenum et stipulam, non peccat mortaliter, sed venialiter, de eo enim dicitur quod salvus erit sic quasi per ignem.

Ergo avaritia quandoque est peccatum veniale.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, avaritia dupliciter dicitur. Uno modo, secundum quod opponitur iustitiae. Et hoc modo ex genere suo est peccatum mortale, sic enim ad avaritiam pertinet quod aliquis iniuste accipiat vel retineat res alienas, quod pertinet ad rapinam vel furtum, quae sunt peccata mortalia, ut supra habitum est.

Contingit tamen in hoc genere avaritiae aliquid esse peccatum veniale propter imperfectionem actus, sicut supra dictum est, cum de furto ageretur.

Alio modo potest accipi avaritia secundum quod opponitur liberalitati. Et secundum hoc, importat inordinatum amorem divitiarum. Si ergo intantum amor divitiarum crescat quod praeferatur caritati, ut scilicet propter amorem divitiarum aliquis non vereatur facere contra amorem dei et proximi, sic avaritia erit peccatum mortale. Si autem inordinatio amoris infra hoc sistat, ut scilicet homo, quamvis superflue divitias amet, non tamen praefert earum amorem amori divino, ut scilicet propter divitias non velit aliquid facere contra deum et proximum, sic avaritia est peccatum veniale.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod avaritia connumeratur peccatis mortalibus secundum illam rationem qua est peccatum mortale.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod basilius loquitur in illo casu in quo aliquis tenetur ex debito legali bona sua pauperibus erogare, vel propter periculum necessitatis, vel etiam propter superfluitatem habitorum.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod cupido divitiarum obtenebrat animam proprie quando excludit lumen caritatis, praeferendo amorem divitiarum amori divino.