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Ignorance Can Be A Mortal Sin


mortify

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Hi guys,

There is a basic list of prayers and creeds that every Catholic is responsible for knowing and that ignorance of them can constitute a mortal sin. Does anyone know what this list is? Ironically, by asking I may not know something that is required of myself but I'd rather know than not know. If I'm not mistaken the Apostles Creed is one of them, perhaps someone knows the others?

Thanks

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[quote]Ironically, by asking I may not know something that is required of myself but I'd rather know than not know.[/quote]

:hehe:

I have no idea, but this is a great line.

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HisChildForever

Where does the Church teach this? I find it hard to believe that not having a couple of prayer lines memorized sends a Catholic to Hell.

Edited by HisChildForever
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[quote name='HisChildForever' post='1657023' date='Sep 16 2008, 07:51 PM']Where does the Church teach this? I find it hard to believe that not having a couple of prayer lines memorized sends a Catholic to Hell.[/quote]

ya no kidding

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[quote]First it would have to be willful ignorance, and I have also never heard this.[/quote]

Exactly, it is WILLFUL ignorance that would be sinful.

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Well willful ignorance is basically always sinful... by nature. Invincible ignorance though, by its own nature... I can't imagine that being invincibly (sp?) ignorant of a prayer could possibly be a moral sin.

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I have never heard of any specific church decree on this, either.

Now that being said, I imagine there are prayers that we need to know directly associated with our ability to participate in the sacraments, i.e. the Creed and the Our Father that we say at mass, and the Act of Contrition that we say at confession. For us to not know them would presume one was not participating in the sacraments and that would constitute as a mortal sin.

If someone doesn't know them because they didn't learn them as a child then it would be a sin on the parents for not seeing that they are educated in the faith.

If someone doesn't know some of the basics because they can't be bothered and never recite them, it would be most likely that they aren't practicing Catholics, thus one should have concern for their souls.

But as far as documentation of a certain set of prayers required outside of the sacraments, I've never heard of that, though of course a lot of it seems like common sense and common Catholic practice. I would think that at the pearly gates God's going to look at the big picture and your intent rather than a technicality. :idontknow:

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[quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1657049' date='Sep 16 2008, 08:11 PM']I have never heard of any specific church decree on this, either.

Now that being said, I imagine there are prayers that we need to know directly associated with our ability to participate in the sacraments, i.e. the Creed and the Our Father that we say at mass, and the Act of Contrition that we say at confession. For us to not know them would presume one was not participating in the sacraments and that would constitute as a mortal sin.

If someone doesn't know them because they didn't learn them as a child then it would be a sin on the parents for not seeing that they are educated in the faith.

If someone doesn't know some of the basics because they can't be bothered and never recite them, it would be most likely that they aren't practicing Catholics, thus one should have concern for their souls.

But as far as documentation of a certain set of prayers required outside of the sacraments, I've never heard of that, though of course a lot of it seems like common sense and common Catholic practice. I would think that at the pearly gates God's going to look at the big picture and your intent rather than a technicality. :idontknow:[/quote]
Agreed.

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St. Alphonsus:

[b]“If you are ignorant of the truths of the faith, you are obliged to learn them. [color="#FF0000"]Every Christian is bound to learn the Creed, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary under pain of mortal sin[/color]. Many have no idea of the Most Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, mortal sin, Judgment, Paradise, Hell, or Eternity; and this deplorable ignorance damns them.” [/b]

(Michael Malone, The Apostolic Digest, p. 159.)


Fortunately I know all three :)

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princessgianna

[quote name='mortify' post='1657160' date='Sep 16 2008, 10:57 PM']St. Alphonsus:

[b]“If you are ignorant of the truths of the faith, you are obliged to learn them. [color="#FF0000"]Every Christian is bound to learn the Creed, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary under pain of mortal sin[/color]. Many have no idea of the Most Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, mortal sin, Judgment, Paradise, Hell, or Eternity; and this deplorable ignorance damns them.” [/b]

(Michael Malone, The Apostolic Digest, p. 159.)


Fortunately I know all three :)[/quote]

really the Hail Mary also?! :unsure: I personally like that prayer but i am little surprised on why that prayer because it is a Marian prayer! :think: nothing against our Holy Mother-just surprised! and if the Church :bishop: :bishop: :pope: :bishop: :bishop: says so then i am going to listen faithfully but i am curious as to why that is!

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St Alfonsus doesn't constitute the Church but I doubt he is the originator. I'm actually annoyed at myself because I know I read it somewhere but I just can't find it.

Anyway, my understanding is that we have a responsibility to learn the faith and although we don't have to to master theology we do have to acquire the basics. This includes understanding the fundamentals and knowing the most essential prayers. Even if I'm totally mistaken we should have a desire to know the faith.

If I find the source I'm looking for I'll post it.

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I don't think you're mistaken. A lot of what you are getting at does make sense. I think much of this is common sense, or at least it should be. I couldn't imagine an earnestly devout Catholic not knowing the basics and fundamentals of the faith, or at least a desire to do so. If someone really didn't know those things or care to learn about them, then I wouldn't be surprised if they were possibly in a state of mortal sin for other reasons as well and not practicing, or barely, like at best going to church sometimes for christmas out of cultural custom -- but not really believing in it.

The basic prayers and fundamentals I would think would be a requirement would involve anything that is needed to actively participate in the Sacraments. Because without sacramental participation, you're dead. :mellow:

All three prayers mentioned are in the mass here in the U.K. In the U.S. they don't have the Hail Mary, but in Britain they have it in the Prayers of the Faithful (they call it Bidding Prayers).

I really like the fact that they include it. :)

Edited by Ash Wednesday
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puellapaschalis

I learnt that the Hail Mary is added to the bidding prayers because of England's special status as Mary's Dowry.

Having said that, when my spiritual director offers Mass he whacks it right on in anyway :D

Fun titbit: did you know that Our Lady has the title "Hertogin van [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drenthe"]Drenthe[/url]"?
It means "Duchess of Drenthe" - Drenthe is a province in the Netherlands. Apparently there's also a place in Michigan with the same name.

I don't think ignorance of this is a mortal sin, but it's fun to not be ignorant of it, right? Right :)

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This is how one Catholic responded to my question,

[color="#0000FF"]"In my daily missal (1957) from Laverty & Sons, Leeds, UK - it says it would be a mortal sin for any Christian not to know the Pater, Ave, Gloria and Credo and their basic meanings in substance."[/color]

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