How does Rome define mortal sins and venial sins?
Mortal sin is a thorough violation of God’s commandments with full knowledge and deliberation, and venial sin is either a slight infringement of the law or it may be in some cases a great violation of the law but rendered slight through want of knowledge, deliberation or freedom. Mortal sin, as the term indicates, merits eternal punishment. Venial sin is said to merit only temporal punishment in this world and in purgatory.
