The Catholic Church and Suicide

Depression and suicide come into the news periodically - particularly when a famous person ends his life.  A recent example was the late Robin Williams. 

These instances point us back to our own lives.  One fact I cannot get accustomed while in high school youth ministry is the staggering number of kids who have battled depression and suicide.  It seems to be everywhere.

I'm no expert on the psychology of suicide or depression, but perhaps there is one thing I can usefully shed some light on.  Today I wanted to examine what the Catholic Church teaches regarding suicide.


A Difference Among Sins:

“Sin” is what we call it when a person does what is evil in the sight of God.  But are all sins equal?

Plain common sense would tell us they are not.  Only a complete fool or a hardened ideologue would say a child lying about taking the last cookie is the same as a man committing rape and murder.

This obvious intuition is confirmed in the Bible.  For instance, Jesus says the following when talking to Pontius Pilate about the sin involved in sentencing Him to death:

"You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." - John 19:11

To that point, in Saint John’s first letter we are told of a distinction between two types of sins – designating one type as “mortal” sins:

“There is such a thing as mortal sin.  All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal”  - 1 John 5:16

Unfortunately, that is the only mention of this concept of “mortal sin”.  John doesn’t go on to say, “By the way, here is a full breakdown of what that entails for the sake of our 21st century audience.”  Rather, he is referring to something he taught orally to his original audience and expects them to remember.

For further explanation, one could plausibly appeal to the various vice-lists proposed by Saint Paul.  There are a few places in Scripture where  he gives his Christian audience lists of grave offenses against the moral law which, he says, will incur eternal separation from God. [1 Cor 6:9-10, Gal 5:19-21,  1Tim. 1:9-11].  Those would seem to fit the bill for a "mortal sin".

Still, a person may want a more clear teaching on the nature of mortal sin.  Into that gap steps the Catholic Church, which exists to preserve those types of handed-on teachings.  It proposes that a “mortal sin” is denoted by three aspects:

• Grave matter:  It is a particularly heinous sin, a flagrant offense against God's law.
• Sufficient knowledge:  The person knew this act was gravely wrong when he committed it.
• Consent:  The person was not compelled, but rather freely chose to commit the offense.

When these conditions are met, the result is a sin which, in the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“Destroys charity in the heart of man, turning him away from God” - CCC 1855

In other words, a mortal sin is a complete rupture in your relationship with God.  It is when you, by your own choosing, slam the door on God. 

Further, if a person dies having not repented of a mortal sin, he will receive the logical consequence of that action.  Namely, the eternal separation from God known as “hell”. [CCC 1033]

Among these sins which have “grave matter” is the illicit killing of a human being.  Suicide is a species of this. Regarding the gravity of suicide, the Catholic Catechism says:

“Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.”  - CCC 2281

Thus, it has often been reasoned that those who kill themselves commit a mortal sin and simultaneously deny themselves the chance to repent. 

If you have ever heard someone propose that suicide is an automatic ticket to Hell, that’s where the idea comes from.


The Unknowability of Culpability:

But that’s not the whole story.

When considering the fate of one who has taken his own life, the Church also directs our attention to the second two conditions necessary for a mortal sin.  It proposes that a person driven to suicide may be diminished in knowledge or consent.  The Catechism states: 

“Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or fear can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.” – CCC 2282

In other words, people who take their own life are often in a state of terrible distress.  A cut-and-dry example would be the people jumping to their deaths out of the World Trade Center buildings to escape the fires on 9/11.  They had no meaningful freedom in making that horrifying choice.

Similarly, a person who is in a severe state of depression is not able to reason in the way a healthy person would.  This might put him or her in a state of diminished knowledge and consent. 

None of this lessens the moral gravity of suicide, but what these factors do is diminish a person’s culpability for their actions.  That matters because God does not hold us accountable for that which we’re not responsible.  Further, only God can know who accountable any of us are for our sins.

Between the Bridge and the Water:

There is a story about Saint John Vianney in which a woman sought him out regarding her husband, who had recently jumped to his death. 

But the line to see the Saint was so long that she gave up on getting a chance to speak to him.  Suddenly the priest received a flash of divine insight regarding the woman’s plight.  He yelled out over the crowd, “He was saved!  Between the bridge and the water he repented!”

Herein lay another overlooked fact.  Whatever manner a person uses to kill himself, it takes some measure of time.  During that time, God can reach out to the person and inspire a genuine repentance.  With this in mind, the Catechism concludes:

“We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to Him alone, God can provide the opportunity for repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.” - CCC 2282