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Greetings All,

Is there a way the Byzantine and/or Eastern differentiate between mortal and venial sins as compare to the Latins?

Peace, Loretta

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Loretta:
[QB]Greetings All,

>>>Is there a way the Byzantine and/or Eastern differentiate between mortal and venial sins as compare to the Latins?<<<

The Eastern Churches tend not to follow a juridical approach to sin and repentence, and thus do not rank sins according to their seriousness, but according to cause and intent. Thus, in the liturgy, a common formula is to ask pardon for every sin, transgression and human frailty. A sin is a violation of the divine image within us through a purely volitional action, knowing that what we do is wrong. A transgression, on the other hand, is involuntary, committed either unknowingly or in ignorance. And human frailty are violations of the divine image caused by the inherently corrupted nature of man in this world (usually only monastics agonize about those). Our approach to sin and repentence therefore tends to be medicinal, with "pennances" given not as a way of expiating sin, but as a form of medicine taken to cure a sickness of the soul and to strengthen the soul against further infections.

Dear Loretta,

The East tends to see "sin" in terms of "sinfulness" whether or not we are actually guilty of particular sins.

The Jesus Prayer constantly refers to our inclination to sin as a result of the fall of our nature in Original Sin.

It was St. Silouan of Mt. Athos who taught that, until our repose, we ought always to ask for the oil of mercy to be poured on our sinful souls by way of healing as Stuart so magniloquently stated.

I used to worry about my sins and, as an altar-server, regularly appeared before my Confessor (in my vestments) with a long piece of paper . . .

The Eastern "healing" approach relaxed me however. I no longer commit sins that such anxiety tended to lead me into . . .

Alex