I have heard it said that suicide is an unpardonable mortal sin and that the consequence is eternity in hell. Although [my sister’s husband who committed suicide] was not a Catholic, he was a Christian and often accompanied my sister and their children to Mass on Sundays. He lost his way and was truly afflicted by mental illness. Is there hope for his salvation?
Yes. There is always hope! We have a loving and merciful God. So of course, there is always the possibility of salvation if we are open to it.
Further, there is no such thing as an unpardonable mortal sin. Jesus speaks of “blasphemy against the Spirit” as an unforgivable sin (Mt 12:31), but this is not referring to suicide, but probably refers to attributing the work of God to Satan or being completely closed to the Spirit (by whom we are forgiven). Any sin can be forgiven if we ask for it, even suicide. I truly believe God always gives us a chance to repent…but don’t try to take advantage of that. We should never put off repentance or presume a later chance.
Also, let’s not assume suicide is mortal sin. I truly doubt it is. The reason being, as you mentioned, is mental illness. To be a mortal sin, the Church is quite clear, the sin must meet three conditions: (1) The object is grave matter. (2) It is committed with full knowledge. (3) It is committed with deliberate and complete consent (CCC #1857). So, yes, suicide is grave matter; the taking of any life always is. But does the person fully understand what they are doing, and more so, are they freely choosing it? A person suffering mental illness, even if it seems as simple as depression, probably feels little or no choice in the matter. We can’t be held guilty of sin we don’t know we are committing or we aren’t free to chose or resist.
The mind is still very mysterious, even with our advances in psychology and science. Years ago, I guess people assumed that those who chose suicide fully understood and freely chose what they were doing, thus they assumed it was mortal sin. We know very well now how mental illness clouds our reasoning and greatly affects our freedom and judgment. God knows that far better than us and only holds us responsible for what we do know and what we freely choose. Trust in God’s love and mercy. “By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.” (CCC #2283)
-Fr. Greg
If you would like submit a question, please write it out and place it in the “Ask a Priest” box in the vestibule or email me at frgreg@kc.rr.com.
