peccatum originale
Original Sin
The fallen state every human being inherits from Adam's first sin — a deprivation of original holiness, not a personal fault — which Baptism washes away.
sin of origin
Adam and Eve were created in friendship with God and lost it by a free choice. Original sin is the name for the condition their descendants inherit: not a sin we commit, but a state we are born into, deprived of the original holiness and justice God intended, wounded in our nature and inclined to sin. The Catechism is careful to say it is “contracted” and not “committed,” a state and not an act. Baptism removes it and restores grace, though its effects, including the inclination to sin, remain.
Councils
Where the Church settled or debated this. Follow a council to read our article on it, or the decrees themselves.
- 418Council of CarthageActs 15
- 529Second Council of OrangeActs 15
- 1545–1563Council of Trentthe decrees
Sources checked 29 September 2026