peccatum veniale
Venial Sin
VEE-nee-ul
A lesser sin that wounds charity without destroying it — either because the matter is light, or because grave matter was done without full knowledge or consent.
pardonable sin
Venial sin does not break friendship with God, but it weakens it, disorders our affections and makes further sin easier. It is committed when the matter is not grave, or when it is grave but full knowledge or complete consent is lacking. Venial sins are forgiven by many means — acts of love, prayer, the Eucharist, works of mercy — and confessing them is not required but is strongly recommended by the Church. Left unchecked, the Catechism warns, deliberate venial sin disposes a person little by little to mortal sin.
Not to be confused with Mortal Sin.
Councils
Where the Church settled or debated this. Follow a council to read our article on it, or the decrees themselves.
- 1545–1563Council of Trentthe decrees
Sources checked 29 September 2026