Ponticus (345-399). The purpose of this monk when creating a list of sins was to survey the main vices that get in the way of a routine aimed at spiritual exercise (asceticism).
Therefore, the seven deadly sins did not appear in the Bible, although they are all closely associated with biblical passages. On a careful reading of the Bible, references can be found to each of the seven sins, but nowhere will you find the name “seven sins” or anything like a list of the most serious vices that keep Christians from the grace of God. God.
According to Catholic doctrine, capital sins are the source of all vices. They are at the origin of all known sinful actions. Currently, the following capital sins are recognized: pride, avarice, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, and laziness.
But the list of deadly sins has varied over time. The first list, for example, had eight instead of seven sins, one of which is the addiction to sadness, which is no longer on the current list.
The original formulation by the monk Evagrius Ponticus gained official contours only in the 6th century when Pope Gregory I (540-604) wrote his list. It contained the following sins: envy, anger, avarice, gluttony, lust, sadness, and vainglory.
As can be seen, in Gregory's list the sins are reduced to seven. Two sins that already appeared in the original list remain sadness and vainglory (vanity). The sin of laziness is excluded and envy is added, which continues to this day. Gregory's list is shorter because he decided to exclude pride, elevating it to the rank of "lord" of all sins.
The person responsible for presenting the list we know today is the Catholic friar Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). He reviewed the previous lists and presented the definitive list of the seven deadly sins:
Pride: excessive pride or vanity, pride is the main sin. It is the sin committed by Lucifer, who rebelled against God. Its opposite is humility.
Avarice: is the exaggerated attachment to money and material goods. Its opposite is generosity.
Envy: sadness for the achievements of others. Its opposite is charity, detachment. The first murder, narrated in the Old Testament, is provoked by the envy that Cain felt for Abel.
Anger: it is anger, fury, out of control, which can lead to violence. Its opposite is patience.
Lust: is the excessive pursuit of sexual pleasures. Its opposite is chastity.
Gluttony: is the exaggerated desire to eat and drink. Its opposite is moderation.
Laziness: unwillingness to engage in activities (physical or mental) that require effort. The opposite of laziness is action, effort. Thomas Aquinas used the term acedia (type of sadness, apathy, boredom, torpor). But over time the use of the term laziness prevailed.
The word “capital” comes from the Latin term caput, which means “head”. This means that the deadly sins are the leaders, the heads of all sinful actions. They are at the origin of all faults. That is why it is said that the seven sins are not concrete actions, but human tendencies to vice.
So a person can murder out of anger. Envy can be behind acts of cruelty and cheating. Manifestations of selfishness and lack of charity are the fruit of avarice.
All human defects, from the Christian point of view, are derived from each of the seven sins, which can be seen as tendencies towards addiction. These tendencies, in turn, have to do with the sinful nature of human beings, whose origin lies in the original sin committed by Adam and Eve. Like the fault committed by Adam and Eve in Paradise, all sin can be seen as a transgression of the divine will.
