Examination of Conscience by the Seven Deadly Sins

---

The seven deadly sins are not the worst things a person can do — they are the roots from which the worst things grow. The Church calls them the capital sins (from caput, “head”) because each one is the source of a whole family of further sins. Examining by the capital sins is the examination for depth: it surfaces the disposition of the heart behind the acts.

What the capital sins are

The Catechism lists the seven capital sins — pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia — and explains that they are called capital “because they engender other sins, other vices” (CCC 1866). They are dispositions, not single acts. Where the Ten Commandments examination asks what did I do, the capital sins ask what keeps pulling me there. Most people who examine themselves this way find one or two root sins behind a long list of specific failures.

Use it as a second lens. Walk the commandments first for thoroughness; then walk the seven below for depth, and notice which one keeps recurring — that is the sin to bring most deliberately to confession.

1. Pride

The root of them all — the disordered love of one’s own excellence that puts self where God should be.

• Have I been proud, vain, or self-centered? (CCC 2540)
• Have I doubted or denied a teaching of the faith because it humbled me? (CCC 2088)
• Have I judged others harshly or without charity? (CCC 2478)
• Have I been ungrateful, or shown contempt for legitimate authority? (CCC 2215, 2238)

2. Greed (avarice)

The disordered desire for and attachment to possessions and money.

• Have I been greedy or materialistic, placing too much importance on possessions? (CCC 2536)
• Have I put material things, career, or status ahead of God? (CCC 2113)
• Have I stolen anything, or been dishonest in money, taxes, or business? (CCC 2408–2409)
• Have I neglected to share my resources with those in need? (CCC 2447)

3. Lust

The disordered desire for sexual pleasure, sought outside its proper place in married love.

• Have I entertained impure thoughts or desires deliberately? (CCC 2528)
• Have I viewed pornographic or impure material? (CCC 2354 — grave matter)
• Have I engaged in sexual activity outside of marriage, or been unfaithful? (CCC 2353, 2380)
• Have I failed to guard my eyes, or been immodest in dress or behavior? (CCC 2520–2521)

4. Wrath (anger)

The disordered desire for revenge, and the refusal to forgive.

• Have I harbored hatred or resentment toward anyone? (CCC 2303)
• Have I refused to forgive someone who has wronged me? (CCC 2840)
• Have I lost my temper in a way that hurt others? (CCC 2302)
• Have I caused harm to another — physically, emotionally, or spiritually? (CCC 2284)

5. Envy

Sadness at another’s good — the sin that, unlike the others, offers no pleasure at all.

• Have I been envious of what others have — their possessions, gifts, or success? (CCC 2553)
• Have I rejoiced secretly at another’s misfortune, or resented their good fortune? (CCC 2539)
• Have I damaged someone’s reputation out of rivalry, through gossip or detraction? (CCC 2477)

6. Gluttony

The disordered indulgence in food, drink, or comfort.

• Have I overindulged in food, drink, or entertainment? (CCC 1866)
• Have I abused alcohol or other substances? (CCC 2290 — can be grave)
• Have I failed to observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence? (CCC 2043)

7. Sloth (acedia)

Not mere laziness but spiritual apathy — a sadness or sluggishness about the things of God that makes the soul neglect its duties.

• Have I neglected prayer for days at a time, or grown lukewarm and indifferent? (CCC 2094, 2098)
• Have I missed Mass on Sunday or a holy day without serious reason? (CCC 2181)
• Have I resisted an opportunity to grow in virtue, or neglected the works of mercy? (CCC 1810, 2447)
• Have I neglected duties to my family or to someone who needed my help? (CCC 2214, 1853)

When you have found your root sin, name it plainly in confession alongside the specific acts it produced. See how to prepare for confession and mortal vs. venial sin for what must be confessed.

Frequently asked

What are the seven deadly sins?

Pride, greed (avarice), lust, envy, gluttony, wrath (anger), and sloth (acedia). The Catechism calls them the capital sins because each one is the head or source of further sins and vices (CCC 1866).

Are the seven deadly sins always mortal sins?

No. The word 'deadly' refers to their role as sources of other sin, not to the gravity of every act. A particular act rooted in a capital sin may be venial or mortal depending on the matter, knowledge, and consent involved (see CCC 1857). The examination helps you find the root; the distinction between mortal and venial decides what must be confessed.

How is this different from the Ten Commandments examination?

The Ten Commandments examine your actions; the seven deadly sins examine your dispositions. Many spiritual directors recommend using both — the Decalogue for thoroughness and the capital sins for depth, especially when the same root sin keeps producing different failures.

Which of the seven is the worst?

Traditionally pride is considered the root of them all — the original sin of the angels and the disposition that puts self in the place of God. But the most dangerous for any given person is whichever one most quietly governs their life, which is exactly what this examination is meant to surface.

Continue: Examination of conscience · By the Ten Commandments · By the Beatitudes