250
CHICAGO STUDIES
tinuous and dynamic growth process rather than a series of fragmented observances and avoidances. The moral-spiritual life is a gradual unfolding (or drying up) of our personal beings as Christians. The Holy Spirit within us is inviting to a progressive deepening, stabilizing, rendering more facile and dominant of our charity, building a growing likeness to the person of Christ, strengthening the biblical "adhere Deo."
23. What is the meaning of serious matter where mortal sin is concerned? Serious matter is tho! concrete human disorder likely to provoke an individual to the use of basic freedom in rejection of God. It is that peak moment in which a person can embody and seal a disintegrating relationship with the God of salvation. Whether an individual actually does sever his relationship with God (commit mortal sin), we generally cannot say with certainty. 24. Should we not distinguish three types of sin: mortal, serious, and venial? This is a matter of debate and discussion at present. Some theologians, using the very helpful analogy of a marriage relationship, argue that there are incidents or actions within marriage which are not slight, but" neither do they break up the marriage. They are serious but not deadly to the marriage. Similarly with the relationship to God. Others call attention to the fact that the basic difference between mortal and venial sin is the quality of liberty involved in the action {in the Arst instance, core or fundamental freedom; in the second slight or peripheral freedom). Thus if there are many degrees of peripheral freedom, some very slight, others quite serious and intense, and therefore if the term "venial" is not taken to be equivalent to "uniniportant," then the threefold distinction seems unnecessary. But the fact remains that many people understand the term "venial" to mean "not important." The threefold division of sin is a practical way of calling attention to the inaccuracy and great danger of such an equation. But it can lead to unnecessary confusion. 25. Traditionally it was said that there are three requirements for serious sin: serious maHer, full knowledge, full consent lthese last two could combine into sufficiently full liberty l . Does the notion of fundamental or core freedom add anything to, or modify that traditional presentation? Yes, in two ways. First, though most people would not respond with core freedom where the matter involved is not perceived to be serious, still it is possible (though probably quite rare) that a self-disposing option could occur in slight matter. Secondly, and more importantly, when tradi~onal theology and catechetics spoke of full freedom as required for the commission of mortal sin, it seems that this freedom was understood of