Sloth and acedia

Is no longer caring a sin?

It can be, when the not caring is turned against God, but feeling nothing is not the same thing. The sin is acedia, or spiritual sloth, which “goes so far as to refuse the joy that comes from God and to be repelled by divine goodness”; the Catechism lists it among the sins against God’s love, beside indifference, ingratitude and lukewarmness. CCC 2094 It is one of the seven capital sins, called capital “because they engender other sins, other vices”. CCC 1866

The Catechism names it again as a temptation in prayer: “a form of depression due to lax ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart”. What it asks there is not a change of feeling: “Painful as discouragement is, it is the reverse of presumption. The humble are not surprised by their distress; it leads them to trust more, to hold fast in constancy.” CCC 2733

Dryness in prayer is something else. It comes “when the heart is separated from God, with no taste for thoughts, memories, and feelings, even spiritual ones”, and the Catechism calls it “the moment of sheer faith clinging faithfully to Jesus in his agony and in his tomb”. Where it comes from a lack of roots, “because the word has fallen on rocky soil”, the Catechism says the battle requires conversion. CCC 2731

Nor is every loss of interest a fault. And responsibility for any act “can be diminished or even nullified by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors”. CCC 1735

The land of Cockaigne, 1567

1866

Vices can be classified according to the virtues they oppose, or also be linked to the capital sins which Christian experience has distinguished, following St. John Cassian and St. Gregory the Great. They are called "capital" because they engender other sins, other vices. Cf. St. Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job, 31, 45: PL — Patrologia Latina (Migne)A. They are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia.

2094

One can sin against God's love in various ways: - indifference neglects or refuses to reflect on divine charity; it fails to consider its prevenient goodness and denies its power. - ingratitude fails or refuses to acknowledge divine charity and to return him love for love. - lukewarmness is hesitation or negligence in responding to divine love; it can imply refusal to give oneself over to the prompting of charity. - acedia or spiritual sloth goes so far as to refuse the joy that comes from God and to be repelled by divine goodness. - hatred of God comes from pride. It is contrary to love of God, whose goodness it denies, and whom it presumes to curse as the one who forbids sins and inflicts punishments.

2731

Another difficulty, especially for those who sincerely want to pray, is dryness. Dryness belongs to contemplative prayer when the heart is separated from God, with no taste for thoughts, memories, and feelings, even spiritual ones. This is the moment of sheer faith clinging faithfully to Jesus in his agony and in his tomb. "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if dies, it bears much fruit." Jn 12:24. If dryness is due to the lack of roots, because the word has fallen on rocky soil, the battle requires conversion. Cf. Lk 8:6, 13.

2733

Another temptation, to which presumption opens the gate, is acedia. the spiritual writers understand by this a form of depression due to lax ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart. "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Mt 26:41. The greater the height, the harder the fall. Painful as discouragement is, it is the reverse of presumption. the humble are not surprised by their distress; it leads them to trust more, to hold fast in constancy.

1735

Imputability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or even nullified by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors.

From the Catechism