According to Catholicism, a venial sin is a lesser sin that does not result in a complete separation from God and eternal damnation in Hell as an unrepented mortal sin would. A venial sin consists in acting as one should not, without the actual incompatibility with the state of grace that a mortal sin implies; they do not break one's friendship with God, but injure it.
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👉 Venial sin in the context of Sacrament of Penance
The sacrament of penance (also commonly called the reconciliation or confession) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church (known in Eastern Christianity as sacred mysteries). Through this sacrament, the faithful are absolved of sins committed after baptism and reconciled with the Christian community. During reconciliation, mortal sins must be confessed and venial sins may be confessed for devotional reasons. According to the dogma and unchanging practice of the church, only those ordained as priests may grant absolution.
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Venial sin in the context of Mortal sin
In Christian theology, a mortal sin (Latin: peccātum mortāle) is a gravely sinful act which can lead to damnation if a person does not repent of the sin before death. It is alternatively called deadly, grave, and serious; the concept of mortal sin is found in both Catholicism and Lutheranism. A sin is considered to be "mortal" when its quality is such that it leads to a separation of that person from God's saving grace. Three conditions must together be met for a sin to be mortal: "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent." The sin against the Holy Spirit and the sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance are considered especially serious. This type of sin is distinguished from a venial sin in that the latter simply leads to a weakening of a person's relationship with God. Despite its gravity, a person can repent of having committed a mortal sin. Such repentance is the primary requisite for forgiveness and absolution.
Teaching on absolution from sins is varied somewhat throughout Christian denominations. The teaching for Catholics on the sacrament of confession and the act of contrition for absolution was declared a mandatory catholic belief in the Council of Trent. Confession and Absolution is practiced in Lutheran churches, with it being historically held on Saturdays in preparation for Mass on the Lord's Day (Sunday).
Venial sin in the context of Catholic hamartiology
Catholic hamartiology is a branch of Catholic thought that studies sin. According to the Catholic Church, sin is an "utterance, deed, or desire", caused by concupiscence, that offends God, reason, truth, and conscience. The church believes sin is the greatest evil and has the worst consequences for the sinner (original sin and damnation), the world (human misery and environmental destruction), and the Catholic Church itself (Passion of Jesus and wounds to the church's unity). Based on the Bible, the Catholic Church distinguishes between two kinds of sins: mortal sin and venial sin. The Catholic Church also distinguishes between the state of being in original sin and the commission of actual sin.
Venial sin in the context of Actual sin
According to Western Christianity, actual sin, as distinguished from original sin, is an act contrary to the will and law of God whether by doing evil (sin of commission) or refraining from doing good (sin of omission). It can be either "mortal" or "venial".