Introduction

Our generation has inherited undesirable reactions and behaviors with regards to suicide
that is still much part of our thinking of today. And, it is only as we begin to trace the historical
background that influences our thinking that we can begin to assess our attitudes and prejudices
on the condition of suicide and to those who are most closely affected by it.

In the first millennium, the Christian church‘s belief about suicide was deeply negative,
those who committed suicide were condemned to eternal torment in hell and were frequently
refused Christian burial. These attitudes were badly influential in informing both ecclesiastical
and civil attitudes, and legislation. In medieval times, courts were held to convict these suspected
suicidal and those who already dead, their bodies were hung upside down and their burials were
outside the consecrated ground. Moreover, goods and properties were confiscated which harks
back to the punishment to the left dependents.

Today, the powerful heritage of the historical realities is still part of our normal lives; we
still speak of committing suicide as a criminal offense therefore it must me coursed. In picking
words to say about the act of suicide, we often make a powerful and deeply hurtful statement
about those committed suicide. Also, we think that those who took their own were already
tormented in hell because we always thought that suicide is a mortal and unforgivable sin. With
that, suicide victims have no place in the holy ground and they have no right to receive a
Christian burial.

Given these present problems, how thus the Catholic Church of today give catechesis to
the people of God?

Here in this research study, the researcher make used of the combination of the scientific
view of suicide and the catholic teaching about mortal sin in order to explain and to interpret the
act of suicide, which nowadays become a controversial issue since well-known personalities
often get involve to it.

For the students, especially theology students may find this study helpful to them since it
will serve as their reference and guide in understanding and acting towards the case of suicide.
For the teachers and professors, especially theology professors and religion teachers, may find
this study useful to them since it will serve as their reference and guide in teaching about the
morality in the case of suicide and in their own self to have a deep understanding about the case
of suicide. Lastly, to all the people, may find this research study helpful and useful, for it will
serve as reference and guide in understanding, interpreting and acting towards the case of
suicide.

The researcher just want to emphasize that the realization in this study, does not make
suicide a right action but it does make us realize that the person may not be totally blamable and
responsible to his or her action. God knows what is in our depths of our soul; leave the judgment
to His hand.

Significance of the Study:

To the students, especially theology students that the study may serve as their reference
and guide in understanding and acting towards suicide cases. To the teachers and professors,
especially theology and religion teachers and professors that the study may serve as their
reference and guide in teachings about grave sin especially when it comes to the case of suicide.
To all, that the proposed study may serve as our reference and guide in understanding and acting
towards suicide cases.

Customarily

Rather

Occurrence catholic teaching

act
 Conclusion

In this research study the researcher made mention on the scientific view and the catholic

teaching with regard to suicide. Here the scientific studies gave definite assertion that people

who commit suicide has a mental illness. People ended thier life by killing themselves do not

think properly, their cognative ability are highly distracted and permeated by their mental

conditions which was usaully cause by misery, pain, stress, depression and hopelessness . In this

certain condition, people typically percieved suicide as the only means to get rid on that

condition. In fact, frequently, suicide is not just only percieved as the way out in this condition,

but it give them a great enticement to killing themselves rather than to solve the problem.

Also, the Catholic teaching clarifies that in order for a sin to be mortal and can cost

someones salvation , it must meet three conditions and lacking one of these conditions makes the

act not a mortal sin. First, mortal sin is a sin of seriuos or grave matter. Second, mortal sin is

committed with full knowledge of the sinner. It is to have an informed intellect to the matter.

Then, third, mortal sin is committed with deliberate consent of the sinner. It is to have give full

consent of the will.

So that, in the case of suicide, since people have distracted reasoning capacity, they do

not think properly and their brain are not functioning well.Therefore, the person doing the act are

not have fully consent of his will, the Catholic Cathechism states, the person responsibilty of

commiting suicide diminish becauses of the grave psychological disturbances in the person. So

the person is not anymore responsible for doing the action.

Therefore the reasercher conclude that since in the suicide incident, one of the three

conditions of determinating mortal sin is lacking therefore the reaseacher conclude that suicide is

a sin but not a mortal sin and most especially it is a pardonable sin.
 Kay Redfield Jamison. Night False Fast: Understanding Suicide. (USA: Ramon House

Inc., 1999)84.

Margaret Pabst Battin. Ethical Issues in Suicide. (USA: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1982) 6.

William Saunders, “The Sin of Suicide,” CERC-Catholic Education Resource Center,

http://www.catholicducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-sin-of-suicide.html (accessed January 22,
2015)
Mike Duran, “Suicide is Not the Unforgivable Sin,”http://mikeduran.com/2013/04/suicide-is -not-the-
forgivable-sin/(accessed January 22,2015).
“What is a Mortal Sin?,” http://www.saintaaquinas .com/mortal_sin.html (accessed

January 22, 2015). Coursed psychotology

Cursed forgivable further interfere squeal