Summa Theologiae Moralis, vol. I: De Principiis

S. Th. II-II, q. 20.

829. Despair is the sin opposed to hope by defect. It is not the simple absence of hope, but is the act contrary to hope, by which one positively withdraws from beatitude and flees it, and so casts away hope of beatitude.

Despair is twofold:

1) Despair improperly so called, by which someone despises and loathes beatitude, because he judges it not good and not desirable. Thus he acts who despises the supernatural end; or who would wish to leave heaven to God, if he would leave the earth to him; or who seriously wishes to live forever in the world, precisely because he prefers this life to eternal life; — not however he who, speaking in this way, would simply show a great natural inclination to earthly things, or a fear of undergoing damnation.

2) Despair properly so called is that by which someone flees beatitude because he judges it impossible for him, or too difficult of attainment, or not future, e.g. because one thinks that God will deny pardon to a sinner, or will not give grace for conversion. But just as the act of hope is an act of the will which presupposes a judgment of the intellect by which beatitude is judged possible, so despair presupposes a prior judgment of the intellect by which one thinks he will not obtain beatitude; but that judgment leading to despair is not despair itself: for this is the act of the will which follows, by which we positively withdraw from beatitude.

830. Despair differs from infidelity. — Despair, although it is easily joined with infidelity, can nevertheless be had without it, inasmuch as someone, believing (by a speculative judgment) in the abstract and universal that beatitude or the remission of sins is possible, yet despairs of this or that, because he falsely judges (by a practical judgment) in this particular case or state that he is not to hope for pardon or beatitude, e.g. because he judges himself not to be predestined, or that beatitude is too difficult of attainment, or that God will not give him pardon. In the same way: he who fornicates, judges that fornication here and now is good for him, although in the universal he judges according to faith that it is evil.

831. Despair is a mortal sin of its whole genus: for it is always most injurious to God, to have beatitude as not good, or as not possible; — indeed it is a sin against the Holy Spirit, because through contempt of the divine omnipotence mercifully helping, it casts away hope, which is the special remedy against sin granted to us by the Holy Spirit. — Often however despair is venial on account of lack of deliberation, if it arises from impatience, sadness, melancholic complexion or scruples. — Hence:

1) It is a graver sin than those which are opposed to moral virtues. For since by theological virtues we are turned directly and principally to God, hence the sins directly opposed to them directly and principally involve aversion from God; and therefore they are graver than the sins opposed to moral virtues, which directly involve conversion to some created good, and only by a certain consequence aversion from God.

2) But infidelity and hatred of God are graver than despair, because they are opposed to the truth and goodness of God as they are in themselves; despair however is against God inasmuch as goodness is participated by us.

3) Nevertheless despair is more dangerous than these, because through hope we are recalled from evils and led to good; and therefore, hope being removed, men unrestrainedly fall into vices.

832. Causes of despair and remedies. — Despair improperly so called arises from lust: for from a great love of bodily pleasures, among which especially are venereal pleasures, it happens that a man loathes spiritual goods and does not hope for them as certain great goods. — Despair properly so called however arises from acedia or spiritual sadness, by which one judges it too difficult to live well, and flees the labors of good works.

Remedies some are against the causes of despair; concerning which S. Thomas, II-II, q. 35, a. 1, ad 4: "The attack on sin is sometimes by conquering and fleeing, sometimes by resisting: by fleeing, indeed, when the thought continuously increases the incentive to sin, as in lust..., by resisting however, when persevering thought removes the incentive to sin, which arises from some slight apprehension. And this happens in acedia, because the more we think of spiritual goods, the more pleasing they become to us; from which acedia ceases" (I Pet. I, 10; Rom. XII, 11, 12). — Other remedies are those which directly foster hope: firm faith in the mercy of God toward sinners (which shines forth greatly in the evangelical parables), consideration of the love and passion of Christ, meditation on the divine promises, examples of great sinners who escaped as saints, prayer and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to the B. V. M. who is called the salvation of the despairing.