Summa Theologica

ARTICLE III. — WHETHER IDOLATRY IS THE MOST GRIEVOUS OF SINS.

To the third it is proceeded thus. 1. It seems that idolatry is not the most grievous of sins. For the worst is opposed to the best, as is said (Ethic. lib. VIII, cap. 10, near the beginning). But the interior cult, which consists in faith, hope, and charity, is better than the exterior cult. Therefore, infidelity, despair, and hatred of God, which are opposed to the interior cult, are more grievous sins than idolatry, which is opposed to the exterior cult.

2. Furthermore, a sin is all the more grievous the more it is against God. But one seems to act more directly against God by blaspheming or by impugning the faith, than by exhibiting the cult of God to another, which pertains to idolatry. Therefore, blasphemy or the impugnation of the faith is a more grievous sin than idolatry.

3. Furthermore, lesser evils seem to be punished by greater evils. But the sin of idolatry was punished by the sin against nature, as is said (Rom. I). Therefore, the sin against nature is more grievous than the sin of idolatry.

4. Furthermore, Augustine says (Contra Faust. lib. XX, cap. 9, near the beginning): “We do not call you, namely the Manichaeans, pagans, or a schism of pagans, but that you have a certain similarity with them in that you worship many gods: but you are far worse than them in this, that they worship those things which are, but which ought not to be worshipped as gods; whereas you worship those things which are not at all.” Therefore, the vice of heretical depravity is more grievous than idolatry.

5. Furthermore, upon that (Galat. IV): How are you turning again to the weak and needy elements? the Gloss of Jerome (and of Peter Lombard in this place) says: “The observance of the Law, to which they were then devoted, was a sin almost equal to the servitude of idols, to which they had been given before their conversion.” Therefore, the sin of idolatry is not the most grievous.

But to the contrary is that which is said (Levit. XV), concerning the impurity of a woman suffering a flow of blood, the Gloss (ord. Hesich.) says: “Every sin is an impurity of the soul, but idolatry is so in the highest degree.”

CONCLUSION. — Although idolatry is in itself the most grievous sin, it can nevertheless happen, from the evil disposition of the sinner, that another sin is more grievous than idolatry.

I answer that it must be said that the gravity of a sin can be considered in two ways: in one way, on the part of the sin itself; and thus the sin of idolatry is the most grievous. For just as in an earthly republic it seems to be the most grievous thing that someone should bestow royal honor upon another than upon the true king, because, as much as in him lies, he disturbs the entire order of the republic; so in sins that are committed against God, which are nevertheless the greatest, it seems to be the most grievous that someone should bestow divine honor upon a creature; because, as much as in him lies, he makes another god in the world, diminishing the divine sovereignty. In another way, the gravity of a sin can be considered on the part of the sinner himself; just as it is said that the sin of him who sins knowingly is more grievous than that of him who sins ignorantly; and according to this, nothing prevents heretics, who knowingly corrupt the faith they have received, from sinning more grievously than idolaters who sin ignorantly; and similarly, some other sins can also be greater on account of the greater contempt of the sinner.

To the first, therefore, it must be said that idolatry presupposes interior infidelity and adds thereto an undue external cult. But if it be exterior idolatry only, without interior infidelity, the guilt of falsehood is added, as was said before (previous art.).

To the second, it must be said that idolatry includes a great blasphemy, in that the singularity of God's dominion is withdrawn from Him, and idolatry impugns the faith by deed.

To the third, it must be said that because it is of the nature of punishment that it be against the will, the sin by which another is punished must be more manifest, so that by this a man may be rendered detestable to himself and to others, but it is not necessary that it be more grievous; and according to this, the sin which is against nature is less than the sin of idolatry. But because it is more manifest, it is posited as a fitting punishment for the sin of idolatry, namely, that just as a man through idolatry perverts the order of divine honor, so through the sin against nature he may suffer the shameful perversion of his own nature.