Examination of conscience on the seven capital sins

An examination of conscience on the seven deadly sins looks past single acts to the habits underneath them: pride, greed, envy, anger, lust, gluttony and sloth. The Church calls these the capital sins because other sins grow out of them (CCC 1866). Below are plain questions for each one, with the virtue that heals it. Use them before Confession, or any evening you want to see what keeps tripping you up.

What are the seven capital sins?

The Catechism lists them as pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia. They're called "capital," from the Latin for head, because they "engender other sins, other vices" (CCC 1866). Lying, gossip and cruelty usually spring from one of these roots.

"Deadly" can sound as if every act is a mortal sin. That isn't the case. A capital sin is a tendency. A particular act that comes from it can be small or serious, depending on what you did, what you knew and how freely you chose it. If you're unsure where that line falls, read what makes a sin mortal. For the teaching on each vice in more depth, see the seven deadly sins.

How do I use this examination?

Ask the Holy Spirit for light. Then read one section at a time and notice which questions sting. You won't find yourself in every one. Most people find one or two sins that keep coming back, and that's useful to know. Write a few words for each thing you want to confess.

Pride: the opposite is humility

Pride is putting yourself where God belongs: your will first, your image first, your judgment above everyone else's.

• Have I refused to admit I was wrong, even when I knew I was?
• Have I looked down on people I thought were less smart, less holy or less successful than me?
• Have I needed praise, and sulked when I didn't get it?
• Have I acted as if I didn't need God, or prayed only when I was stuck?
• Have I refused advice or correction because I didn't like who it came from?

Greed: the opposite is generosity

Greed, or avarice, is a disordered love of money and things: wanting more, holding on too tightly, trusting what you own more than God.

• Have I been stingy with the poor, my parish or my family when I could have given?
• Have I cut corners or been dishonest to get more money?
• Does worry about money take up more of my thoughts than God does?
• Have I bought things to feel better, or to impress people?

Envy: the opposite is kindness

Envy is sadness at someone else's good and a desire to have it for yourself (CCC 2539). It often hides behind small, sour comments.

• Have I resented a friend's success, marriage, looks or career?
• Have I been secretly glad when someone else failed?
• Have I run someone down to make myself feel better?
• Has scrolling through other people's lives left me bitter or ungrateful for my own?

Anger: the opposite is meekness

Feeling angry isn't a sin in itself. "Be angry but do not sin," says Saint Paul (Ephesians 4:26). Wrath is anger that wants revenge or harm (CCC 2302), or anger you feed instead of letting go.

• Have I yelled, insulted or said things meant to hurt?
• Have I held a grudge, replayed old arguments or refused to forgive?
• Have I taken my frustration out on my spouse, children or coworkers?
• Have I given the silent treatment as a punishment?
• Have I driven, typed or spoken in rage?

If anger is your main struggle, our page on overcoming anger has practical help.

Lust: the opposite is chastity

Lust is a disordered desire for sexual pleasure, sought for its own sake and cut off from love and openness to life (CCC 2351).

• Have I looked at pornography or sexual content?
• Have I deliberately kept impure thoughts going, instead of turning away from them?
• Have I committed sexual acts outside of marriage, alone or with someone else?
• Have I treated someone as an object instead of a person?
• Have I put myself in situations I knew would lead me into this sin?

Be honest and gentle with yourself here. Habits like porn can involve real compulsion, and habit and other factors can lessen how responsible you are (CCC 1735, 2352). Keep confessing. A counselor or support group can help alongside Confession. More on this in how to overcome lust.

Gluttony: the opposite is temperance

Gluttony is an excess in food or drink, using them for comfort or escape beyond what's good for you.

• Have I eaten or drunk far more than I needed, again and again?
• Have I gotten drunk, or used alcohol or other substances to escape?
• Have I kept the Church's days of fasting and abstinence?
• Have I been fussy or demanding about food in a way that made life hard for others?

Sloth: the opposite is diligence

Sloth is more than laziness. In its spiritual form, acedia, it is a weariness toward God that goes as far as refusing the joy that comes from him (CCC 2094).

• Have I neglected prayer because it felt like too much effort?
• Have I skipped Sunday Mass without a serious reason?
• Have I put off work, chores or duties to my family until others had to pick them up?
• Have I wasted hours on my phone or screens that I owed to God or to people?
• Have I stopped trying to grow, telling myself "this is just how I am"?

Which one is my root sin?

Look back over what you wrote. Which section had the most? Many spiritual writers suggest that each of us has one ruling fault, the vice that feeds most of the others. Find yours, and you know where to focus your prayer and your effort.

Then work on the opposite virtue, one small act at a time. If pride is your root, ask for advice this week. If it's greed, give something away. If it's sloth, keep a short daily prayer even when you don't feel like it. Virtues grow by practice, and grace does most of the work.

Bring it to Confession

Confess the specific acts, not just the label. "I was proud" is vague. "I refused to apologize to my wife, three times this month" is a real confession. If you'd like another way to examine yourself, try the examination on the Ten Commandments, which covers the same ground from a different angle. Whatever you find, take it to the priest calmly. God isn't surprised by any of it, and he is glad you came.