ASK FR BITAJU | KAIROS GLOBAL | JANUARY 2024

Author: Fr Bitaju

Q. If someone does something wrong to me and I forgive it will that still be a sin for that person?

Thanks for your important question regarding forgiveness and its impact on the offender. When someone forgives another person for a wrong done to them, it does not mean that the action itself is no longer considered a sin. The act that caused harm or wrongdoing remains objectively wrong according to moral standards.  However, forgiveness is a personal choice and virtue that allows the offended person to let go of resentment, seek reconciliation, and extend mercy towards the wrongdoer.   

In the Catholic understanding, sin is primarily an offence against God and a violation of his commandments (CCC 1849). It is a rupture in the relationship between the sinner and God, as well as potentially damaging relationships between individuals. When someone forgives another person, it reflects their willingness to imitate the example of Christ’s mercy and love, and to seek healing and reconciliation.  

The Catechism teaches that forgiveness is an essential aspect of Christian life (CCC 2840). Jesus himself emphasised the importance of forgiving others in his teachings (Matthew 6:14; 18:22; Luke 17:3-4). By forgiving, individuals participate in God’s mercy and contribute to the restoration of relationships and the healing of wounds caused by sin. 

However, it is important to note that forgiveness does not negate the need for the wrongdoer to acknowledge their actions, seek repentance, and make amends if possible. The forgiveness offered by the offended person does not remove the objective wrongness of the action or the need for the wrongdoer to seek reconciliation with both God and the person they have harmed. 

In summary, forgiving someone for a wrong done to you does not change the objective nature of the act as a sin. The decision to forgive is a personal choice that permits the offended person to let go of resentment and seek reconciliation, but it does not absolve the wrongdoer from the responsibility of acknowledging their actions and seeking repentance. 

YOUCAT 70 

How does God draw us out of the whirlpool of evil?

God does not just look on as man gradually destroys himself and the world around him through the chain reaction of sin. He sends us Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer, who snatches us from the power of sin. [410-412, 420-421]

‘No one can help me’—this maxim of human experience is no longer accurate. Wherever man may have strayed by his sins, God the Father has sent his Son there. The consequence of sin is death (cf. Romans 6:23). Another consequence of sin, however, is the marvellous solidarity of God, who sends us Jesus as our friend and Saviour. Therefore original sin is also called felix culpa (happy fault): ‘O happy fault . . . which gained for us so great a Redeemer!’ (Liturgy of the Easter Vigil).