Copyright © 2006 By Doug Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.
Catechism Of The Catholic Church Reprinted With Permission.
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God’s Truth From The Catechism Of The Catholic Church – cont.
This passage in Genesis is called the Protoevangelium ("first gospel"): the first announcement of
the Messiah and Redeemer, of a battle between the serpent and the Woman, and of the final
victory of a descendant of hers.
411 The Christian tradition sees in this passage an announcement of the "New Adam" who,
because he "became obedient unto death, even death on a cross", makes amends
superabundantly for the disobedience, of Adam.
305
Furthermore many Fathers and Doctors of the
Church have seen the woman announced in the Protoevangelium as Mary, the mother of Christ,
the "new Eve". Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ's victory over sin: she was
preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind
during her whole earthly life.
306
412 But why did God not prevent the first man from sinning? St. Leo the Great responds, "Christ's
inexpressible grace gave us blessings better than those the demon's envy had taken away."
307
And
St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "There is nothing to prevent human nature's being raised up to
something greater, even after sin; God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good. Thus
St. Paul says, 'Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more'; and the Exsultet sings, 'O
happy fault,. . . which gained for us so great a Redeemer!'"
308
IN BRIEF
413 "God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. . . It was through
the devil's envy that death entered the world" (Wis 1:13; 2:24).
414 Satan or the devil and the other demons are fallen angels who have freely refused to serve
God and his plan. Their choice against God is definitive. They try to associate man in their revolt
against God.
415 "Although set by God in a state of rectitude man, enticed by the evil one, abused his freedom
at the very start of history. He lifted himself up against God, and sought to attain his goal apart from
him" (GS 13 § 1).
416 By his sin Adam, as the first man, lost the original holiness and justice he had received from
God, not only for himself but for all human beings.
417 Adam and Eve transmitted to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin
and hence deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called "original sin".
418 As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance,
suffering and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called
"concupiscence").
419 "We therefore hold, with the Council of Trent, that original sin is transmitted with human nature,
"by propagation, not by imitation" and that it is. . . 'proper to each'" (Paul VI, CPG § 16).
420 The victory that Christ won over sin has given us greater blessings than those which sin had
taken from us: "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (Rom 5:20).
421 Christians believe that "the world has been established and kept in being by the Creator's love;
has fallen into slavery to sin but has been set free by Christ, crucified and risen to break the power
of the evil one. . ." (GS 2 § 2).
Consult the Catechism for a list of all the source documents and citations used to prepare this section
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