Original Sin
Summarising from the quotation from Pope Pius XII below, Original Sin is the Catholic belief that:
- "Original" sin is sin inherited from our original first parent, the individual called Adam
- Original Sin "proceeds" from an actual sin which was committed by Adam
- Through "generation" (i.e. begetting children) Original Sin is passed on to everyone
- Original Sin in every person is his or her own Original Sin
From Pope Pius XII:[1]
“When, however, there is question of another conjectural opinion, namely polygenism[2], the children of the Church by no means enjoy such liberty. For the faithful cannot embrace that opinion which maintains either that after Adam there existed on this earth true men who did not take their origin through natural generation from him as from the first parents of all, or that Adam represents a certain number of first parents[3]. Now, it is in no way apparent how such an opinion can be reconciled that which the sources of revealed truth and the documents of the teaching authority of the Church proposed with regard to original sin which proceeds from a sin actually committed by an individual Adam in which through generation is passed onto all and is in everyone as his own”
- ↑ cited from https://www.catholic.com/tract/adam-eve-and-evolution
- ↑ Polygenism i.e. that modern humans descend from a population of human couples, rather than from a single pair i.e. Monogenism
- ↑ See discussion at Adam
