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Questions / Salvation, heaven and hell

What is original sin?

Church teaching

Answered on video by Bishop Robert Barron

Video: Bishop Barron on Original Sin, Bishop Robert Barron, published Mar 7, 2014. Checked 10 October 2026. Loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only when you press play. Watch on YouTube

In short: Not a personal fault. It’s the loss of the original holiness we were made with, passed on to everyone. CCC 404 CCC 405

The answer, in writing

Church teaching

Through the unity of the human race, all are caught up in Adam’s sin, as all are in Christ’s justice; how it is passed on is a mystery. CCC 404

Original sin is not a personal fault; it is the loss of original holiness, and human nature is wounded, not totally corrupted. CCC 405

Our words

It explains why being good is so hard, even when we want to be. And Baptism is the cure.

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Related questions

Do Catholics believe we are saved by grace? Catholic Answers · 2 minAren’t we saved by faith alone? Bishop Robert Barron · 14 minIs there salvation outside the Church? Fr. Mike Schmitz · 8 minHow are we saved? Ascension Presents · 12 min

Sources on this page

How we know · 2 Catechism paragraphs
  1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 404, 405 (official text on vatican.va).

Stone & Incense restates Church teaching in plain words and cites every teaching claim. Our own wording is not an official Church text. Found a mistake? Report an errorCorrections.