Covetousness

Covetousness is an inordinate love of possessing. It isin conflict with sound reason, and is therefore a sin.

Covetousness, as the immoderate love of getting andpossessing money, is a special sin. It is a general sin inasmuch asits scope is extended to include inordinate desire of possessinganything: goods, position, knowledge.

As a special sin or vice, covetousness stands directlyopposed to the virtue of liberality.

To covet riches to such a degree as to be willing to doanything whatever to possess them, is a mortal sin. Most sins ofcovetousness, however, are venial sins.

Covetousness, since it can be a venial fault, is notthe greatest of sins. Yet great sins indeed may be born of thecovetous spirit. The vice of covetousness is hard to cure, but itcan be cured.

Covetousness is not a sin of the flesh, but of thespirit; it is a spiritual sin, not a carnal sin. For though theriches coveted are material things, the evil of covetousness is inthe desire for satisfaction in the possession of these things, andnot in the things themselves.

Covetousness is that ‘love of money” which isthe root of evil. Many evils sprout from this root. It is thereforelisted among the capital sins.

A capital sin is a source-sin, a spring from whichother sins readily flow. The sins which flow most readily fromcovetousness, and are therefore called “daughters ofcovetousness,” are the following: fraud, lying, perjury,dissatisfaction or restlessness, violence, andhard-heartedness.