Saint Basil

Strive to attain to the greater virtues, but do not neglect the lesser ones. Do not make light of a fall even if it be the most venial of faults; rather, be quick to repair it by repentance, although many others may commit a large number of faults, slight and grievous, and remain unrepentant.

Greek Saint

Johannes Tauler

Such sins, even if they do not kill all grace in us, do harm, nevertheless; and though they are only venial in themselves, they make us apt, ready, and inclined to lose grace and to fall into mortal sin.

German Theologian

Tim Donaghy

I knew it was wrong, but I thought gambling was a venial sin. That's why I didn't confess it to a priest until after I was caught.

American Criminal

Used to express the idea of being easily pardonable within religious practices or discussions.

Religious Nuance

Denotes actions subject to moral evaluation without implying deep moral failure.

Moral Judgements

While common in religious contexts, used in discussions about ethics too.

Not Just Religion

Refers to errors or misdeeds that are generally socially acceptable and not taken seriously.

Social Acceptance

Implies an understanding of an action as having mitigated severity or importance in a situation.

Mitigated Severity

Can suggest that an error is often overlooked due to its minor nature.

Venial