Original Sin

The Syro-Malabar Church affirms the doctrine of original sin as taught by the Council of Trent. All human beings, except Christ and Mary, inherit the guilt and corruption of sin from Adam. This is not understood merely as a sinful condition or tendency but as actual inherited guilt before God. Every human being is born in a state of separation from God and stands in need of redemption.

Original sin consists in the loss of sanctifying grace that Adam and Eve possessed before the fall. This loss affects the entire human race. All humans are born with diminished capacity for good and are prone to actual sin. The transmission of original sin to all humanity is one of the fundamental truths of Catholic anthropology and explains humanity's universal need for Christ.

Baptism is the sacrament through which original sin is washed away. In infant baptism (practiced by the Syro-Malabar Church), the child is freed from original sin and given sanctifying grace. The rite of baptism, with the invocation of the Trinity and the washing in water, effects this forgiveness. This is why the church practices infant baptism—to free children from the inherited guilt of Adam as soon as possible.