Sins that cry to heaven

The four sins that cry to Heaven for Vengeance (or sins that cry to Heaven) (Latin: peccata clamantia) are a list of mortal sins in Catholic moral theology that Catholics believe demand justice from God:^[1]

The expression is derived from Genesis 4:10 ("The Lord said to Cain ... the voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth").

• The "blood of Abel": homicide, infanticide, fratricide, parricide, and matricide^[2]
• The "sin of the Sodomites": pride, gluttony, negligence of the poor, abuse of children, and homosexual acts^[3][4]
• The "cry of the people oppressed in Egypt, the cry of the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan": slavery and marginalization^[5]
• The "injustice to the wage earner": taking advantage of and defrauding workers^[6]

References

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1867 The catechetical tradition also recalls that there are "sins that cry to heaven": the blood of Abel, the sin of the Sodomites, the cry of the people oppressed in Egypt, the cry of the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan, injustice to the wage earner.
2. Catechism 2268 The fifth commandment forbids direct and intentional killing as gravely sinful. the murderer and those who cooperate voluntarily in murder commit a sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance. Infanticide, fratricide, parricide, and the murder of a spouse are especially grave crimes by reason of the natural bonds which they break. Concern for eugenics or public health cannot justify any murder, even if commanded by public authority.
3. Catechism: Sixth Commandment Offenses against chastity and the dignity of marriage
4. Ezekiel 16:49
5. Catechism 2448 "In its various forms - material deprivation, unjust oppression, physical and psychological illness and death - human misery is the obvious sign of the inherited condition of frailty and need for salvation in which man finds himself as a consequence of original sin. This misery elicited the compassion of Christ the Savior, who willingly took it upon himself and identified himself with the least of his brethren. Hence, those who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church which, since her origin and in spite of the failings of many of her members, has not ceased to work for their relief, defense, and liberation through numerous works of charity which remain indispensable always and everywhere."
6. Catechism 2434 A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice.221 In determining fair pay both the needs and the contributions of each person must be taken into account. "Remuneration for work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified livelihood for himself and his family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual level, taking into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the business, and the common good." Agreement between the parties is not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages.