FIFTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 85, Art. 5]

Whether Death and Other Bodily Defects Are the Result of Sin?

Objection 1:  It would seem that death and other bodily defects are not the result of sin.  Because equal causes have equal effects.  Now these defects are not equal in all, but abound in some more than in others, whereas original sin, from which especially these defects seem to result, is equal in all, as stated above (Q. 82, A. 4).  Therefore death and suchlike defects are not the result of sin.

Obj. 2:  Further, if the cause is removed, the effect is removed.  But these defects are not removed, when all sin is removed by Baptism or Penance.  Therefore they are not the effect of sin.

Obj. 3:  Further, actual sin has more of the character of guilt than original sin has.  But actual sin does not change the nature of the body by subjecting it to some defect.  Much less, therefore, does original sin.  Therefore death and other bodily defects are not the result of sin.

On the contrary, The Apostle says (Rom. 5:12), “By one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death.”

I answer that, One thing causes another in two ways:  first, by reason of itself; secondly, accidentally.  By reason of itself, one thing is the cause of another, if it produces its effect by reason of the power of its nature or form, the result being that the effect is directly intended by the cause.  Consequently, as death and such like defects are beside the intention of the sinner, it is evident that sin is not, of itself, the cause of these defects.  Accidentally, one thing is the cause of another if it causes it by removing an obstacle:  thus it is stated in Phys. viii, text. 32, that “by displacing a pillar a man moves accidentally the stone resting thereon.”  In this way the sin of our first parent is the cause of death and all such like defects in human nature, in so far as by the sin of our first parent original justice was taken away, whereby not only were the lower powers of the soul held together under the control of reason, without any disorder whatever, but also the whole body was held together in subjection to the soul, without any defect, as stated in the First Part (Q. 97, A. 1).  Wherefore, original justice being forfeited through the sin of our first parent; just as human nature was stricken in the soul by the disorder among the powers, as stated above (A. 3; Q. 82, A. 3), so also it became subject to corruption, by reason of disorder in the body.

Now the withdrawal of original justice has the character of punishment, even as the withdrawal of grace has.  Consequently, death and all consequent bodily defects are punishments of original sin.  And although the defects are not intended by the sinner, nevertheless they are ordered according to the justice of God Who inflicts them as punishments.