Part I, Chapter V: Our First Parents: Original Sin

50. Who were the first man and woman?
The first man and woman were Adam and Eve, the first parents of the whole human race.
51. What special gifts did God give our first parents?
God gave our first parents sanctifying grace, full control of their passions, and freedom from suffering and death.
52. Did God intend the special gifts of Adam and Eve for their descendants also?
Yes, God would have given these gifts to the descendants of our first parents, if Adam, the head of the human race, had obeyed his command.
53. What special command did God give Adam and Eve?
God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of a certain tree in the garden of Paradise.
54. Did Adam and Eve obey the command of God?
Adam and Eve did not obey the command of God: they were tempted by the devil, and ate the forbidden fruit.
55. How were our first parents punished by God for their sin?
Our first parents lost sanctifying grace and their other special gifts, and were driven out of the garden of Paradise.
56. Have we, the children of Adam, suffered because of his sin?
Because of Adam's sin, we are born without sanctifying grace, our intellect is darkened, our will is weakened, our passions incline us to evil, and we are subject to suffering and death.
57. How do we call the state in which we are born because of the sin of Adam?
The state in which we are born because of the sin of Adam is called the state of original sin.
58. Why is original sin so called?
Original sin is so called, because it comes down to us through our origin or descent from Adam, the head of the human race.
59. Was any human person ever preserved from original sin?
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, was preserved free from original sin, and this privilege is called her Immaculate Conception.