What is original sin?

Original sin is the sin committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, by which they disobeyed God and lost original holiness for themselves and all their descendants. Every human being, except the Blessed Virgin Mary, is born with this inherited wound — a privation of sanctifying grace — which Christ alone redeems.

Redemption and Hope

Understanding original sin is not meant to discourage but to illuminate our absolute need for God's grace and the greatness of the salvation won for us in Jesus Christ.