Is it a mortal sin to love your cousin?

Answer 1

It depends on which kind of love you are talking about. If you mean familial love then no, of course not. If, however, you are referring to incestual love then it depends. If you are acting on your desires and dwelling on impure, sometimes sexual thoughts, then yes, it is a mortal sin. If you are not doing either of these then no. Incest is a disorder, however, and you should be trying to reverse this in order to remain out of venial sin & stay free from temptations that could lead you to mortal sin.

Answer:

Love between cousins is a matter of societal interpretation. Many cultures encourage love and marriage between cousins to consolidate wealth and power. There is no standard definition of "sin" that can be applied even for catholics, as many European royal families who were of that faith intermarried at the cousin/cousin level (see Link). This is also covered in "New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law" by Beal, Coriden and Green which states that, regarding impediments cased by consanguinity (Canon 1091) "The Local ordinary can dispense from the impediment in ... the fourth degree (first cousins) ..."

Answer:

Yes, it is true that the Local ordinary CAN dispense from the impediment for marriages between cousins, however this is only in extreme cases. One must obtain a special dispensation. This is the context of where the quote was found:

"Consanguinity invalidates marriage in all degrees of the direct line (father-daughter-granddaughter) and up to the fourth degree of the collateral line inclusive (first cousins). The impediment of consanguinity no longer invalidates marriages of second cousins [...] Commentators agree that consanguinity in any degree of the direct line is a divine law impediment and that consanguinity in the third and fourth degrees of the collateral line is an ecclesiastical law impediment [...] The Local ordinary can dispense from the impediment in [...] the fourth degree (first cousins) of the collateral line. Nevertheless, civil laws may well prohibit marriages within these degrees of consanguinity.

The 1917 code foresaw the possibility that the impediment of consanguinity could be multiplied in the collateral line when a couple shared more than one common ancestor (CIC 1076). The multiplication of the impediment necessitated multiple dispensations." (Canon 1091)

However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

"2388 Incest designates intimate relations between relatives or in-laws within a degree that prohibits marriage between them (Lev 18:7-20). St. Paul stigmatizes this especially grave offense: "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you . . . for a man is living with his father's wife. . . . In the name of the Lord Jesus . . . you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. . . . " (1 Cor 5:1, 4-5). Incest corrupts family relationships and marks a regression toward animality.

2389 Connected to incest is any sexual abuse perpetrated by adults on children or adolescents entrusted to their care. The offense is compounded by the scandalous harm done to the physical and moral integrity of the young, who will remain scarred by it all their lives; and the violation of responsibility for their upbringing."

The country or society you live in does not change the laws of the Church. Anyone who acts contrary to this, no matter what their rank or social status is, acts in a state of mortal sin.