nst the saying of the
Apostle (2 Cor. 10:13), "But we will not glory beyond our measure;
but according to the measure of the rule which God hath measured to
us." Wherefore it is written (Ecclus. 10:14): "The beginning of the
pride of man is to fall off from God" because, to wit, the root of
pride is found to consist in man not being, in some way, subject to
God and His rule. Now it is evident that not to be subject to God is
of its very nature a mortal sin, for this consists in turning away
from God: and consequently pride is, of its genus, a mortal sin.
Nevertheless just as in other sins which are mortal by their genus
(for instance fornication and adultery) there are certain motions
that are venial by reason of their imperfection (through forestalling
the judgment of reason, and being without its consent), so too in the
matter of pride it happens that certain motions of pride are venial
sins, when reason does not consent to them.

Reply Obj. 1: As stated above (A. 2) pride is a general sin, not by
its essence but by a kind of influence, in so far as all sins may
have their origin in pride. Hence it does not follow that all sins
are mortal, but only such as arise from perfect pride, which we have
stated to be a mortal sin.

Reply Obj. 2: Pride is always contrary to the love of God, inasmuch
as the proud man does not subject himself to the Divine rule as he
ought. Sometimes it is also contrary to the love of our neighbor;
when, namely, a man sets himself inordinately above his neighbor: and
this again is a transgression of the Divine rule, which has
established order among men, so that one ought to be subject to
another.

Reply Obj. 3: Pride arises from virtue, not as from its direct
cause, but as from an accidental cause, in so far as a man makes a
virtue an occasion for pride. And nothing prevents one contrary from
being the accidental cause of another, as stated in _Phys._ viii, 1.
Hence some are even proud of their humility.
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SIXTH ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 162, Art. 6]

Whether Pride Is the Most Grievous of Sins?

Objection 1: It would seem that pride is not the most grievous of
sins. For the more difficult a sin is to avoid, the less grievous it
would seem to be. Now pride is most difficult to avoid; for Augustine
says in his Rule (Ep. ccxi), "Other sins find their vent in the
accomplishment of evil deeds, whereas pride lies in wait for good
deeds to destroy them." Therefore pride is not