Which is more deadly to the soul, pride or concupiscence?  Of these two great enemies of man, Dietrich von Hilderbrand contends that pride is far more deadly.

Concupiscence inclines man to commit sin.  It is the residual stemming from the disobedience of the first sin that resides in man and unsettles his moral faculties (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2515).   As such, concupiscence plays a role in most sin.  However, sin resulting from concupiscence is not a primal evil, for it stems from an inclination.  This can be seen in the Gospels where Christ does not speak harshly to those who commit sin though concupiscence, but forgives them and instructs them to sin no more.

This is in contrast to the sin of pride.  Pride – the glorification of self – was at the root of Satan’s rebel against God and Adam’s fall from grace.  Through pride man seeks his own superiority, power, and splendor and in so doing rejects the supremacy, authority, and glory of God.  For this, Christ speaks more harshly of the sin of pride.

As St. James (James 4:6) reminds us, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  So, we are to empty self and seek to be meek and humble of spirit.