I am curious about this. Why is suicide considered a mortal sin in Catholicism? What exactly does committing a mortal sin mean?
Where does this concept originate from?
Absolutely.
The 3 components of a mortal sin are:
-grave matter
-full knowledge
-deliberate consent
Suicide is certainly a grave matter. It is the killing of oneself. Suicide goes against the human natural law of love of life.
One who commits suicide of course has full knowledge of their actions: they are taking their own life! forever!
One who commits suicide does it out of their own free will. If a life is taken by any means in which the victim is murdered against his free will, it is a homicide.
So, to answer your question… yes. The act of killing oneself is indeed a mortal sin, punishable by eternal separation from the Lord. It is even specified in the Ten Commandments.