Byline: Msgr. Charles E. Pope

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Sacraments

What Should Take Priority in the Examination of Conscience?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

February 15, 2021 8:30 am February 15, 2021

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In the Sacrament of Penance, Catholics are obliged to confess serious (mortal) sins in kind and number since their last confession. If one is uncertain of the number, then an…

In the Sacrament of Penance, Catholics are obliged to confess serious (mortal) sins in kind and number since their last confession. If one is uncertain of the number, then an estimate is acceptable. Hence, one should always begin there: What are the more serious sins I have committed that may likely be mortal sins? No exact list of mortal sins can be given here since circumstances are important and because many sins have a range between serious and lighter matter. For example, gossip is usually not a mortal sin, but it might become so if reputations are ruined. Regarding lies, there are serious lies that cause harm and smaller lies that do less harm and are told merely to avoid awkward situations.

That said, we could generate something of a “hot list” of sins that tend to be more serious. There are sins against faith, such as idolatry and serious superstition. There is the sin of missing Mass without a serious reason, refusing the worship that is God’s due and refusing holy Communion, which is essential for us. There is invoking the name of God to curse rather than to bless, or making false oaths invoking God’s name. Serious disrespect to parents and lawful authority or the refusal to obey significant and just laws can become serious. Significant neglect of parents in their old age can also be serious.

Endangering the lives of others through reckless behavior can be serious as is the harboring of hateful and vengeful feelings, violent outbursts and other forms of destructive anger, whether verbal or physical. Abortion, or helping others to procure abortion, is gravely sinful, and so is the neglect to assist or warn others whose lives are endangered physically or spiritually. The willful viewing of pornography and the masturbation that often accompanies this, engaging in fornication, adultery and homosexual acts, are all mortal sins.

Stealing significant items or the intellectual or creative property of others can be mortal, as is damaging the goods or property of others in significant ways. Withholding the truth and lying can become serious, especially if the matter involves the reputation of others or important information they must have. Greed (coveting), too, can become serious when we act on it in ways that harm others significantly.

Circumstances will sometimes reduce culpability even in objectively serious matters. But these sorts of sins are a place to begin.

Another way to focus when going to confession when mortal sins are not a huge problem is to focus on a particular part of our life, such as family relationships, or on a particular sin, such as gluttony. Perhaps, too, we can look to sins of omission, not merely to what we have done. Attitudes such as fear, prejudice, pettiness, ingratitude and so forth can also be a particular focus to bring to the sacrament.

Msgr. Charles E. Pope has a Master of Arts in Moral Theology from Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Md. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1989, and is currently a pastor in Washington, D.C.

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Church History

How Is Someone Named a Doctor of the Church?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

January 3, 2021 8:05 am January 3, 2021

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The Doctors of the Church are teachers of the faith who have demonstrated exemplary holiness and have deepened the whole Church’s understanding of the Catholic faith. They must be officially…

The Doctors of the Church are teachers of the faith who have demonstrated exemplary holiness and have deepened the whole Church’s understanding of the Catholic faith. They must be officially declared doctors by a papal proclamation. Such men and women also are known particularly for the depth of understanding and the orthodoxy of their theological teachings.

Though their teachings are not infallible, being a “doctor” means that they contributed significantly to the formulation of Christian teaching in at least one significant area in a way that has impacted later generations.

Through the Middle Ages, the title and process of being named a doctor remained a fluid and informal one. In the 13th century, however, the Church formalized the process by which the Church could honor persons with the title and then put out the first official list of Doctors of the Church.

There are three requirements for being named a Doctor of the Church. First is great sanctity. Thus only those who have already been declared to be saints by the Church may be named a doctor. A second requirement is eminent learning. This is often demonstrated by the fact that they were known to be great teachers of the Faith. The third requirement is a proclamation by the Church. Usually, such proclamation is made by the pope.

Msgr. Charles E. Pope is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

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Evil

Holy Innocents and the Problem of Evil

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

December 28, 2020 7:58 am December 28, 2020

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When God warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt, sometimes asked why God didn’t warn the other families? Some consider it cruel for God to allow this. This…

When God warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt, sometimes asked why God didn’t warn the other families? Some consider it cruel for God to allow this.

This goes to the heart of a very great mystery, the problem of evil. It is an unquestionable fact that God permits a great deal of evil to go on in our world and very seldom does He intervene to stop it.

We know that God permits evil as a “necessary” condition of freedom for the rational creatures He has created. Angels and humans have free and rational souls and, if our freedom is to mean anything, it must be that God allows some angels and men to abuse their freedom, and even become a source of evil and temptation for others. Were God to routinely step in every time one person does something God does not want, it could not be said that we are really free. And if we are not really free, we cannot love. And if we cannot love, we are not lovers, nor sons and daughters, but slaves.

As such, this life amounts for us as a kind of test wherein God permits some degree of evil to flourish, yet not without offering us the grace to overcome. It is also clear that, on account of temptations and trials, our “yes” to God has greater dignity and merit than if we lived in an essentially sin-free zone or paradise.

Further, it is a general rule of faith that while God permits evil, He can draw a greater good from it.

Many of us, who have remained faithful to God, are able to look back and see how our sufferings also brought strength to us, and even known goods. Surely, too, there are many unknown goods that God is able to draw from the difficulties and evils of this world.

As for the death of the Holy Innocents and God’s “failure” to warn other families, we can only apply such norms. We are not in a position to really say what was best for God to do. It is clear that God allowed the torture and death of His Only-Begotten Son to bring great good. It is also clear that God has chosen to associate many martyrs with the saving passion of His Son.

We are all called in some way to suffer with Christ, and die with Him, so as to rise to new life with Him (see Rom 6:2-14; 8:17; 2 Cor 4:10). All of us share in the cross of Christ, so as also to share in His resurrected glory. If this seems unfair, remember God offered us paradise.

But Adam and Eve (and all of us have ratified their choice) wanted a better deal where they would call the shots. Welcome to the “better deal.” So God makes use of suffering and death to bring greater life, if we have faith!

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Devotion

Why Are Votive Candles Used?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

December 1, 2020 7:59 am December 1, 2020

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These are referred to as votive candles, and people purchase and light them to symbolize their prayers or devotion. The candle continues to burn for some hours or days (depending…

These are referred to as votive candles, and people purchase and light them to symbolize their prayers or devotion. The candle continues to burn for some hours or days (depending on the size) and thus signals the prayer and love of the person who lit it, long after they must go.

Biblically, the root of this practice is the notion of a “burnt offering.” In the Old Testament, things of value (usually sacrificed animals) would be burned and thereby offered to God. The smoke was a symbol of the sacrifice of praise ascending to God.

Catholics who light candles are making an offering to God of prayer and praise. The fire of the candle symbolizes ardent love.

The consuming of the candle symbolizes the oblation (offering) of something of value to God: our time, our praise, our resources and so forth. The lingering quality of the candle symbolizes the fact that our prayers, praise and concerns continue in our heart even when we must leave the church. The flickering light also seems to say “Remember me, Lord, remember my prayer and those for whom I pray.”

Electric votive candles do not as clearly show these symbols, but the idea is still the same.

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Prayer

Are Sinners’ Prayers Heard?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

November 30, 2020 10:12 am November 30, 2020

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It depends a bit on what is meant by the word “hear.” It can never be argued in a literal sense that God cannot hear something. For nothing escapes God’s…

It depends a bit on what is meant by the word “hear.” It can never be argued in a literal sense that God cannot hear something. For nothing escapes God’s notice, and in no sense could He be said to be incapable of hearing a prayer.

However, if “hear” means that a prayer would be favorably received by God, that is another matter.

Generally, it would seem that God pays little heed to the prayers of unrepentant mortal sinners, though there are surely some exceptions. For example, in Scripture we read, “No, the hand of the Lord is not too short to save, / nor his ear too dull to hear. / Rather, it is your crimes that separate you from God, / It is your sins that make him hide his face / so that he does not hear you” (Is 59:1-2). Or again, “Those who shut their ears to the cry of the poor / will themselves call out and not be answered” (Prv 21:13).

So it would seem that there is a good basis for concluding that unrepentant mortal sinners are going to have a pretty hard time getting their prayers answered as they would like.

However, experience teaches that even mortal sinners do partake of many of God’s blessings. And this, too, Jesus affirms in Scripture: “The [Lord] makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:45).

How God chooses to bless or withhold blessings from the unrighteous is therefore not an all or nothing proposition, but is caught up in the mystery of His providence. Perhaps He knows a person will one day repent; perhaps He knows that an answered prayer now will help lead to repentance later. Perhaps, too, He knows that to withhold a blessing is the better course. Thus God remains sovereign in applying wisdom to each situation.

That said, we ought to remain sober about the need to pray in righteousness. For if God cannot trust us with the blessings we already have, why should He trust us with further blessings?

The First Letter of John has some advice about praying with and for those in serious sin: “If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly” (5:15-17). While the instruction of John here is complex, he is saying in effect that, if we are reasonably sure that someone is in serious sin, we ought skip over praying for lesser things like a new job for them, etc. Rather the essential and only really efficacious prayer for them is to pray for their repentance. For to be dead in sins is to rather powerfully block any other blessings.

So, while God can bless even serious sinners, we ought not presuppose that He will do so and make our priority to pray for lifesaving repentance.

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Scripture

What Was Cain’s Sin?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

October 6, 2020 8:00 am October 6, 2020

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While there is no obvious explanation given for the rejection of Cain’s offering in Genesis, there are differences in the details of the two offerings that provide some clues: First,…

While there is no obvious explanation given for the rejection of Cain’s offering in Genesis, there are differences in the details of the two offerings that provide some clues: First, Abel gives of the firstlings (first fruits) of his flock. There is no mention that Cain gave of the first fruits of his crop.

In biblical legislation, God commanded that the tithe be given. But it was not any tenth that was to be given, rather it was the first tenth that was to be given (see Ex 23:16,19; 34:26; Lv 23:10 to name just a few). Thus Cain erred by not presenting first fruits, and God did not regard his offering. We are not to give God leftovers.

A second, though less certain, problem may be that Cain offered a cereal offering, not a blood offering. Scripture attests that it was necessary to shed the blood of animals for the remission of sin. Hebrews 9:22 says, “According to the law almost everything is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” This is confirmed all throughout the Old Testament wherein God specifies the sacrifice of certain animals for Temple worship. This theory is not without a problem, however, since cereal offerings and other offerings from the harvest are elsewhere commanded and acceptable to God (see Lv 2:14 for just one example).

Whatever the full reason, the Book of Hebrews attests: “By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts” (11:4).

Cain’s reaction to God’s response goes further to indicate a third area of concern, not for Cain’s offering, but for his disposition. As we shall see later in 1 John 3:12, Cain’s offering was not just lacking, it was evil. And this indicates not a merely external problem with Cain’s offering but an internal disposition of sin that renders his offering displeasing to God. And thus one can offer a technically perfect sacrifice to God, but if we offer it in unrepented and serious sin, God is displeased and we can even bring condemnation on ourselves (see 1 Cor 11:29).

Here, too, the Genesis text hints at the “heart problem” Cain brought to the moment. Scripture says: “Cain was very angry and dejected [that God did not regard his sacrifice]. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why are you dejected? If you act rightly, you will be accepted; but if not, sin lies in wait at the door; its urge is for you, yet you can rule over it’ ” (Gn 4:5-7).

The image of sin that lies in wait at the door is a powerful one. In permitting his anger and envy to grow toward his brother, Cain is moving toward darkness and sin. He must learn to master his anger and all his passions.

Sadly, Cain gives way to sin and murders his brother. Thus the First Letter of John tersely notes: “Cain … belonged to the evil one and slaughtered his brother. Why did he slaughter him? Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother righteous” (3:12).

Rev. Msgr. Charles E. Pope is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

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Byline: Msgr. Charles E. Pope

What Should Take Priority in the Examination of Conscience?

How Is Someone Named a Doctor of the Church?

Holy Innocents and the Problem of Evil

Why Are Votive Candles Used?

Are Sinners’ Prayers Heard?

What Was Cain’s Sin?

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