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Show 183: The Development of Sin · The Uncensored Catholic

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Speaker 1: A Hey, y'all, welcome today's show. We will continue with
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the father of Sparago's exhaustive explanation of the Catechism the
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Catholic Church under the topic of sin, but of course,
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as usual before then, we will start with radio replies.
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And you may remember from last week that the questioner
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seems to be an Englishman who really doesn't like Italians, said,
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you know it is I guess it's kind of hard
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for Catholics to understand, but you have to remember that
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the Church of England is a national church. The identity
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of being English and being Anglican is basically interchangeable with
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like being English and being Christian, and the English kind
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of have this idea that their natural place in the
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world is to basically rule the world. Everything English is superior,
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and that therefore the Anglican Church is superior to all
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other churches. Can't really be Christian unless one is Anglican
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or Episcopal. If one is Catholic, one can't really be English. Actually,
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in the English Protestant view, it is somewhat treason us
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to be Catholic. So the person says, how many of
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the cardinals with the power to elect the pope are
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non Italians, and they answer. The priests answer, as a rule,
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slightly more than half of the College of Cardinals are
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non Italian. Person answers, then, as a rule, will they
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not elect an Italian pope? And they answer not, because
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so many of the cardinals are themselves Italian. All the
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cardinals before the election taken oath that they will vote
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for the one whom, in conscience they believe to be
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the best fitted for the position, independently of all national considerations. Yet,
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although there is no law forbidding the election of a
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non Italian, as a rule, is to be expected that
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an Italian will be elected, even by the choice of
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the non Italian cardinals. And why because the pope is
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to be bus of Rome and an Italian diocese. And
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just as we usually wish an English speaking bishop for
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English speaking peoples, so the Italian should normally have an
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Italian bishop. There is a greater reason wanted why he
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should not be an Italian than why he should be.
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In other words, it's a more reason for him to
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be Italian than not you would have. In other words,
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a greater reason wanted you would have to prove on
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the other side, just cause that he should not be Italian.
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But you know, of course, in my lifetime we've never
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had an Italian pope. So you have to view this
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answer in the context of the nineteen I guess what
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nineteen thirties when this book was written. But anyway, they
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would continue there again, the pope must live in Italy,
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and if he has to make a stand against encroachments
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of Italian civil power, a pope of Italian nationality at
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least cannot be accused of anti Italian national empathies. A
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person asks, ought not the Catholic Church to elect a
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British or as pope sometime just to prove to the
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world its Catholicity, And they answer, there is no reason
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why that a church should elect a British Er, and
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such an election would in no way prove Catholicity of
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the Church. Once the pope is elected, he is the
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vicar of Christ and cannot behave as an Italian, or
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as an Englishman, or in virtue of any other nationality.
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The pope must have an equal love for all subjects,
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and the Catholics of all nations of any nation cannot
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benefit by having a pope with their own nationality. To Catholics,
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it does not matter of what nation the pope may be.
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The cardinals elect the man whom God wishes them to elect.
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You want them to elect a British er just to
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please an English nation. The cardinals would elect an English pope,
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but they considered it for the good of the Church
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and the glory of God, and the light of the
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circumstances prevailing at the time. And the person asked, during
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all the centuries, only one Englishman has been considered as
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best fitted. Is not that a reflection on the learning
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and ability of our nation? And they say answer no,
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as I've said all things, And you've got to remember,
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the English pretty much believe that an Englishman is severior
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to all other people by right of just being born English.
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And they tend to take it as an insult that
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there haven't been many English popes. There has been one.
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And they answer no, as I said, all things being equal,
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an Italian would be more suited for the position to
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be occupied in Italian territory. And as a rule, Italian
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cardinals are every bit as pious and learn it as others.
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Being international, the Catholic Church abstracts from national considerations. All
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are equal on that score. For purely external reasons, in
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no way intrinsic to the office, and all things else
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being equal, account is taken of the people in whose
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midst the Pope must reside, and the person says so,
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the fact remains that you must submit to a foreigner,
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and the presensors you have entirely failed to grasp the
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Catholic position. There are no foreigners in the Catholic Church.
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A supernatural standard prevails, and natural standards are not valid.
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If you call the Pope a foreigner because he is
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an Italian by birth, whom would you put there? An Englishman?
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If so, on your principle, all other nations would have
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the right to call him a foreigner. It is absurd
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to speak of foreigners in the one universal spiritual family
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in Christ. An Italian who has been baptized is my brother.
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From an earthly national standpoint point, we may be foreign
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to one another, but Christ's Kingdom is not of this world,
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and I'm going to leave it there. But though actually
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in the man's next question you get to the heart
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of the matter of why the English have so much
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trouble with Catholicism. And I don't mean all English. There
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are Catholic English but Anglicans. He really hates Irish. You
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think he hates Italians. He despises the Irish. In the
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view traditional view of England, Irish are subhuman. Of course
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I am Irish. I can speak of this subhuman and
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traitors to the crown and barely allowed to live as
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slaves under English rule. And this man really hates that
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there's so many Irish Catholics. And if he has to
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admit to the legitimacy of the Catholic Church, well then
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he would have to admit that the Irish Catholic is
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actually a better Christian than the English Protestant. And that
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is that is something essentially impossible for an English Protestant
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to do. All right, now, let's get to the exhaustive
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catechism the Catholic Church. And it's an interesting topic. It's
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titled the Development of Sin and father Sparagus says a
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house does not fall all at once. A first, a
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few drops of rain, there's scarcely noticed. Soaking to the walls,
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softened the mortar, and loosen the stones. Presently the whole
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building collapses. The devil sets to work in a similar
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way to destroy the soul. We learn from Eave's example
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how sin begins. Sin arises generally in the following manner.
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First of all, an evil thought comes to mind, which
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in itself is not sinful, and that is what's called temptation.
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Within the heart, there are two masters, the characters are.
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Their characters are dramatically opposed. What one praises the other
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blames and what and one of these is concupiscences the
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other's conscience. Hence, when an evil thought comes to the mind,
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a struggle immediately arises. Conscience that amonishes and holds us back,
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concupiscence in sights and urges us to evil. We can
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no more prevent bad thoughts from coming into the mind
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than an island in mid ocean can prevent the waves
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from dashing on its shores. But as the island exists
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the force of the breakers, so we can withstand the
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assaults of temptation. We must instantly turn our thoughts elsewhere
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by means of prayer or the remembrance of death and
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judgment and all things. Remember that last end, and thou
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shalt never sin. I guess this is syrac again. He
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uses the old spelling ecclesiasticus, and the abbreviation is like
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basically just like Ecclesiastis Ecclesiastes. So I have trouble with
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that one being dyslexic. I'm guessing this is Syrac seven
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forty and Sirac is one of those books that Martin
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Luther Cook cut out of the Bible. So if your
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Bible doesn't have Sirac, go get a real Bible, a
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Catholic Bible. Again. I particularly like the Dewey Raims. If
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you want to read Latin, you can get the Biblious
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Sacra Volgata. I keep the two side by side. There,
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identical ones just in Latin. The other English, and a
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really good modern one is the Nacous Holy Bible Catholic version.
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I think that's the was that the Revised Standard version.
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I have that one right by my side as well.
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I just can't quite see the title from where I'm sitting.
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But or we may recall to the mind the terrible
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consequences of sin. What is the greatest important, what is
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of the greatest importance, is to turn one's thoughts at once.
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A fire just lighted is easily extinguished. A disease may
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be arrested in its first stage. Slay your enemy while
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he is young and feeble stifle evil thoughts that their
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birth banish them the moment they prevent them present themselves. Second,
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if evil thoughts are not instantly expelled, they awaken in
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the mind complacency. And what is evil? And what is
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and that is already of anal sin complacency or satisfaction.
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What is evil may also be a mortal sin if
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we willingly take pleasure in something which is forbidden under
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pain of mortal sin. The evil thoughts which the devil
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puts into our mind may be compared to eggs, as
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after a period of incubation, the young bird is produced
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from the egg, So sin produced from evil thoughts. If
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they are cherished in the breast and regarded with complacency.
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When concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin James one
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point fifteen. Evil thoughts are an abomination to the Lord
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Proverbs fifteen twenty six. Forget not that God is omniscient.
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He sees all your thoughts. He knows them better than
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you do yourself. And at the judgment they will then
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everyone will be disclosed. They everyone will be disclosed your thoughts.
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It is the evil desire next arises and has the
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turpitude corresponding to that of the sinful action toward which
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it is directed. And evil desire is an act of
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will or deliberate consent. That which proceeds from the heart,
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i e. The will is sin Matthew, fifteen nineteen. Before God,
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the will of sin counts as the deed of sin.
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He who entertains an evil desire has committed the sin
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already in his heart Matthew, five twenty eight. He who
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has consented to immortal sin is like a stag fatally
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wounded by the huntsman, which, if it escapes capture, cannot
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escape death. Evil desire may be compared to the little
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worms which perforate the keel of a vessel and render
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it unseaworthy, if they do not cause it to sink.
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So evil desires arrest the course of the good and
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the pious on the voyage to the celestial heaven, or
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even cause him to sink into the nethermost abyss. Many
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evil desires are mortal sins. Council Trent fourteen, chapter five.
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He who knows not how to tame his evil loss
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is like a rider whose horse take fright, bolts and
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drags him through bogs. And morasses, for he will be
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drawn into mortal sin and finally cast into hell. How
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unhappy are you if you cherish sinful desires in your heart?
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Finally comes the resolution to commit sin, the evil concupiscence,
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which was merely a wish or longing for the sinful object.
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The resolution is the final decision to adopt the means
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necessary to the attainment of that object. Up to this point,
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the sin is still an interior sin. If the occasion
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presents itself for the sin, the exterior act is committed.
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An exterior sin is attended by worse consequences than an
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interior sin. It augments the malice of the will, destroys
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the sense of shame, often gives scandal, brings misery on
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the sinner, and is more severely punished by God. A
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king has entrusted the defense of a fortress to his general.
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A messenger sin in disguise to this general, bearing a
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letter in which a large sum of money is offered
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him if he will surrender the fortress. Three courses of
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action are open to the general. Either he will reject
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the offer and have the messenger hanged as a spy,
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or he may enter into negotiations with him at first,
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and then presently break them off, or he may open
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the gates to the enemy. Our soul is that fortress,
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we are its command, and our adversary is the devil.
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He sends out an an envoy, envoy whatever, seeking all
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manner of promises and representations to a strangers from God.
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If we indignantly reject his advances, our loyalty to God
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is thereby confirmed. If we take pleasure in his suggestion,
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we begin to fail in fidelity to God and deserve punishment.
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If we commit the sin, we surrender our soul to
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the devil, who enters in with all his satellites. After
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mortal sin, the soul is in a state of sin
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when water is once frozen or remains a block of
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ice until it is melted by heat. Thus it is
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with the man who falls into mortal sin, because in
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a state of sin he is brought to repentance. He
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continues in a state of sin until he is brought
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to repentance. Hence, we may say that man lives in sin,
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or he died in his sins, etc. By the repetition
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of exterior sins. The habit of sin or vice is contracted.
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If mortal sin be repeated many times, the habit of
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sin is formed. That is to say, the sinner acquires
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a certain proficiency in wickedness. The will was permanently inclined
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to evil. The Father's point to three instances in which
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Christ raised the dead as an exemplifying mortal as exemplifying
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mortal sin in his three stages interior sin, exterior sin,
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and the habit of vice. Whoso only sins in his
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heart is like the daughter of Jerius, who lay dead
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within the house. He who commits sin outwardly is like
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the young man N'arin n'arin I guess, who was carried
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out of the city gates. While he who has given
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up devices like Lazarreths, who has laid several days in
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the grave. In the first two instances, our Lord merely
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bade the dead to arise. In the last, he was
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troubled in spirit. He wept, He caused the stone to
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be removed, and called loudly to the interior of the sepulture.
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This he did to signify the great difficulty of reawakening
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one who has sunk in vice to the life of
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the spirit. Every outward sin and every vice brings as
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its own punishment other sins and vices of a different
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name than its train. In its train, the grace of
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God departs from every man who has fallen into mortal sin,
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not so temptation. In fact, the evil enemy bestirs himself
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the more to bind his captive more tightly. Now, since
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temptation cannot be overcome without God's grace, the sinner falls
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lower and lower from one sin to another, with a
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sin which follows upon a sin, may therefore be called
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chastisement of sin. Holy scripture expresses the withdrawal of grace,
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and words such as these, God blinded the eyes or
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hardened the hearts of the sinner. God delivered him up
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to a reprobate Sins Romans one eight. If any vice
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is firmly rooted in the soul, it often brings after
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it sins of the worst type, and those are said
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to cry to Heaven for vengeance. Finally, it produces complete
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obduracy in the sinner. He who has for a lengthened
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period been given over to a life of sin does
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not shrink from the greatest excesses, just as perfection and
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virtue produces for moral man upon earth, happiness, which is
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almost said of heaven and exalts him to union with God.
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So there are different grades and vice by which the
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soul descends to the condition of the reprobate, and her
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complete separation from God is consummated. Finally, he who is
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a slave vice is often inspired by the bitter hatred
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of God, and willfully and of set purpose resists the
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influence and actions of the Holy Spirit, and at lasts,
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by final impenitence, commits the sin against the Holy Ghost,
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which cannot be forgiven. If you cannot admit that you're
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in the wrong, you can't repent and be saved. That's
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the unforgivable sin. I mean, that's basically what it comes
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down to this, you know. And the Pharisees said that
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Jesus committed I mean, perform miracles through the power of
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the devil or demons. They were committing an unforgivable sin
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because they had attributed to the devil the qualities that
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belong to God. They could not then it meant that
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Jesus was God. It's the same thing. If someone dies unrepentant,
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it's the sin against the Holy Spirit. Another sin against
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the Holy Spirit is presumption where you just say, okay,
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God's going to forgive me no matter what he understands.
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And that's what is taught in our society these days,
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especially in Protestant churches. You know, it's okay to be gay,
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it's okay to get divorced, it's okay to cheat on
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your spouse, it's okay to have an abortion. God understands
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you're weak, you're you know, you do the best you can. No,
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that's not actually true, it's not okay. That's the sin
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of presumption. And if you're under that presumption you don't
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repent and change your life, you don't beg forgiveness. That
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that is like more pernicious then so much of the
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of the evil. I mean, what was it ful? Machine said,
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you know, the devil's greatest accomplishment was convincing people he
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didn't exist. If you're not willing to repent and change
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your ways, you can't be forgiven and you die in
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your sin. And unfortunately, that's what the majority of Christian
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churches are teaching these days, and even Catholics. And I mean,
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we've got to have a real wake up call in
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modern Christianity because basically, a person who comes into church
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and says they believe in God and does everything, but
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who will not repent of their sins and continue sinning
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is at least in as bad a place as the
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person who knows nothing of God in Christianity and is
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not part of a church of any denomination at all.
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And actually, if that person's a Catholic who says that
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you know, God understands, or I don't care what the
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church teaches, this is modern times. Homosexuality is just fine.
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It's just one for instance. I mean, it's just an example.
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It could be any sin that's popular in our culture.
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That person baptized confirmed in the Catholic Church commits a
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mortal sin every time they receive the Eucharist. So that person,
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the Christian, who continues in their sins unrepentant, is in
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a worse position than the pagan or the atheist or
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the agnostic or somewhat of another religion who's actually trying
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to do their best and doesn't understand everything. And I
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mean that's not to say that every single Catholic in
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that church is not a sinner. We all are. The
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important thing is we recognize that we know it's wrong.
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We go to confession and we try to do better
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each time. Each time we come out resolve saying I'm
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gonna do better, I'm gonna do my best to do better,
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will probably fall again, and we will over and over
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and over. But God willing, through the Sacraments, through the Eucharist,
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holiness begins to grow within us. And as we mature
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as Christians, we are able to reform our lives and
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separate ourselves from those sins and have become, you know,
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truly repentant. And that's, you know, true contrition is resolving
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not to do it again. Yeah, so much, so much
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in our culture is absolutely teaching the wrong lessons. On
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the one hand, they'll say, you know, Christians shouldn't be judgmental.
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Jesus said, judge not unless you be judged. Jesus also said,
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go and sin no more, lest something worse befall you. Your
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sins are forgiven, Go and sin no more. It's to
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pretend that something is that is sinful is not sinful.
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For fear of offending a person, for fear of being judgmental,
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is the same as letting a block men walk off
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a cliff without warning him of the danger, and then
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itself is immortal sin no, we have to judge the
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tree by its fruit. We have to be willing to
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say this is right and this is wrong, and if
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we're not, we're actually putting people in a worse position.
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There's no reason on the one hand, to be self
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righteous and think we're better than others because we're sitting
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in a church pew, because we're actually be judged more harshly.
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We're actually probably worse off than others if we don't
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submit to the teaching of God and his church. But
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on the other hand, there's no virtue whatsoever in failing
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to admonish, failing to instruct people and what's right and wrong.
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It has to be done. That is the role of
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the church. It is exactly what Jesus told his apostles
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and disciples to do. Yeah, we're getting some really bad
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mixed messages these days, and unfortunately a lot of it's
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coming from the leadership of our own church. So just
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remember God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. There's
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one truth and it never changes. Doesn't matter whose pope,
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and it doesn't matter who your bishop is, it doesn't
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matter who your priest is. There you know they can
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get things wrong. I mean the Pope is prevented by
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the Holy Spirit from officially teaching anything faults in terms
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of morals and doctrine from the chair of Saint Peter
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in union with the cardinals and bishops and all that. Okay,
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doesn't mean he can't have bad opinions. It can't doesn't
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mean he can't be wrong on any number of things,
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or confused or whatever. A lot of the problem with
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Pope Francis is he speaks in a confusing manner, and
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a liberal media takes it and twists it and run
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runs with it with their own agenda. I really think
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he could prevent that by just speaking more clearly or
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issuing statements ofarification, saying, wait a minute, y'all got it wrong,
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but you know whatever. For whatever reason, he doesn't. Usually,
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and those who work in the Vatican, who are actually
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in the offices that send out official documents, are like
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ten thousand times worse. These people could not form a
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simple sentence that's understandable to a common person to save
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their lives. They could not write a three or five
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word sentence to save their lives. Anything they write is
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going to be like fifty seven words long, half of
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it in Latin and referencing, you know, texts from the
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fifth century. I mean, they just cannot, for some reason
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speak plainly. And you know that's that's a big problem,
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and I hope that will be addressed in coming years.
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I mean, Pope John paul A second Saint, Pope John
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paul A, second Pope, Saint whatever, you know what I'm
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talking about, he spoke very plainly. And Pope Benedict spoke
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very plainly. Remember he was called God's Rottweiler. I mean,
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for some reason, the Catholic hierarchy is unable to communicate
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with the common man, and we really need them to
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do just that. So anyway, y'all remember the words of
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Saint Padre Pio, pray, hope and don't worry, and I'll
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talk to you'd except