A Vatican official has listed drugs, pollution and genetic manipulations as well as social and economic injustices as new areas of sinful behavior.
Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti said in an interview published on Sunday by the Vatican's daily newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, that known sins increasingly manifest themselves as behavior that damages society as a whole.
Girotti, who heads the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican body that issues decisions on matters of conscience and grants absolutions told the paper that whilst sin used to concern the individual mostly, today it had a mainly a social resonance, due to the phenomenon of globalization.
Catholic teaching distinguishes between lesser, so-called venial sins, and mortal sins.
When asked to list the new areas of sinful behavior, Girotti denounced "certain violations of the fundamental rights of human nature through experiments, genetic manipulations."
He also mentioned drugs, which weaken the mind and obscure intelligence; pollution; as well as the widening social and economic differences between the rich and the poor that "cause an unbearable social injustice."
Girotti said the Catholic Church continued to be concerned by other sinful acts, including abortion and pedophilia.
He said Church authorities had reacted with rigorous measures to child abuse scandals within the clergy, but he also claimed that the issue had been excessively emphasized by the media.
His comments came at the end of a week-long Vatican conference on confession.
A recent survey said that 60 percent of Italian Catholics do not go to confession.
Traditionally the Catholic church has had a list of seven deadly sins, that of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride established by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century.
The terms entered the popular vocabulary after the publication of Dante's "Divine Comedy."
The deadly sins are in contrast with venial sins - relatively minor sins that can be forgiven.
A person that commits a mortal sin risks burning in hell unless absolved through confession and penitence.
Now the Vatican says it is time to modernize the list to fit a global world.
On hearing the Girotti's suggestion, some priests thought it was a good idea.
Father Antonio Pelayo, a Spanish priest and Vatican expert noted that it is time for both sinners and confessors to get over their obsession with sex and think about other ways humans hurt each other in the world in which they live.
"There are many other sins that are perhaps much more grave that don't have anything to do with sex - that have to do with life, that have to do with the environment, that have to do with justice," he told AP Television.
Father Greg Apparcel, a local priest said that the Pope may have been talking About this aspect of sin as a response to the recent "Italian confession" survey.
Apparcel also hinted that the announcement may have a wider agenda ahead of the Holy Father's trip to the United States and his speech to the United Nations.
"There is some sound going around that perhaps he is going to speak about ecology and environment, and if he does, this is kind of preparation for that," he said
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments
Let me expound on my comment "TLIML,
God has healed many Protestants too. What's your point? And He didnt have to use an apparition. "
I guess it all comes down to faith. The Catholic faith is based on physical icons (idols) and visual appearances. My faith is based on God's Word, His Spirit, and His promises. Mine just happens to be a more mature faith than others.
tliml,
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved - Acts 4:12.
correction:
"given to us by Jesus Christ"
tliml,
I will continue to follow Jesus' example of using the scriptures to declare "truth." Churches (body of believers) can only declare the salvation already give to us by Jesus Christ; no church can save you, no priest or pastor can enter your heart and sanctify it. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. I have and will continue to pray for you.
TLIML,
God has healed many Protestants too. What's your point? And He didnt have to use an apparition.
TLIML,
For the millionth time...yes I do keep the sabbath. You certainly do love beating that dead horse, dont you.
As far as the KKK thing, that's a no brainer. Now, I know what you're doing. Erroneously comparing the KKK with Protestants. Just because someone claims to be a Christian, doesn't make them one. Does their fruit prove they are a Christian? Nope. So, then they are not a Christian. Your continuation of saying that the KKK are Christians simply shows your lack of understanding of the scriptures, and your immaturity.
Laudamuste, I say to you. The Holy Mother recently appeared yesterday to a child and everyone in the room of the hospital that he was in. He had terminal cancer. Then... he didn't. Sure was a demon doing that! Ave Maria! Hail Heaven's Queen! O lux caelestia thou giver of all gladness o plena gracia! :D You know who else appeared yesterday? Three KKK men appeared at an african american woman's house and lynched her. Hmmm... which is better... curing... lynching... curing... lynching... Who sounds like the demon to YOU?
Thou shalt keep holy the sabbath. Do Protesants do THAT? :(
Online-
I do NOT assume that. However we are NOT talking about individual Protestatants. We are talking about WHICH church has the means of salvation. Before you told me that you would pray that I would see the truth. I am merely saying that the "truth" about the Protestant church is one that I would rather do without.
correction:
“according to men in the flesh,”
continued:
1Peter 4:6 –
Peter did not imply that the gospel was then preached to the souls of the dead, as some teach. He said the gospel “was preached” to those who “are [now] dead.” The preaching was done while they were still alive, and they will be judged on the basis of how they lived “according to men I the flesh,” or while they were still alive. Peter is undoubtedly talking about the Christian dead, because he refers to their living again “according to God [as God lives] in the spirit.” In other words, they will receive immortality in the resurrection and will have a life that measures with the life of God.
Luke 16:22-23 –
1.The beggar died and was taken by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. No one believes that Abraham’s literal bosom is the abode of the righteous dead. It is a figurative or parabolic expression - 2. Heaven and hell were separated by a gulf, and yet the persons in each could converse with each other. There are probably few individuals in the world who believe that this will be literally true of the saved and the lost - And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away – Revelation 21:4 – 3. The rich man was in hell with a body? I know of no one who teaches that the “bodies” of the wicked go into hell as soon as they die – 4. How much relief would a finger dipped in water provide? This could not possibly hint at the “communion of saints.” The whole story is unrealistic and parabolic.
Look forward to your reply; God bless.
St,
It appears that I responded a little late; your last post answered some of my questions, thanks. It is important to note that neither Jesus nor the apostles ever mentioned purgatory; this doctrine was introduced in 593 by the papacy. This is also significant.
1Corinthians 3:13-15 – these passages are speaking of a man’s “work or foundation” on which he builds; how can you equate a man’s “work” with his soul? In essence, these passage are describing a man building upon the foundation (Christ Jesus – 1Cor. 3:11) and saying if any one build gold, silver, costly stones - Three sorts of materials which will bear the fire; true and solid doctrines. The wood, hay, and stubble which will not bear the fire; such are all doctrines, ceremonies, and forms of human invention; all but the substantial, vital truths of Christianity. Again, all three verses (13-15) speak of his work that is being built upon the foundation.
Sheol refers to the grave; in numerous passages, Sheol is found in parallelism with the Hebrew word bor, which denotes “a pit” such as a grave. For example, the Psalmist writes: “For my soul is full of troubles and my life draws near to Sheol. I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit [bor]” Ps. 88:3-4. Sheol is also characterized as “the land of darkness and deep darkness” (Job 10:21, where the dead never see light again (Ps. 49:20; 88:13). It is also “the land of silence” (Ps. 94:17; 115:17) and the land of no return: “As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.” – Job 7:9-10.
The Greek word hades came into Biblical use when the translators of the Septuagint chose it to render the Hebrew Sheol. The problem is that hades was used in the Greek world in a vastly different way than Sheol. The translation of hades as “hell” is inaccurate and misleading, because, with the exception of Luke 16:23, the term refers to the grave, not a place of punishment. The term Gehenna, is rightly translated “hell”. So, hades is used in the New Testament as the standing equivalent of Sheol, the grave.
Tliml,
I agree that abortion is a man made thing; however, you presumably claim that all Protestants support this shameful practice – you are wrong. What is this rambling about killing blacks, Catholics, KKK, churches being burned, and aborting babies? Have you had too much caffeine this evening?
Online-
Abortion was a man-made thing, but most Protestant churches do not see any problem with it. Kill the blacks, kill the catholics, kill the babies, right? Hm, while you guys are at it, endorsing abortion and the day after pill and what not, why not endorse the WEEK after pill? Ya know, the baby is born and after a week and you don't like it you can give it a pill and kill it! Sounds good right? You know a black man was hung from an elementary school flagpole in Georgia last month. The flag was switched with a KKK flag. I am soooo feeling the whole "truth" thing. I see truth in men being lynched. I see truth in Catholic churches being BURNED. I see truth in killing babies. Yes I see the truth about Protestantism. I wonder when you will...
Prophet-
When you say "Hmmm... I am going to kick Tim today" that is your body, flesh, blood, mind, AND soul SINNING. Jesus did not forgive EVERY SINGLE SIN that you WOULD do. He made it POSSIBLE to gain access to heaven, he opened the gates! It was a gift to allow us to be able to TRY to get into heaven, the gift was not straightaway access. And I have another bible reference for Petran supremecy. Peter and... oh jeese... John I believe it was... were preaching of Jesus when the temple guards captured them and brought them before the priests. When the priests questioned them, the bible says "Peter answered, because HE was filled by the Holy Spirit" it didn't mention the other apostle, it said PETER answered because PETER was filled.