Go here to read the rest. We are judged one by one. The vices and virtues of others are not at issue at that time.
PopeWatch: For What I Have Done, and What I Have Failed to Do
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Yes. This is a point I drive home often in class – while we are to help and elevate one another through the glories and difficulties of this vale of tears, judgment and salvation is not a team sport in the end. There is no “we” when standing before the Throne.
“judgment and salvation is not a team sport in the end. There is no “we” when standing before the Throne”
Yes, we are responsible (in cooperation with God’s grace) for our own personal salvation, but — if there really is no such thing as collective guilt or societal sin, why does God, apparently, not hesitate to chastise entire nations, peoples or (ahem) churches for the sins of their leaders? What, then, is the point of people who have never participated in an abortion or promoted heresy or venerated a false idol like Pachamama having to fast and do penance and suffer for sins committed by others? I don’t mean to sound snarky or cynical but this is a question that weighs on me a lot of late.
I agree that the “sins” the Synod is repenting of seem contrived to fit a left leaning world view, but if they had been corporately repenting of sins like abortion, contraception, divorce, transgenderism, occultism, idolatry, heresy, etc., we would probably be praising them instead of complaining that they are committing “unwarranted detraction of others masquerading as contrition”.
I don’t find it snarky at all!
The “we” in question only refers to our temporal state. “We” can be (and often are) punished for wrongdoings done in this life, but in the next one, while the joys of the beatific vision may celebrated collectively, admission is entirely individualized. No mortal is dragging us over the finish line, only the grace of God.
More liberal progressive humanist excrement from the Pontifical Throne which is becoming more and more like a toilet bowel.
I can little effect what the Vatican decides to do with their time (separately or collectively) and thus seek to follow Christ through His enduring Tradition.
Actual sin is deeply personal. A betrayal of my saving Lord by me, voluntarily, willfully. My personal “I won’t.” Ingratitude. Treason.
If God grants me the grace, I will repent my own treason. (He knows how often I have fled his camp and come skulking back repentant.) However, I will not lie and claim another man’s treason as my own.
I will pray for that traitor (having been a traitor myself). I will even do penance in reparation for the damage his crimes have done to the Kingdom. But, do not ask me to lie about what I have done and what I have failed to do. Such perverse speech makes me a traitor all over again by flying the false colors another man’s sin.
Make mine a “Royal” w/cheese.
Robert Royal drives it home well.
Worth the read.
***There is even much greater potential for moral deflection when, instead of dealing in swift and orderly fashion with the Rupniks, the Zanchettas, the McCarricks, the Maciels, and many more – actual miscreants – the Church is making more of political statement that she must confess “her” sins if she hopes to be “credible” in the mission of proclaiming Christ.***
This pontificate is high on nothing burgers, and low on holiness. Africa…come to our aid and how.
The arsonist committed the sin of destroying property. The failure of not vetting a story which incited rage is something to confess, but who am I to make that declaration? Nobody unless I’m collectively roped into the poor decision of others.
“I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous peoples,” Francis said near the site of the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School, where ground-penetrating radar has been used to try to locate unmarked graves of students who died while attending the school.”
– a costly nothing buger.