Politicians, Bishops, and Mortal Sin
Respect For Life, God’s Moral Teachings, and Scandal
There have been grave and immoral scandals brewing for decades among society and even among persons who claim the descriptive of “Christian.” The subject of today’s serpent driven scandal reared its ugly head in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election cycle, when a self-proclaimed Catholic took the oath of office as the 46th president of the United States of America.
High among candidate Biden’s campaign platform priorities and political history is his support for pro-abortion and PRO LGBTQwxyz legislation. The primary purpose of this letter is to address the gravity and sinful nature of publicly supporting or promulgating political agendas that are contrary to our Lord’s moral requirements. This Document isn’t necessarily about President Biden, he is simply the highest profile example of someone obstinately defying the Church’s moral teachings. Joe Biden was voted in, ostensibly with the support of millions of other so-called Catholics who likewise, obstinately defy the teachings of their Church.
Possibly an even greater scandal addressed here is that in the midst of this scandalous debate, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) met to discuss whether or not to prohibit errant politicians from receiving the Eucharist at Roman Catholic Churches (RCC). The scandal of those gathered bishops was, despite it being enumerated in RCC Canon Law that in supporting such grave evil separates persons from the sacraments of their Church, over 60 bishops voted against any sanctions.
In the context of this writing, Scandal is a MORTAL SIN, an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who propagates scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave and mortal offense, whether if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense. Have no doubt, my sister and brothers, such Mortal sin separates is from God and communion with His Church.
As such, scandal is a Mortal Sin, as it takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Such Scandal is grave and Mortal Sin when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep's clothing.
Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.
Therefore, they are guilty of scandal and Mortal Sin who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to "social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible." This is also true of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke their children to anger, or manipulators of public opinion who turn it away from moral values.
Anyone who uses the power at his disposal in such a way that it leads others to also commit Mortal Sin, becomes guilty of scandal and responsible for the evil that he has directly or indirectly encouraged. "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!”
God’s moral laws are imperatives and immutable. They are neither changeable or optional. Whether you’re a politician or a Bishop, taking public stances directly opposed to God’s God’ moral laws as presented in the Historic Deposit of faith, puts your soul in mortal peril.
No, we are not to be a judgmental people. Those without an Authentic Faith in Jesus are already judged. No, we don’t have a moral litmus test to attend our churches. We don’t require that you pass some sort of morality test prior to being admitted to our Sacramental Liturgies. With that stated, we do ask that all who seek the sacraments in our churches, do all they can to examine their conscience and approach the Lord’s altar with a clean heart. However, some among us are more outspoken and visible in their defiance of God’s divine will. These men and women are indeed welcome in the Lord’s house, as are all, but they may be reminded to abstain from defiling themselves by taking the Eucharist in an unworthy manner.
We as Catholics and especially those in influential positions of leadership must heed the warnings that we are actually going to be held account for the nature and content of our teachings and even our political actions. Do not be deceived, even Bishops are culpable of Mortal Sin when they either by their words, actions, or silence, refuse to take a stand for God’s TRUTH and tacitly allow the flock they shepherd to slip into mortal sin and apostasy.
My prayer is that all who read these writings will hear the Lord say to them on that final day — Well done, my good and faithful servant. Woe to those who here God say “depart from me, for I never knew you.
++Michael Callahan
Presiding Archbishop
The Catholic Church in America
The above in Italic, is quoted from the RCC Catechism