Vatican updates seven deadly sins

[Jaga]

I like it. Some really positive development in Catholic Church!

www.smh.com.au/news/environment/vatican-updates-seven-deadly-sins/2008/03/10/1205125819939.html

People who don't pick up their dogs' addition to the environment in the park may be risking more than a fine - they may be putting their souls at risk of damnation, according to a new Vatican list of seven deadly sins for the 21st century.

As the seven ancient wonders of the world were matched by seven modern wonders, the seven deadly sins have been given a modern version for a globalised world, announced by a Vatican official yesterday.

Polluting, genetic engineering, obscene riches, taking drugs, abortion, pedophilia and causing social injustice join the original seven deadly sins defined by Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century: pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and sloth.

[kaima]

admin said:

Polluting, genetic engineering, obscene riches, taking drugs, abortion, pedophilia and causing social injustice join the original seven deadly sins defined by Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century: pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and sloth.

I guess that shows how distant I hve become from the grade school teachings. I figured usury was in the old list as well, but I guess it was on a different forbidden list. I'll skip the new list and read from the Old List to tell you what I see wrong with our holier-than-thou patriotic gummn't:

Usury; pride; gluttony; greed; lust; wrath; and sloth.

Some are quite the politicians, some are quite the citizens traits. I suppose I left off envy since it seems we in America are so proud today we envy no one except our neighbors.

Kai

[nathanael]

I applaud this recent stance of the Vatican to update the list of mortal sins. Of special interest is the condemnation of the "imbalance between the rich and the poor as a violation of the basic rights of human nature" (cf. Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press, "Vatican updates its thou-shalt-not list"). I recall the words of the Polish Pope in this regard: "Development models that do not respect and support human rights, individual and social, economic and political, along with the rights of nations and peoples, are not worthy of man" (Sollicitudo rei socialis, 33). We have been talking about this in recent posts on the effects of globalization on world's poor, not just American. Interestingly, Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary sees the new mortal sins as "corrolaries of the unstoppable globalization." Much of the credit for this welcome change in Church's attitude certainly goes to John Paul II, who dedicated his encyclicals Sollicitudo rei socialis and Laborem exercens to the growing rift between the rich and the poor. The gap between the "obscene riches" of a few, and the destitution of the one billion living on one dollar a day is constantly increasing ... while the moral level of leaders is going down! When sins aren't called by name, the moral duplicity increases, and so does social injustice. The latest example of this extreme duplicity is Gov. Spitzer from New York, who run on a platform "to eliminate prostitution rackets," but secretly himself was involved in one such ring! I believe that there is a correlation between public morality and social sin. And I am glad that the Vatican is finally speaking out.

[rdywenur]

Of special interest is the condemnation of the "imbalance between the rich and the poor as a violation of the basic rights of human nature" (cf. Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press, "Vatican updates its thou-shalt-not list").

Wonder how the Vatican explains it's own wealth as they click their little red shoes.

[nathanael]

rdywenur said:

Of special interest is the condemnation of the "imbalance between the rich and the poor as a violation of the basic rights of human nature" (cf. Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press, "Vatican updates its thou-shalt-not list").

Wonder how the Vatican explains it's own wealth as they click their little red shoes.

I am not a Vatican advocate. But one should distinguish between "wealth" and the "imbalance of wealth." Vatican is talking about the imbalance between the rich and the poor. People are allowed to be reasonably wealthy. But, as John Paul II has pointed out, "wealth brings with itself a responsibility to use it for those who do not have it" (por. Mt 25, 26-28, on the unused talent). Perhaps imprfectly, but the Catholic Church is nonetheless working on behalf of the poor; Warren Buffett is skimming as much money as he can, for himself (his pledge to endow the Gates' Scholarship Fund is a travesty: every intelligent person knows that the "scholarship" is a colossal safe haven to avoid taxes; it's a fund that is constantly growing (10's of billions), but it is only minimally spent on students!)! Here is what the Polish Pope has said on the imbalance of wealth: "One of the greatest injustices of the present world consists precisely in that relatively few own much, whereas the many own almost nothing. This injustice stems from a faulty distribution of wealth and services originally ordained for all" (Sollicitudo rei socialis, 28). In recent years, the numbers of billionaires have increased worldwide, as much as tenfold, while the number of the poor also went up in the same proportion! This is exactly what Vatican is condemning: the rich are getting richer; the poor are getting poorer ... which proves that "the talents" held by the rich are not being reinvested in stamping out poverty!

[hollister]

to be fair ... Warren Buffett has spoken out on the inequities in the current us tax structure ...
"NEW YORK, June 26 -- Warren E. Buffett was his usual folksy self Tuesday night at a fundraiser for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as he slammed a system that allows the very rich to pay taxes at a lower rate than the middle class.

Buffett cited himself, the third-richest person in the world, as an example. Last year, Buffett said, he was taxed at 17.7 percent on his taxable income of more than $46 million. His receptionist was taxed at about 30 percent.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/27/AR2007062700097.html

[leslie]

Let's get this straight - I believe in God, but my Church only believe in this one deity, and will only approve anything that is without any disbelief in the Bible. I am not an authority on the Bible, having only recently returned to being a believer, but where does it define or even state the 7 deadly sins, and even more so where it states that Catholics should not eat meat on a Friday? And where does it give mere mortals - and that includes all forms of the priesthood - their right to condemn people under other deadly sins they have thought up? I can do that quite easily myself.
I am not decrying your own branch of religion or your beliefs, nor those of anybody else; I am just writing this to put a different view than that held by many (I suspect a decreasing number).

[jimpres]

Leslie,
The seven deadly sins. The more accurate description is the 'seven capital vices.' A vice is no the same thing as a sin; rather, it is a habit that inclines us to sin. Usually a vice is the result of repeated sinful actions of a particular kind, so that a truly 'vicious' cycle appears: Sins lead to a habit which in turn leads to more sins.
The word 'capital' comes from the latin term for 'head'. A capital vice is thus 'head or chief, among other vices in the sense that it leads to others. Though scripture contains NO explicit reference to seven particular vices as 'capital' we find numerous biblical warnings against these seven: pride, sloth, lust, greed, gluttony, and anger. The wisdom books especially --- Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, and Sirach -- address them repeatedly.
Pride: Sir 10:13
Envy Wis 2:24
Sloth Prv 12:24
Lust Prv 6:25-29
Greed Ps 119:36
Gluttony Prv 23:21
Anger Ps 37:8

Ref:The New Catholic Answer Bible, copyright 2005

[jimpres]

Leslie,

As far as eating meat on Fridays; The practice of abstinence is a form of penance. It is motivated by a sense of self-sacrifice and a desire to grow in prayer and charity. In other words, its goal is to unite believers to the generous and saving love of Jesus.

[george]

"People who don't pick up their dogs' addition to the environment in the park may be risking more than a fine - they may be putting their souls at risk of damnation, according to a new Vatican list of seven deadly sins for the 21st century."

Bless me Father for i have sinned

My dog pooped in the park and i did not pick up after him. Next question. Dose the dog have to say five Our Fathers or does the owner?

[jimpres]

George,

If your dog can talk then he is on the hook. ; )

Jim