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Updated Deadly Sins [Updated]

Today's Dominion Post has a large article on the front page of the world section titled "Polluters and druggies - go to hell". The teaser on the front page says "Deadly Sins: Pope's new list". News items on the radio have also be referring to the seven deadly sins being revised. FairFactsMedia and David Farrar and Peter Cresswell have jumped on the bandwagon. The following is an example of the major error in understanding of what the Vatican has said:
The Vatican has brought up to date the traditional seven deadly sins by adding seven modern mortal sins it claims are becoming prevalent in what it calls an era of "unstoppable globalisation".

~ Fewer confessions and new sins ~ BBC
Where do I start?

The first error is the assumption that there were only seven "deadly" sins to start with and that these "new" seven are actually adding to that list. The seven stand on their own and don't need to be added to.

The second error is in interpretation. These "new" sins aren't really new. They are already covered under the original seven and/or the Ten Commandments and/or Church Doctrine. They may seem to be new as they cover new situations where the same old sin takes hold. That's most likely what Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti meant when asked about "new" sins.

For a less biased and more accurate article than both the BBC and the Times articles, I would recommend this one by Associated Press: Vatican Updates Its Thou-Shalt-Not List. It puts the whole thing into much better perspective.

As an aside to all of this, it's always interesting what type of Catholic news makes it to mainstream secular consciousness. Digging up and displaying St Pio doesn't make a mention, but adding sins - woah! There's probably a psychological reason for that. Maybe it's because deep down, people know they need a better appreciation of sin, so the antennae pop up. Which is a good thing, because sin is what separates us from God and a knowledge of sin is one of the first steps in healing that separation.

Update:
Archbishop Girotti said that the modern world does not understand the nature of sin. With their coverage of the interview, the mass media unintentionally underlined the prelate's point.
The Forum: Not "new sins" but an old media blind spot ~ Catholic World News

Comments

  1. Catholicism and Orthodoxy are in revival in Europe.

    Very scary if you are an ardent secularist.

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  2. I noticed that at the Times and considered posting it for about 2 seconds and then thankfully thought better of it.

    It simply looked like a fickle journalistic approach to a serious point the Vatican is probably trying to make... I also had in mind your note about the article referring to Luther.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Servant,

    I made the same mistake with one of those English papers last year on their reporting of what the Pope said about environmentalism. I've been a lot more careful since then.

    I remember reading somewhere that the media are now alot more interested in religious matters since 9/11. Unfortunately their interest does not also include increased understanding.

    But then therein lies the opportunity!

    I keep track of NewAdvent for commentary on topical matters to do with Catholicism. That way I don't have to be an expert myself.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It must have been a slow news day. Kiwiblog posted on it and they had a story on One News last night about it, with a reporter going around with a whiteboard into the street and getting people to check off what sins out of the "new" ones that they thought they had committed. All a bit stupid really; par for the course when it comes to the media and the Catholic Church.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ps, as a Catholic priest said last night on One News, they aren't "new" sins. It's just being put another way so that people can relate to and understand the right and wrong in terms of this modern age.

    The Pope hasn't endorsed this or anything.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Justin on NewstalkZB just read out some of David Farrar's post on this.

    I emailed him. I don't expect him to retract anything, though.

    But, you never know. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good Lord, Lucyna - is Justin du Fresne *still* doing mornings on ZB Wgtn? He's been there forever, or since Leighton Smith moved north - whichever came first. :)

    Depending upon where you are down there, try tuning into Smith's prog via 927AM out of Palmerston.

    Try it for comparison's sake, if you can pick it up ...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, including paedophillia is just another attack on Islam's Prophet. No doubt the mad musselmen will be rioting again, as soon as this is explained to them.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well, including paedophillia is just another attack on Islam's Prophet. No doubt the mad musselmen will be rioting again, as soon as this is explained to them.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What amuses me is that neither Fairfacts or NotPC appear to have investigated this properly.

    Farrar simply can't read and has done this for nothing more than his own lust for media attention.

    ReplyDelete

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