Attentive solicitude towards mortal sin?

[nas_matko]

Can somebody please explain this to me:

Catechism 1650-1651:

1650 Today there are numerous Catholics in many countries who have recourse to civil divorce and contract new civil unions. In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ - "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery"The Church maintains that a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was. If the divorced are remarried civilly, they find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God’s law. Consequently, they cannot receive Eucharistic communion as long as this situation persists. For the same reason, they cannot exercise certain ecclesial responsibilities. Reconciliation through the sacrament of Penance can be granted only to those who have repented for having violated the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to Christ, and who are committed to living in complete continence.

1651 Toward Christians who live in this situation, and who often keep the faith and desire to bring up their children in a Christian manner, priests and the whole community must manifest an attentive solicitude, so that they do not consider themselves separated from the Church, in whose life they can and must participate as baptized persons:

1. I thought, that whoever commits mortal sin is separating himself from the Church
2. Does that mean, that if I know, that somebody is publicly commiting mortal sin, I shoul pretend that nothing wrong is going on, just to preserv them from feeling of being separated from the Church?

Thank you for you answer.

 

[Liberian]

Nas Matko,

Hello and welcome to the Catholic Answers Forums! I hope you have a blessed and fruitful time here. If you are re-registering after the Great Crash of '06, welcome anyway!

The situation that the Catechism is referring to is that of an invalidly-married couple who, for example, have children that they are trying to bring up. When they wake up to the fact that they have committed a mortal sin and gone to confession, what are they to do with their situation? For them to break up their relationship and destroy their children’s world would be another sin–and God help the children in that case. For the Church to ostracize them (which is the natural reaction of most people) wouldn’t help either, and would only create bitterness on the part of them and the children. The call to “attentive solicitude” is meant to make sure that the Church does not ostracize such a family.

• Liberian

 

[nas_matko]

Hi Liberian,

unfortunatelly I am one of these, who has been wiped out from databse during The Great Crash. But thanks for welcoming anyway.

I understand your point, but this situation is described in section 1650 ( Reconciliation through the sacrament of Penance can be granted only to those who have repented for having violated the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to Christ, and who are committed to living in complete continence.).
In this situation they are no more in state of sin and there is no reason to ostracize them. In this context section 1651 is about those who do not repent.

Now key question, isn’t somebody who is living in state of mortal sin detached from the community of the faithul by this sin itself. Should we really pretend that everything is OK, even if the person is publicly commiting adultery?

 

[Timidity]

Now key question, isn’t somebody who is living in state of mortal sin detached from the community of the faithul by this sin itself. Should we really pretend that everything is OK, even if the person is publicly commiting adultery?

I’m at a loss as to how this is a practical question for the average parishioner.

If you see a couple, your assumption should be that they are validly married.

Even if you somehow know that Mrs. Smith was previously married, your assumption should be that it was anulled and the current union blessed.

I can’t even imagine how you would know that isn’t the case, but even if you did, you need to assume that they’re living in complete continence.

And how, pray-tell, would anyone but the couple know if that weren’t the case?

So, all things considered, the average parishioner will never be called upon to make such a decision, and should just welcome everyone.

 

[Corki]

Now key question, isn’t somebody who is living in state of mortal sin detached from the community of the faithul by this sin itself. Should we really pretend that everything is OK, even if the person is publicly commiting adultery?

The Church is a hospital for sinners, as they say.

No, we should not pretend that everything is “ok”. This is why the divorced and remarried (no annulment) are not considered appropriate for lay ministries such as Catechists or EMHCs. Nor are they appropriate as sponsors for Confirmation or Baptism. But they should be welcomed at Mass, encourage to participate in parish life (Bible studies, fundraisers, communal prayer) with the sincere hope that they will eventually achieve full reconciliation.

I might add that there are few “public” acts of adultery. Except in a few cases, we do not know the state of a person’s married life. It could well be that they are living continently and have repented and been absolved.

 

[Liberian]

Nas Matko,

I see your point about 1651 applying to people who have not repented and made the commitment to living in complete continence. I would say, though, that someone who is “detached from the community of the faithful” is in a state of excommunication, not a state of mortal sin. As such, even if a person is in a state of mortal sin, he can still (as the Catechism says) participate in parish life in some ways.

I don’t think we should pretend that everything is OK–although as another respondent has correctly pointed out, the question should not come up very often. Quite simply, somebody else’s sex life is none of my business. (If somebody declares “I’m living in sin and I challenge you to say that it’s wrong,” then by all means tell him that it’s wrong. But that doesn’t usually happen.) In the meantime, if the person is trying to do other things correctly (like raising children in the faith), even if he has not been able to shake the mortal sin, he should get all the help we can give him.

• Liberian