No matter how bad a person in life is, if he sincerely repents, he’s saved. He might spend three lifetimes in purgatory, but he’s saved.
Tactfully said … and accurate too in some cases.
The “source” who reported the story is Chavez’ VP and presumptive successor it looks like.
This doesn’t mean his report is untrue. Chavez being publicly seen with a Rosary around his neck might just be a public penance for past wrongs – although politicians do things to pad their approval ratings often as well.
This Sunday’s Gospel IS the parable of the Prodigal Son! And I must admit … the Prodigal was a changed man and repentant. And as he was broke and without any power to pay restitution back to his father. He didn’t have to. * Or was that because there was no theft - it was his own inheritance he squandered. *
With Chavez his poverty was his health, not his wealth or power. The VPs report that Chavez had “received the sacraments” makes one guess that one of them was Reconciliation. Which is quite private in what was (or wasn’t) confessed.
In the case of a sin involving “theft” – part of the penance is restitution. One may not steal something, keep it, confess the sin and NOT make restitution (as much as is possible up to the amount or damage done caused by the theft).
huffingtonpost.com/robert-amsterdam/hunger-strikes-expose-hug_b_304557.html < The case of the jailing of this never before arrested 22 year old in 2009 - on free speech violation charges was quite PUBLIC. Are we to expect the freeing of political prisoners in Venezuela soon (or was it quietly already done)? That would make quite a difference.
Full restitution and repentance – and the availability of a plenary indulgence – might make even a stop in purgatory unnecessary! Not to canonize anyone. :tsktsk::nope:
newadvent.org/cathen/12788a.htm < New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia on the subject of “Restitution”.
Restitution has a special sense in moral theology. It signifies an act of commutative justice by which exact reparation as far as possible is made for an injury that has been done to another.
An injury may be done to another by detaining what is known to belong to him in strict justice and by wilfully doing him damage in his property or reputation. As justice between man and man requires that what belongs to another should be rendered him, justice is violated by keeping from another against his reasonable will what belongs to him, and by willfully doing him damage in goods or reputation.
Commutative justice therefore requires that restitution should be made whenever that virtue has been violated. This obligation is identical with that imposed by the Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.” For the obligation not to deprive another of what belongs to him is identical with that of not keeping from another what belongs to him. As theft is a grave sin of its own nature, so is the refusal to make restitution for injustice that has been committed.
Restitution signifies not any sort of reparation made for injury inflicted, but exact reparation as far as possible.
“Nationalizing” someone else’s property on behalf of others … is probably less egregious than keeping it personally oneself … but it goes beyond “coveting another’s goods” it would seem. And when attempts to rule the whole country by decree later (dictatorial “emergency powers” were sought) – nationalizing riches “for the people” starts looking a bit like
( … especially person number ONE).
catholicnewsagency.com/news/venezuelan-archbishop-fears-dictatorship-if-chavez-receives-increase-in-power/
I hope the funeral is a bit solemn and* low-key as would befit a Prodigal.* Being co-opted into looking like tacit approval for an ongoing Socialist Dictatorship should be avoided IMO.
I do wish the best for Venezuela: peace, reconciliation, and justice … to go along with mercy and closure.
R.I.P.