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In olden days, the deadly sins included lust, gluttony and greed. Now, the Catholic Church says pollution, mind-damaging drugs and genetic experiments are on its updated thou-shalt-not list. Also receiving fresh attention by the Vatican was social injustice, along the lines of the age-old maxim: "The rich get richer while the poor get poorer."
In the Vatican's latest update on how God's law is being violated in today's world, Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, was asked by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano what, in his opinion, are the "new sins."
He cited "violations of the basic rights of human nature" through genetic manipulation, drugs that "weaken the mind and cloud intelligence," and the imbalance between the rich and the poor.
"If yesterday sin had a rather individualistic dimension, today it has a weight, a resonance, that's especially social, rather than individual," said Girotti, whose office deals with matters of conscience and grants absolution.
It's not the first time that the Vatican has sought to put a modern spin on sin. Last year, the Vatican took on the problem of highway accidents, issuing a kind of "Ten Commandments" for drivers against the sins of road rage, alcohol abuse and even rudeness behind the wheel.
Vatican officials, however, stressed that Girotti's comments broke no new ground on what constitutes sin.
On the environment, both Pope Benedict XVI and the late Pope John Paul II frequently expressed concern about the fate of the Earth. During Benedict's papacy, Vatican engineers have developed plans for some Holy See buildings to use solar energy, including photovoltaic cells on the roof of the auditorium for pilgrims' audiences with the pontiff.
John Paul also dedicated much of his long papacy to condemning the gap between have and have-nots in speeches in his travels throughout the world as well as in writings.
"The poor are always becoming poorer and the rich ever more rich, feeding unsustainable social injustice," Girotti said in the interview published Sunday.
Closer to home, Girotti was asked about the many "situations of scandal and sin within the church," in what appeared to be a reference to allegations in the United States and other countries of sexual abuse by clergy of minors and the coverups by hierarchy.
The monsignor acknowledged the "objective gravity" of the allegations, but contended that the heavy coverage by mass media of the scandals must also be denounced because it "discredits the church."
Benedict has been leading the Vatican's campaign against abortion, and Girotti was asked about the "widespread perception" that the church doesn't consider the "difficult" predicament for women.
Girotti rejected that view, saying that Catholic organizations help unwed mothers, educating "their children who come into the worth because of their lack of foresight" and facilitating adoption.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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- Public Discussion (16)
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{"commentId":1561357,"authorDomain":"darkside"}
I'd actually be curious to learn a little bit more about what they mean when they say "drugs" - I'm sure they don't mean all drugs, so how can we tell which ones they're talking about?
{"commentId":1561357,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"darkside"}
- 10 votes
#1 - Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:47 PM EDT{"commentId":1561477,"authorDomain":"prompt"}
Agreed, especially considering they use a drug - alcohol - in one of their most important rituals. Also, how do these 'representatives of God' know that drugs "weaken the mind and obscure intelligence?" There are a number of drugs out there that people have used to further their spiritual knowledge, yet the Church, as usual, is quick to condemn that which it doesn't understand.
{"commentId":1561477,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"prompt"}
- 10 votes
{"commentId":1562012,"authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}
I hope they mean pharmaceuticals. Some people need 'em, but even I think that most pill popping Americans could do better with a heavy dose of God than another night with Prince Valium.
{"commentId":1562012,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":1564735,"authorDomain":"tedel"}
{"commentId":1565325,"authorDomain":"ajzzz"}
Weaken the mind and obscure intelligence, religion is complaining about this?
{"commentId":1565325,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"ajzzz"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1565398,"authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
a sip of wine does not do any harm to the body.
That's true, but have you any idea of how much those alterboys glug down offstage? I do.
{"commentId":1565398,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1566094,"authorDomain":"tedel"}
{"commentId":1561720,"authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
The catholic church is like some old guy who sleeps for months, wakes up, turns on the TV, watches it for an hour of channel surfing and then pronounces stuff to billions of people who listen and try and respect his opinion else they'll go to hell. "Drugs are bad?" Well tut @!$%#ing tut. No @!$%# grand-dad.
And Jesus gets to change his body, slipping out of the wine and bread state into the flesh state thousands of times a day all over the globe but we're not allowed to play with ourselves?
Whatsamatter? Scared of the competition?
{"commentId":1561720,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
- 4 votes
#2 - Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:19 PM EDT{"commentId":1562025,"authorDomain":"hemphill"}
Well littering being a sin now is a nice touch.
{"commentId":1562025,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"hemphill"}
- 1 vote
#3 - Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:33 PM EDT{"commentId":1562457,"authorDomain":"inghar2004"}
They're trying to catch up to contemporary mores, trying to regain control. I wonder if it's working.
{"commentId":1562457,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"inghar2004"}
#4 - Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:12 PM EDT{"commentId":1562749,"authorDomain":"petercasier"}
Can I suggest that in their next release ("Sins Version 3.0"), they promote the use of condoms to limit the spreading of AIDS?
{"commentId":1562749,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"petercasier"}
#5 - Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:45 PM EDT{"commentId":1564745,"authorDomain":"tedel"}
{"commentId":1562802,"authorDomain":"justjim"}
The pope has been watching too much Bill Maher on HBO. Bill has "new rules" and the pope has "new sins."
I wonder if it's a sin to living in place that is worth more than a billion dollars, having a winter and summer residenceS and traveling around in the pope-mobile?
Also according to the Independent Newspaper of London, The pope's worldly assets are:
• The Vatican Bank, Istituto per le Opere di Religione, manages £2bn of assets. It does not reveal its profits or dividends, which are paid directly to the Pope. It enjoys the status of a central bank and has a dealing room adorned with crucifixes and papal portraits where 20 traders work.
• Despite the Vatican's assets, including the art collection in the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, it relies heavily on support from American dioceses.
• The Pope owns more than 1,000 apartments in Rome. The Vatican's property portfolio made a profit of 25.7bn lira in 1998, equivalent to about £10m at the time.
• The Vatican had a balance of 2.5bn lira in 1998, then worth about £1m. It had expenses of about 336bn lira (£106m) and income of about 338bn lira (£107m).
• The 2,500 officials of the Papal curia have a combined salary bill of 140bn lira (£44m).
• The 20,000 parishes in America had revenues of $7.5bn (£5.18bn) )in 2000, of which $6.5bn went to cover expenses and $1bn subsidised Catholic schools.
• In the 1980s the Vatican Bank was forced to pay $241m for its part in the collapse of Banco Ambrosiano. Roberto Calvi, who had been advising the Vatican over its dealings with the bank, was found hanging from a rope beneath Blackfriars Bridge.
• Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, the man tipped to be the first American Pope, has built a new cathedral at a cost estimated at almost $200m.
I THINK THOSE ARE BIGGER SINS!
{"commentId":1562802,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"justjim"}
#6 - Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:59 PM EDT{"commentId":1562872,"authorDomain":"petercasier"}
Dad, how can I become Pope?
Seems to be good business, no?
{"commentId":1562872,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"petercasier"}
{"commentId":1564755,"authorDomain":"tedel"}
{"commentId":1578219,"authorDomain":"justjim"}
I appreciate your comment. (Just a quick note, it is not "poors." I only note that because your are a writer.) I'm a consultant and half of my clients are nonprofit organizations that help the poor and disenfranchised. I probably do more for the poor than the pope, who spends most of his time politicking, conferencing with the cardinals and writing ridiculous edicts that are more detrimental to humanity than helpful.
{"commentId":1578219,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"justjim"}
{"commentId":1578335,"authorDomain":"tedel"}
{"commentId":1563554,"authorDomain":"mustafaalhassani"}
"Do not be like a fly that sits upon filth. Don't be such that you notice only the defects of people."
The Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him.
{"commentId":1563554,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"mustafaalhassani"}
#7 - Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:11 PM EDT{"commentId":1578233,"authorDomain":"justjim"}
Jesus would look down upon anyone living the lifestyle of someone like the pope.
{"commentId":1578233,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"justjim"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2053152,"authorDomain":"jackyalfrog"}
all of of sudden this man thinks he is God adding more sins lmao what a moron
{"commentId":2053152,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"jackyalfrog"}
#8 - Thu Jun 26, 2008 10:06 AM EDT{"commentId":9996236,"authorDomain":"2tailpuppy"}
Seems like the pope just got some head from Al Gore.
{"commentId":9996236,"threadId":"232422","contentId":"1356304","authorDomain":"2tailpuppy"}
#9 - Sat Oct 10, 2009 11:25 AM EDT{"canLink":false,"threadId":"232422","isPrivate":false}
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