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Catholic Word of the Day: SCANDAL OF THE WEAK, 08-04-10
CatholicReference.net ^ | 08-04-10 | Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

Posted on 08/04/2010 1:41:28 PM PDT by Salvation

Featured Term (selected at random):

SCANDAL OF THE WEAK

Disedifying morally weak persons by permissible conduct. Circumstances determine the duty in charity to avoid giving scandal to the weak. The existence of such a duty is clear from the teaching of St. Paul, who would not eat meat that had been offered to idols lest he scandalize the weaker brethren. He warned the early Christians not to rationalize their conduct but to follow his example, lest "by sinning in this way against our brothers and injuring their weak consciences, it would be Christ against whom you sinned" (I Corinthians 8:12). This obligation in charity is such that one may licitly refrain from fulfilling even a grave positive precept that is not necessary for salvation in order to prevent serious scandal to the weak. Behind the obligation is the mandate of selfless love that seeks not only to help another in obvious need but also by self-restraint to protect another from spiritual harm.

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist
"Love one another."
1 posted on 08/04/2010 1:41:33 PM PDT by Salvation
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To: Salvation

In my opinion the greatest scandal of the weak is in the holocause of unborn babies.

Lord have mercy!
Christ have mercy!
Lord have mercy!


2 posted on 08/04/2010 1:42:46 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

The typos are a plague for me today

holocaust


3 posted on 08/04/2010 1:43:41 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: JRandomFreeper; Allegra; SuziQ; BlackVeil; Straight Vermonter; Cronos; SumProVita; ...

Catholic Word of the Day – links will be provided later by another FReeper.

 

Gift of Integrity

Nuncio

Epigonation

Virtue of Hope

Magic

End of the World

Apostasy (ecclesiastical)

Gerasenes

Spouse (Bride) of Christ

Funeral Rites

Infused Contemplation

Shalom

Sacramental

Miracles of Christ

Moral Theology

Eviternity

Sinai

Saul

La Divina Commedia

Saint-Anne-D-Beaupre

Royal Coronation

Bishop

Scandal of the Weak

 

 

 

 

Catholic Word of the Day Ping!

If you aren’t on this Catholic Word of the Day Ping list and would like to be, please send me a FReepmail.


4 posted on 08/04/2010 1:45:52 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
This obligation in charity is such that one may licitly refrain from fulfilling even a grave positive precept that is not necessary for salvation in order to prevent serious scandal to the weak.

I have no idea what he means by this. He should have given an example.

5 posted on 08/04/2010 1:47:01 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Steampunk Baby and the Quest for Bill's iPod - now on DVD!)
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To: Tax-chick

I pondered it too before I posted it because it sounded too much like going ahead with an abortion if the mother’s life was in danger. But that doesn’t quite fit the section you highlighted.

How about — staying home from Church on Sunday because you are taking care of a sick relative? Weak Relative, Dying Relative? New mother who suddenly started hemmoraghing?


6 posted on 08/04/2010 1:54:20 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Your second paragraph seems reasonable. Staying home from Mass to take care of a family member, say, even if the family member told you he’s fine and you should go to Mass, because the “weak” might think you’re not acting as they imagine a Christian should.


7 posted on 08/04/2010 2:02:41 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Steampunk Baby and the Quest for Bill's iPod - now on DVD!)
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To: Tax-chick

grave positive precept...not necessary... to prevent

Someone or some people saw you earlier today do something gravely sinful (grave here unrelated to the grave of the quote). Two hours later, you are about to get in line for communion. Those people are seated behind you a couple rows. You refrain from communion EVEN THOUGH you went to confession and were obsolved of the sin an hour ealier as your conscience got the better of you. They don’t know that you went to confession for this sin. You will not go to hell for missing communion. You will help them not think the Church is a farce if you refrain, in your love for Jesus and their own faith, from receiving Him as you may certainly do.

I remember to this day following two families up the Communion aisle that had just an hour earlier stolen our mailbox.


8 posted on 08/04/2010 3:08:56 PM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: If You Want It Fixed - Fix It

Okay, that makes sense, too.


9 posted on 08/04/2010 3:10:06 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Steampunk Baby and the Quest for Bill's iPod - now on DVD!)
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To: Tax-chick

OH, OH, OH, an even better one!

Say you’re Nancy Pelosi and every Sunday you go to Confession just before Mass and that makes you eligible for Communion because you have alzheimers and you actually forget you push abortion every other day of the week. Yet, you refrain from Communion so us weaker minds don’t become scandalized and think we may murder and still go to Communion because you haven’t YET denounced your past position - only to forget your Sunday conversion every Monday due to the Alzheimers.

OK, it’s not better.


10 posted on 08/04/2010 3:12:47 PM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: Tax-chick

OH, OH, OH, an even better one!

Say you’re Nancy Pelosi and every Sunday you go to Confession just before Mass and that makes you eligible for Communion because you have alzheimers and you actually forget you push abortion every other day of the week. Yet, you refrain from Communion so us weaker minds don’t become scandalized and think we may murder and still go to Communion because you haven’t YET denounced your past position - only to forget your Sunday conversion every Monday due to the Alzheimers.

OK, it’s not better.


11 posted on 08/04/2010 3:12:55 PM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: If You Want It Fixed - Fix It

Maybe it’s not better, but it’s funny.


12 posted on 08/04/2010 3:19:41 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Steampunk Baby and the Quest for Bill's iPod - now on DVD!)
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To: Salvation

“The typos are a plague for me today”

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio; contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperat illi Deus; supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.


13 posted on 08/04/2010 4:17:10 PM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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To: dsc

Thanks for the prayer.


14 posted on 08/04/2010 9:16:27 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Little enough, considering all you do.


15 posted on 08/04/2010 9:44:29 PM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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