By: Msgr. Charles Pope
We live in times in which there is a widespread notion that to correct sinners is to “judge” them. Never mind that it is sin we judge, not the sinner. Never mind that in accusing us of “judging,” the worldly minded are themselves doing the very “judging” they condemn. Never mind any of that; the point of charge that we are judging is to seek to compel our silence through shame. And despite the fact that Scripture consistently directs us to correct the sinner, many Catholics have bought into the notion that correcting the sinner is “judging” him. In this, the devil, who orchestrates the “correcting is judging” campaign, rejoices; for if he can keep us from correcting one another, sin can and does flourish.
Today’s gospel is an important reminder and instruction on why and how we should correct the sinner and be open to correction ourselves. Let’s look at in four steps.
I. PRESCRIPTION – The text says, Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him.” I placed “against you” in parentheses because many ancient manuscripts do not contain this phrase, while others do. While some may want to limit this gospel to commanding correction only when someone sins “against you,” none of the other texts we will review contain this restriction and so the phrase seems superfluous. For the purpose of this reflection, I will favor those manuscripts that do not include the phrase “against you.”
Now, therefore, observe the brief but clear advice that when we see someone in sin, we ought to talk with them about it. Many prefer, probably due to sloth, to say, “It’s none of my business what other people do.” But Jesus clearly teaches otherwise.
In teaching this way, Jesus is obviously speaking to the general situation. Some distinctions are helpful and admissible in specific situations. For example, one is generally more obliged to correct people in grave matters than in less serious ones. One is more compelled to correct those who are younger than those who are older. One is more obligated to correct subordinates, less so superiors. Parents are strongly duty-bound to correct their children, but children are seldom obligated to correct their parents. And so on. But the general rule remains: all other things being equal, there is an obligation to engage in Christian correction. Jesus says, “If your brother sins, talk to him about it.”
There are many other scriptures that also advise and even oblige us to correct the sinner. Some of the texts also speak to the way in which we should correct.
- James 5:19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
- Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any sin, you who are spiritual should recall him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
- Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom.
- 1 Thess 5:14 And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
- Lev 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him.
- Ez 3:17 Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
Hence, we have an obligation in charity to correct someone who has gone over into sin. In correcting we ought to be gentle but clear. Further, we ought to correct with humility and not fall into the temptation of acting “superior” and such. Our goal is to limit sin’s effects and to apply necessary medicine to the problem of sin.
We will see more “correction texts” in a moment. But for now, let the first point be repeated: if your brother sins, talk with him about it.
II. PURPOSE – If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. Here, let us just briefly note that the point of this correction is to win a brother or sister back to the Lord. The point is not to win an argument or to show superiority. The point is to contend with Satan, by God’s grace,” and win the person, who is in Satan’s grasp, back for God.
III. PROCESS – The Lord next sets forth a process for fraternal correction. It would seem that the process here is for more serious matters, generally, and that all these steps might not be necessary for lesser ones. But for addressing the general situation in which a brother or sister is in a state of more serious and unrepentant sin, the following process is set forth:
A. Go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. – This first stage is often omitted in our fallen, gossip-prone, human condition. If one is in sin, it is too frequently the case that we will talk to everyone except the actual sinner. This is usually not helpful and in fact merely multiplies sin. The sinner goes uncorrected and sin multiplies through gossip. Satan gets a high return on his investment, often netting dozens of sinners for the price of one.
Jesus is clear: speak to the sinner himself, FIRST. There may be situations in which we need to seek advice from someone we trust about how best to approach the sinner. And sometimes we may need to check a few facts first. But in the end, such lateral discussions ought to be few and only with trusted individuals. The Lord is clear: step one is to go first to the sinner himself.
B. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” – This sort of option may seem rarer today, in large cosmopolitan settings, but such things do occur in the right settings. Often these sorts of team efforts are called “interventions” and they are frequently done in the cases of addicts who are resisting any treatment. Sometimes, too, it is used when a certain family member is engaging in hurtful practices such as severe anger, or the refusal to forgive, or causing division within the family. These interventions are usually conducted by several family members that the person trusts and they often receive training of some sort before doing so. Depending on the gravity of the matter, such interventions are both necessary and counseled by the Lord as part of a method to end destructive and sinful behaviors.
C. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. – Here, too, note the presupposition that the Church is experienced in a personal way and that the individual is somehow connected to a body of believers who matter to him in some way. The presumption is that these are people he knows (pastors, parish leaders, etc.). This is not always the case in modern parishes, which can be large and impersonal and where many can attend yet stay only on the fringes. Rather than simply dismissing this step of Jesus’ as unrealistic in most cases today, we ought to see it as setting forth an ideal of what parishes ought to be. I hope to work with this vision in a post later this week.
Nevertheless, for those who have some relationship to the Church, this step needs to be considered in cases of grave sin. As a pastor, I have sometimes been asked to speak to a family member in serious sin. Presuming other measures have been taken, I often do speak to him or her to warn about such things as fornication, shacking up, abortion, drug use, anger issues, disrespect for parents, and so forth.
But to be honest, unless the individual has more than a passing membership in the parish, such talks are of limited effectiveness. Further, “Church” here should not be seen merely as meaning clergy. Sometimes there are others in the Church who ought to be engaged, leaders of organizations to which the person belongs, older men and women (to speak to younger ones), and so forth. I have often engaged a team to speak, especially to younger people.
D. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. - And here we come to a matter of some controversy: that of excommunication. Treating someone as tax collector or Gentile is a Jewish way of saying, “Have nothing more to do with such a one; let him be expelled from the community.”
Some today object to the use of excommunication and often suggest, with some superiority, that “Jesus would never do such a thing.” Yet Jesus himself is teaching us here to do this very thing. As we shall again remark, excommunication is not a punishment to be inflicted upon someone simply to be rid of him or her, but rather as a medicine to bring forth repentance. As we can see, too, excommunication is at the end of a long process and is not something that that Church rushes to do. But it IS taught here and elsewhere in Scripture. Consider some of the following examples:
- 2 Thess 3:6 We instruct you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who walks in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us.
- 2 Thess 3:14 If any one refuses to obey what we say in this letter, note that man, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not look on him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
- 1 Cor 5:1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
- 1 Cor 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Come to your right mind, and sin no more. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
- 1 Cor 5:11 But rather I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber — not even to eat with such a one. Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
So a fairly strong and clear biblical mandate exists from both Jesus and St. Paul that excommunication may at times have to be used. It would seem from the texts that we have surveyed that the purpose of excommunication is two-fold: to protect the community from the influence of serious sinners, and to be a medicine to urge the wayward Christian unto saving repentance.
And if any doubt the seriousness of excommunication or think nothing of the Church’s solemn declaration of it, note that Jesus indicates that he will in fact recognize the Church’s authoritative declaration. For He says, Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Thus, let no one make light of the Church’s solemn declaration in such matters.
In our times there is increasing demand for bishops to use this measure more often, especially for those who openly support and help fund abortion. It seems clear from the Scriptures we have surveyed that such a measure can, and at times should, be used at the end of a process like Jesus describes. If one is directly involved in abortion, either by having one, performing one, paying for one directly, or directly assisting someone to have one, he or she is automatically (self) excommunicated.
What of “Catholic” politicians and jurists who advance the availability of abortion and vote funding for it?
Most (but not all) bishops have made a prudential decision not to make use of this measure for “Catholic” politicians who support abortion. Most of them say they have concerns that the matter would be perceived as a partisan political act rather than a moral shepherding of these wayward souls. And since it would be misread and falsely portrayed by the media, they consider it unwise in these circumstances to excommunicate.
Bare minimum – It is not my role as a priest to critique bishops on whether or not they choose to excommunicate. There are prudential judgments bishops must make. But at a bare minimum I would surely hope that every Catholic (politician or not) who even comes close to procuring abortion or advancing its availability has been privately instructed and warned by his pastor or bishop (in prominent cases), that if he does not change, and dies unrepentant, he will almost certainly go to Hell.
It is simply too serious a situation to leave a sinner of this magnitude uninstructed, unrebuked, or in any way unclear as to the gravity of the matter. The sinner should be instructed—yes, warned vividly—to repent at once and to refrain from Holy Communion until confession can be celebrated following true repentance.
IV. POWER – It is clear that Jesus expects us to correct the sinner and to thereby experience the power of this loving action. In stages, we are to undertake this act of charity because we love, not because we hate. In effect, the Lord is asking us to love others enough and to care enough about their eternal well-being to undertake the risk and the hard work of drawing them to soul-saving repentance. And even in cases in which sin has not yet become mortal, we still have obligations, especially toward the young, to correct in such a way as to help stave off serious sin.
The work is “risky” because we often have to suffer being rebuffed by those who do not “appreciate” our loving correction. The work is “hard” because it is so much easier to sit at home and say, “None of my business” when even close relatives remain in serious sin by skipping Mass, living in illicit sexual unions, being unforgiving, causing division, or doing self-destructive and other harmful things.
Can we really say we love others if we are unwilling to take the risk to correct them? And what would this world be like today if Christians would really agree to undertake this important and loving work, which is numbered among the spiritual works of mercy?
Satan surely rejoices at our fearful silence and our self-congratulatory euphemisms such as, “It’s none of my business,” or, “I’m a non-judgmental person.” Consider the moral ruin of these times and ponder how different it would be if we were more devoted to this act of mercy.
Jesus simply concludes as to the power of “Collective, Compassionate, Christian Correction.” Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. Yes, what would happen if we all agreed to work harder on this critical function of a Christian?
