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“Ask a Priest: Why Does It Seem As If Church Teaching Has Changed?”

Q: I have been in a state of involuntary doubt for years. My main problem revolves around the question of the inspiration of the Church, whether the Holy Spirit does, indeed, offer it guidance when formulating teachings. It is not so much present-day teachings that bother me — rather, teachings from the past become large stumbling blocks. For example, my understanding is that the Church used to teach that people who committed suicide simply went to hell. My understanding is also that the Church used to have a negative valuation of sex (following partially from Augustine) incorporated into its teaching. Neither of these teachings is taught today — in fact, the exact opposite is taught. This being the case, it doesn’t seem to me that the Holy Spirit could have been operating at both points in history. In fact, it simply seems that many people simply followed the Church into error. At the end of the day, I cannot at present go out into public in good conscience and state that I am Catholic, because to say so would be to give explicit assent to the notion that the Church receives such eternal guidance in faith and morals. The historical evidence does not seem to support that viewpoint. I would appreciate any thoughts you can provide on this issue. –M.L.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: It’s good to make a few distinctions here.

First, I don’t think the Church ever taught that this person or that person ended up lost. It doesn’t even teach anything definitive about the fate of Judas.

The Church did, however, hold in early times (and still holds) that suicide is objectively a grave fault against the Fifth Commandment. To underline that teaching, in earlier times it even denied funeral Masses for such unfortunate people.

I emphasize that word “objectively.” In recent times, with the advance of psychology, we understand that people who commit suicide are often not totally in control mentally. Hence, subjectively their culpability might be lessened, if not eliminated. That is why the Church now allows funeral Masses in the case of suicides. It is not that the Church’s core teaching has changed — suicide remains objectively a grave error — but rather its pastoral application and the way it understands how suicides can stem from severe emotional or mental problems.

As far as the “negative valuation” of sex is concerned, you would need to cite something specific in a papal or conciliar document. It is one thing for the Church to be perceived as being negative about sex; it is another to point out a specific text that says the Church disdains sex.

There might have been a general downplaying of sex — it can, after all, be an extremely destruction of power if misused — which is understandable in cultures where the stability and dignity of family life was highly valued. The Church has always understood that procreation is a big part of the intent of marriage — and you can’t have babies without sex, obviously. And the Church, unlike any other group, has always revered marriage as a sacrament, an objective window of supernatural grace in the natural world. That seems to me to be a very positive view.

Early ages were probably more sensitive to the many deviations and misuses of sex that could trouble mankind. Many people in the Church reflected such thinking. Even prominent theologians sometimes emphasized marital intimacy as a “cure for concupiscence.” Their view, however, was not synonymous with Church doctrine. Theologians, even great theologians, espouse ideas that later are rejected. Augustine, for instance, believed that unbaptized babies were lost, yet the Church never officially accepted that view.

But even a possibly negative emphasis on sex in ages past doesn’t undercut the Church’s core teachings about marriage and sex. In recent times, of course, the theology of the body has gone deeper into the theological meaning of marital intimacy. But this doesn’t alter the core truths perennially taught by the Church.

So it might be good to distinguish between what is held by some theologians or groups within the Church, and what the Church officially teaches as doctrine.

Contrary to popular myth, the Church has a long history of encouraging debate and allowing theologians and philosophers and others to float a wide variety of ideas. Some of those ideas stand the test of time and eventually are incorporated into official teaching. Other ideas might take hold at a popular level, yet never be officially accepted by the Church.

I could only encourage you to study more deeply the teachings of the Church, beginning with the Catechism and the documents of Vatican II. I think you will see the underlying continuity of official doctrine.

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Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: When Does Eating Become Gluttony?”

Q: When does eating become gluttony? Is it OK to slightly overeat? Say you want the last piece of meat, although you don’t really need it. It is not as though you would be sick if you ate it. Also, is eating dessert OK since it is not necessary for you? –D.L.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: The simplest criterion is to say that we start to slip into gluttony when we eat more than we really need to eat.

I say “start to” because there isn’t a hard-and-fast line involved. Each person is unique, each metabolism is unique. Some people go long periods between meals and thus might be justified to load up as many calories as possible. And there might also be times when an extra bite could be justified if the alternative is to waste something — for instance, at a picnic where cooked meat can’t be easily and safely stored.

Gluttony is a disordered use of food and of the pleasure that eating and drinking gives us. The pleasure itself is part of God’s plan. He made food to taste good. He gave us taste buds. It is no sin to enjoy food, to prepare good food, to have a cake at a birthday party, etc. The point is when we become unreasonable in our pursuit of this pleasure. This leads to a disordered attachment, damage to our health, and spiritual damage too.

Perhaps you are asking the question because you sense that you might be crossing or being tempted to cross the line into gluttony. That might be a reason to pause and see if the Holy Spirit is calling you to a greater spirit of sacrifice.

Forgoing a little food at each meal is a nice way to practice self-discipline and to show solidarity with the poor of the world. It can certainly discipline us to better stand up to other (and worse) temptations of the flesh.

The Catechism briefly puts the danger of gluttony in context. No. 1866 says:

Vices can be classified according to the virtues they oppose, or also be linked to the capital sins which Christian experience has distinguished, following St. John Cassian and St. Gregory the Great. They are called “capital” because they engender other sins, other vices. They are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia. [end quoted material]

So gluttony – or even just simple overeating – can lead us down a slippery slope of vices if we aren’t careful.

This might be as good a time as ever to see where the Spirit is leading you. Pope Francis has been calling for greater simplicity in our lives and a greater spirit of sacrifice for the poor. Wouldn’t it be nice to give up a little something each day and contribute the difference to the poor? Food for thought.

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Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: Is Extreme Mortification OK?”

Q: I’m undertaking the preparation for St. Louis de Montfort’s total consecration to Mary. I understand that it is important to deny oneself to the point of mortification. This is difficult for me, especially because I am a little soul. Now, I’m confused about how we should treat our bodies. Should we subject the flesh to the soul by such mortifications, even violent, as many holy saints have done? Or should we care for the bodies we were given because we are made in God’s image? I suppose my question is, how are these ideas reconciled? What exactly is the mortification we should seek? Thank you very much. –M.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: It is good to hear of your devotion to Our Lady. You can depend on her for guidance and intercession.

Mortification has long been an accepted tool in the battle for Christian perfection. St. Thomas Aquinas said that people in religious life, for example, could become holy only if there was detachment from the things of this world (see his answer in the Summa Theologiae, II.2, Question 186. Article 3).

We need not, however, imitate the extreme forms of mortification practiced by some saints. That might actually be counterproductive, because our tendency is to “make up” for those bouts of strict mortification we put ourselves through. Today we get by on bread and water, tomorrow we binge on Big Macs and ice cream.

The best mortification is usually moderate. This means, in addition to forgoing meat or some other favorite food on Fridays, that we learn to take smaller desserts or use less seasoning on food. We could take slightly cooler showers, or jump out of bed at the first sound of the alarm in the morning.

These little acts of mortification will go a long way to help us discipline ourselves, and they can also be offered in reparation for our sins and for the sins of the world. The key thing is that we mortify for a spiritual motive.

The Catechism in No. 2015 says: “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes: He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows.”

Don’t be afraid of mortification, then. But don’t overdo it, either. If you have doubts about a particular practice, check with a reliable confessor or spiritual director.

(For more reading see this article by Father John Bartunek.)

I hope this helps.

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!