Is it
any of the Church’s business to be advising people on how to commit
mortal sins in a more socially aware fashion, or is that the job of social
workers? Some theologians within the Church seem to think that the Church
should be advising people on these matters. But if somebody has decided to
commit mortal sins anyway, is it really any of the Church’s business
to be giving them additional moral guidance within the framework of their
mortal sin?
 ears ago, Pope Benedict XVI made
an off-hand comment to a reporter during an airplane flight; then, once it got
into print in a book, many of those already intent on committing mortal sins
seized on the comment as a way to justify their sins.
The comment concerned the idea
that a prostitute who used condoms to help prevent the spread of
AIDS was committing less of a sin than the usual
sin of using a condom to obstruct procreation, even though the prostitute’s
act still involved the sin of
prostitution itself. Philosophically,
this shows the Pope musing on the truth—fundamental to the Catholic
Church—that all of us are essentially good,
despite the evil to which we may assent.
Nevertheless, the urge to do
some good even while committing sin leaves you still committing a
sin. Choosing a lesser evil, therefore, is still
a choosing of evil, and that is, well, evil. Period.
Consequently, Pope Benedict was
making a philosophical reflection, not attempting to justify a sin because it
may be a choice of a lesser evil. He was not issuing moral guidelines, nor
was he implying that using condoms to reduce the risk of spreading AIDS is a
part of the Church’s mission.
Many theologians today,
however—including the current Pope—have twisted truth with classic
casuistry, attempting to justify sexual perversions, marriage defilement, and
“gender” changes. It would do them well if they were to reflect on
the well-known saying: The road to hell is paved
with good intentions. Hell is still hell whether you get there through the
front door or the back door.
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