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Vatican bishop points to modern social sins

Comments: 13

Bishop Gianfranco Girotti

Vatican City, Mar 11, 2008 / 02:02 am (CNA).- A Vatican official has listed a set of “social sins” to draw attention to sinful acts that have social ramifications in an interview with the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano.

The list which includes drug abuse, pollution, and human embryo experimentation spawned sensationalist titles from the secular press such as “Recycle or go to Hell, warns Vatican” or “Seven More Sins, Thanks to Vatican”.

Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, the regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary at the Vatican, examined today’s social sins in an interview published Sunday.

"While sin used to concern mostly the individual, today it has mainly a social resonance, due to the phenomenon of globalization," said Bishop Girotti.

“You offend God not only by stealing, taking the Lord's name in vain or coveting your neighbor's wife, but also by wrecking the environment, carrying out morally debatable experiments that manipulate DNA or harm embryos,” said Bishop Girotti, according to L’Osservatore.

The bishop classified as social sins drug abuse, "morally dubious" experiments such as embryonic stem cell research, polluting the environment, excessive wealth, contributing to income inequality, and creating poverty.

The seven social sins are:
1. "Bioethical” violations such as birth control
2. "Morally dubious" experiments such as stem cell research
3. Drug abuse
4. Polluting the environment
5. Contributing to widening divide between rich and poor
6. Excessive wealth
7. Creating poverty

Comments: 13

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Tom
California, USA 11/07/2009 02:39 PM EST

What about sins against children? Violence, rape, sexual abuse and assault? What about covering up and enabling others to sexual use children? The Vatican is out of touch and has no moral authority when it comes to sin. Check the plank in your own eye!

Published by: Fraze
Australia 06/26/2009 08:03 AM EST

Ok I'm not sure, but how can excessvie wealth be a "sin"?

Published by: K Pilon
Arizona 03/11/2009 12:16 PM EST

What sort of method exactly did he use in coming up with these seven social sins?

Published by: mona
ellicott city 02/03/2009 11:14 AM EST

There most certainly can be excessive wealth - just look at the Wall St. bailouts.

That taxpayer money could have gone to help people pay for food and shelter.

Published by: Tony Tucker
Brazoria, Texas 12/31/2008 01:08 AM EST

As the preacher in Eccleasiastes said, All Is Vanity. Everything that does not bring glory to God is sin. Period.

Published by: S Mc Carthy
Australia 08/17/2008 04:53 AM EST

There is no such thing as excessive wealth only ill used wealth.There has to be money managers and creaters in the world and for my part I say more power to them but I sincerely hope that they will be generous with their wealth.

Published by: Bruce Lightfoot
new Zealand 08/12/2008 03:13 AM EST

I have just finished reading the interview given by Bishop Girotti. I cannot find the part where he lists seven anythings let alone social sins. No mention of excessive wealth. Were there two interviews? If you arn't going to correctly comment on his interview, why bother to print anything. I can't see birth control mentioned with bioethics. Enviromental issues are a side issue mentioned, not a 'new social sin'. Prehaps there are two Bishop Girotti's. I expect this type of mis reporting from Fox News, but you guys should be above it.

Published by: Ben Figueroa
Kingsville, Texas 03/15/2008 11:27 AM EST

Magnus Opus to Bishop Girotti for his exhortation of the new seven deadly sins that without doubt apply to the modern society. St. Gregory would be well pleased with his proclamation that we must understand what we are doing against Jesus' teachings in the modern world. While the original seven deadly sins still apply the addition of these new opens tells us that we must reexamine the road to salvation if we plan to meet St. Peter at the door. It must be said that substance abuse is in fact a deadly sin as too many in our society today are accepting of the practice without any conscience of the wrong that it does to self and others. Allowing environmental pollution for the sake of the all mighty dollar has always been wrong and still is wrong and will continue until the mindset of current Washington Administration and others like then around the world change their glutony for money. Congratulations to Bishop Girotti for being so bold in a time of need.

Published by: Dick Dillon
St. Louis MO USA 03/13/2008 12:17 AM EST

Rate: Good

Demonizing an illness like drug addiction by putting in on this list can only create poverty - moral, social and financial. The discrimination that already exists for those who have unwittingly become addicted to drugs (including alcohol) is easily one of the most significant social sins of the past 75 years. One can only hope that the internal inconsistency of this list will cause it to implode.

Published by: James Swinne
New Orleans, LA USA 03/11/2008 05:05 PM EST

I love Pope Benedict. But he seems to be surrounded by a rather silly Curia. Bp. Girotti's list is only slightly less ridiculous and unnecessary than the document on the sins of drivers from last year. "Bless me, Father, for I threw a soda can on the street"? And it doesn't take much of a polemicist to know that every two bit anti-Catholic in the world is going to throw that "excessive wealth" thing back in the face of every Catholic they know. It is difficult to take the Church seriously as God's providential voice when this keeps coming out of the Vatican.

Published by: Marcia Stevenson
McKees Rocks, PA, USA 03/11/2008 04:01 PM EST

I fear that sins numbers 4 and 5 will give more fuel to Gaia worshippers and those who espouse liberation theology in the same way that the phrase "social justice" has been hijacked to basically mean "communism".

Published by: Michael Burns SOM
Webster Ma USA 03/11/2008 02:14 PM EST

Thanks be to God, for more clarification regarding this story.

Published by: J A Durning
UK 03/11/2008 12:49 PM EST

Apropos of the latest "damnation update for the 21st century", it's often said that advocates of capital punishment should be prepared personally to operate the gallows lever. I wonder how many apologists of the "it's objectively wrong, and merits Hell" persuasion would be prepared to order personally the unimaginably awful eternal damnation of some individual who had committed the unimaginably wicked act of say, being slothful?

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