Pope Francis and the Demise of Ascetic Christianity, by Richard A. Spinello

The Case Against the Abortion Pill, by Rachel Roth Aldhizer

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Tragedy of the Betrayal

The Wedding at Cana (with John of Sedano, his son and his wife) by Gerard David, c. 1500-10 [Louvre, Paris]

By Richard A. Spinello, The Catholic Thing, March 26, 2024

Richard A. Spinello is Professor of Management Practice at Boston College and a member of the adjunct faculty at St. John’s Seminary in Boston. He is the author of The Encyclicals of John Paul II: An Introduction and Commentary and The Splendor of Marriage: St. John Paul II’s Vision of Love, Marriage, Family, and the Culture of Life.

One of the common themes of Pope Francis’ pontificate is the minimization of sexual irregularities or “sins below the belt.” On at least three occasions, he has declared that these sins are far less grave than other sins like hatred or envy.

At a meeting with Portuguese Jesuits, Pope Francis lamented that the Church still looks at the so-called “sins of the flesh” with a “magnifying glass” just as it has “done so long for the sixth commandment.” Other evils, he claimed, such as exploitation of workers, lying, and cheating, were virtually ignored while “sins below the waist were relevant.” Pope Francis went on to elaborate that these sins require sensitivity and creative pastoral care. Given their complexity, there is no simple or uniform solution such as living a chaste lifestyle. …

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