Then when Judas, His betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.—Mt 27:3-5. There are two things that kill the soul: despair and false-hope.—St. Augustine, Sermon 87 Let me say at the outset of this article that I have had friends commit suicide.  So, I don't like writing this.  But a major corrective needed to be [...]

Many good Catholics today have now become acutely aware of sexual sins (the Sixth and Ninth Commandment) as well as the First Commandment (partly due to public violations of this like the worship of the Pachamama statue near the Vatican a few years ago.)  In light of this, I believe that the most underrated of all Commandments is the Second Commandment.  Keep in mind that the Ten Commandments given on Sinai come in order of importance.  Thus, the misuse of the Holy Name of Jesus is one of the worst sins one can commit.  We look to the doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus Liguori, to consider the weight of [...]

The Catholic Church has always had blessings for people and items.  Blessings for people are usually for individuals, but occasionally a priest may bless groups living in a vocation designed by God (like a family.) Blessings for items can be anything from a vehicle to a crucifix. But there is a new heretical document from Cdl. Fernandez that reads:  "III. Blessings of Couples in Irregular Situations and of Couples of the Same Sex. 31. Within the horizon outlined here appears the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex, the form of which should not be fixed ritually by ecclesial authorities to avoid [...]

Probably daily across this country a few conversation go like this between young Catholics: -Catholic 1: Did you know pre-marital sex is a mortal sin? -Catholic 2: Well, did you know for a sin to be mortal you have to have full-knowledge and full-consent? -Catholic 1: I guess so, but does that mean it's not a mortal sin to have pre-marital sex? -Catholic 2: Not if you didn't know it. Catholic 2 is a smarty-pants who takes St. Thomas out of context, but is still morally wrong. Here's why: Even the new Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) admits that you don't get a "pass" from God (so to speak) [...]

Proverbs 16:25 reads, There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.  (In Latin, est via quae videtur homini recta et novissimum eius ducit ad mortem.). This is where we get the English proverb, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" which has been around since 1855 (at the very latest, and possibly much earlier.) I am shocked how many priests allegedly trained in moral theology are now holding that the end justifies the means on all the issues of 2020 and 2021 from election fraud to vaccines.  No, the end does not justify the means in moral theology. [...]