The unforgivable sin
By ( articles ) | Sep 25, 2004
Recently I've been thinking: Is there anything that US bishops will not tolerate? The intense bureaucratic response to the "Dallas Charter" has clarified things for me.
As a practical matter: - You can deny the Real Presence - You can be married several times - You can never go to Mass - You can support abortion - You can preach heresy - You can throw condoms at priests. These things might draw mild protests from the hierarchy, but no disciplinary action. You can still pass yourself off as a Catholic. You can still be a member of the KofC. You can still teach theology in a Catholic school.
But if you refuse to be fingerprinted, by golly you're not going to work in a parish. Not even as a volunteer.
I conclude that the failure to fingerprint is the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!