I came across an article today by Ruth Dudley Edwards titled, Joe Biden must be the world’s worst Catholic. Referring to Biden, she says, “He is, in fact, an appalling Catholic who publicly flouts the church’s most cherished teachings and is about as authentically Irish as a leprechaun hat in a St Patrick’s Day parade.” I don’t know whether he is the world’s worst Catholic. Even some priests and bishops, especially in Europe, may challenge him for that distinction. I will go out on a limb and agree he is probably the worst Catholic in the United States by virtue of his status as President.
A few days ago, members of our RCIA group were preparing for their first confession experience by going through an examination of conscience based upon the ten commandments. One of them asked me to explain the sin of scandal. Many think of scandal as something one reads in the tabloids about a celebrity’s indiscretion. The sinful scandal we are need to understand is more nuanced. The Catechism defines scandal as an attitude or behavior that leads another to do evil.
The sin of scandal often rides on the back of another sin. As Catholics, we are expected to set an example for others. That example should be a positive one that inspires others to be virtuous. When our actions as Catholics are seen in a negative light, we may be inadvertently causing others to follow suit. In trying to cite an example for the class, I brought up Joe Biden who proclaims to be a Catholic in good standing, and yet publicly professes support for abortion. Lukewarm Catholics may look to him as the model Catholic he proclaims to be and think they can hold similar views without a problem. So, Joe Biden is not only guilty of the sin of promoting abortion, he also may be guilty of scandal.
I made a hypothetical example of myself as a leader in a class studying Catholicism. If I affirm the teaching of the Church that we must abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, and then proceed to be seen intentionally eating a hamburger in public by the catechumens on a Lenten Friday, I would be guilty of not only violating the obligation to abstain, but also guilty of potential scandal. If a Catholic sees me sinning and decides it is okay to do it because I am doing it, I have led them to sin. I have committed scandal.
Some Catholics may not realize they are committing scandal by attending weddings where a Catholic is getting married outside the Catholic Church without a dispensation. Doing so is acting as a witness in support of another’s sin. Attending any wedding ceremony that the Church would consider invalid is problematic. Sometimes we need to take a stand out of love and concern for our souls and theirs. This can be difficult when family is involved. There are no easy answers.
As Catholics, we always need to be aware that the way we conduct ourselves can reflect positively or negatively on the faith of others. We talk about the need to evangelize but struggle finding ways to do it. Maybe the best way is to be that faithful Catholic role model others will wish to emulate.
