95. Sins Against Faith

If we love God, no sacrifice is too great to offer Him for His pleasure. Millions of martyrs have been glad to give their lives for their faith. During the great persecutions under the pagan Roman emperors, thousands were taken to the arena to be torn by wild beasts. Thousands of others were covered with pitch and lighted as torches. All kinds of human tortures were invented to make the Christians deny their faith. But their pure love of God caused them to be firm and to meet death gladly.

How does a Catholic sin against faith?

— A Catholic sins against faith by infidelity, apostasy, heresy, indifferentism, and by taking part in non-Catholic worship.

We may lose our faith by: (a) not learning well the doctrines of the Church; (b) wilfully doubting truths that have been revealed to the Church; (c) reading books and other literature against our religion; (d) attending assemblies of people who are opposed to our religion; and (e) neglecting the practice of our religion. (See pages 142-147)

1. Infidelity is: (a) rejection of the Faith by one who has received it; or (b) neglect to look into the foundation for Church claims by one who understands the necessity for such investigation; or (c) ignorance of the Faith by one who has had no chance to learn it, or who does not realize the importance of learning.

Persons who do not believe in Christianity as a divinely revealed religion, whether they have been baptised or not, are commonly referred to as "infidels". Infidelity is refusal to believe in anything that cannot be perceived with the senses, or comprehended with the understanding.

But is it not utterly reasonable to have faith in an almighty God, Who knows much more than we can ever hope to know, and Who can do things beyond our understanding? It is necessary that we serve God in the way He requires, not in the way it pleases us to do so. For this reason we must practice the religion revealed by God, and avoid making up our own religions according to our whims and innumerable fancies. Buddhists, Mohammedans, Hindus, Jews, and pagans, are infidels. As explained, Christians can also become infidels.

2. Apostasy is complete rejection of the truths of the Catholic faith by one who has been baptised. A vicious and sinful life often leads to apostasy. No really good man has ever fallen away from the Catholic faith.

An apostate denies or gives up his religion through fear or shame, or through worldly motives or human respect, and denies Christ Himself. He is under sentence of eternal damnation, for Christ says: "Whoever disowns me before men, I in turn will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matt. 10:33). It may happen that a Catholic gives up his religion because he had a quarrel with the priest. He crucifies Christ because of a petty disagreement with a mortal. Such a man should ever remember that "he who loses his goods loses much; he who loses his life, loses more; but he who loses his faith loses all."

3. Heresy is the refusal of baptised persons to accept one or more of the truths revealed by God and taught by the Catholic Church. If this refusal is voluntary and obstinate, there is formal heresy; if it is involuntary, there is material heresy.

A heretic claims to be Christian, but denies one or more truths revealed by God. Members of Protestant denominations are heretics. Much of their heresy, however, is negative, or material: that is, accompanied by no obstinacy of the will; for example, the heresy of a Protestant who has always believed his is the religion ordained by God.

4. Indifferentism teaches that all religions are equally good. It is the result of a lack of interest in religion. Many do not want to trouble themselves about studying their religion, and gradually lose faith.

A soul is like a plant: it needs to be watered continuously by the truths and practices of religion. Unless it is so nourished, it will sicken and perish. Why should Christ, and after Him the Apostles, and after them a long line of Catholics, have suffered so much and resisted persecution so firmly, if it were of no importance what a man believed? It is absurd to suppose that God does not care whether men denounce His Son as an impostor and blasphemer or worship Him as God.

Why does a Catholic sin against faith by taking part in non-Catholic worship?

— A Catholic sins against faith by taking part in non-Catholic worship, because by doing so he professes belief in a religion he knows is false.

1. It is wrong to be present at Protestant or Jewish services even when we do not participate in them, because such services are intended to honour God in a manner He does not wish to be honoured. If He instituted a Church of His own, He must wish to be honoured in the ways of that Church. In addition, we then give bad example, and expose ourselves to the danger of losing our faith.

When necessary, for social obligations, a Catholic may be present at a non-Catholic wedding or funeral, but he must not participate in the services. In no case may he attend other services of non-Catholic churches, such as the installation of their ministers, sermons, etc.

2. It is a sin to belong to any society which is opposed to the Church. Freemasonry, or Masonry, is condemned by the Church. Many charitable persons, who have joined Masonry merely for social or business reasons, do not understand the stand of the Church. Most of them serve only the Third Degree, and hold no spirit of antagonism against the Church; but these good persons do not realize the basic purposes of their organization.

In actual fact, Freemasonry is a religious sect bent upon the destruction of the Catholic Church. It has its own doctrines, priesthood, and ritual; it has its own characteristic morality. For instance, it imposes an oath that requires blind obedience; it does not accept Divine Revelation. "By their fruits ye shall know them," and the fruits of Freemasonry are evident throughout European history. May we say that no one need be ashamed of the fruits of the Catholic Church in all places and all times?

How can a Catholic best safeguard his faith?

— A Catholic can best safeguard his faith by making frequent acts of faith, by praying for a strong faith, by studying his religion very earnestly, by living a good life, by good reading, by refusing to associate with the enemies of the Church, and by not reading books and papers opposed to the Church and her teaching.

1. Acts of faith are prayers said to tell God we believe in Him. Pleasing to God also are prayers of faith, such as the Apostles made to the Lord: "Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). The more we believe, the firmer our faith becomes, by God's grace.

We should study our religion well, especially the Christian doctrine. If we have any doubts about it, we should consult a good spiritual adviser or confessor. Many have lost their religion by misunderstanding its doctrines.

2. A strong bulwark to faith is a good life. Never does a just man, living according to the teachings of the Church, lose his faith. To increase in faith, let us go to Confession and receive Holy Communion often, that our spirits may be nourished by divine food.

Those who lead bad lives may easily lose their faith. They try to convince themselves that there is no God, no religion, in order to justify their wickedness, or to silence their conscience.

3. We must take care that the books and magazines we read are neither wicked nor against the doctrines of the Church. The eyes are the windows of the soul; through them it may be attracted to good or evil.

We must also refrain from being intimate with enemies of the Church, who speak against it and assail it on all occasions. Let us avoid pitfalls, that we may not fall into them.