[Greek] σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō), [Latin] offendere, [French] huerter, [French] indigner, [German] shockieren: to offend, to scandalize, to cause to sin, to stumble, to trip up, to trap; 45 scriptural references
We have a synodal Church which states that Church teachings on LGBTQ have not changed, but they are NOT enforced. THIS IS A SCANDAL! Now we have ANOTHER SCANDAL with Fr. James Martin!
Background information:
Skandalon: A skandalon can be a dead-fall trap, snare, obstacle, and stumbling block.
Greek Hellenism: This term means to set traps, to cause to stumble, to give offense, to take offense, and to stumble.
Aristophanes’ Archarnians 687: “The accuser, desirous of conciliating the younger men, overrules us with his ready rhetoric; he drags us before the judge, presses us with questions, and lays verbal traps for us.”
Epictetus: “If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in this provocation.”
Old Testament: This term means to stumble, to slip, to be trapped (in a spiritual context). The action of falling always takes on a more serious sense than the stumbling block. This action of falling results in a ruined relationship with God.
Spiritual harlotry:
- This is an intercourse of the mixing of Old Testament values with worldly values, idolatry, paganism, and sin.
- Abandoning the Lord for a foreign god was called prostitution or adultery.
- Against God, the harlot prostitutes oneself with idolatry, paganism, and sin.
- Interestingly, the related Greek word is porneia ===> pornography, porn! Not a good look!
New Testament: This term means to cause one to sin, to take offense, and to fall away. No offense, but I will just mention some noteworthy scriptural examples. ☺☺☺
Causing one to sin:
Mt.18:6: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (The gravity of this sin is so great that it would be better to have been drowned than to have committed this sin. A MILLSTONE MOMENT! See the very end of this post!)
To take offense:
Mt.11:6: “Blessed is the one who takes no offense at Me.” (Taking offense is becoming a stumbling block to Jesus and rejecting Jesus’ teachings and statements.)
Mt.15:12: “Then His disciples approached and said to Him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what You said'”. (The Pharisees were scandalized about what Jesus said about their vain worship, empty hearts, and human traditions.)
Mt.17:27: “But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for Me and you.” (The Jews were obligated to pay the the temple to the authorities. Jesus tells His disciples to respect these customs. Jesus provides the means to pay this tax.)
Jn.6:61: “Since Jesus knew that His disciples were murmuring about this, He said to them, Does this shock you?'”
- Jesus did not try to convince His disciples to come back by saying, “I was only speaking figuratively!”
- The GREAT AND SAD IRONY is that the Jews were forbidden to drink the blood because of Jewish customs (the life is in the blood [Deut.12:23].
- This Jewish restriction prohibited the Jew from partaking of the blood.
- But partaking of Jesus’ Body and Blood gives us life everlasting!)
Mk.6:3: “Is He not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us? And they took offense at Him.” (The Nazarenes could not see that a carpenter’s son could be a teacher, prophet, and Messiah. They could not accept Jesus coming from a position of humility.)
To fall away:
Mt.13:21: “But he [seed]: has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.” (This is the person whose faith is not strong enough to endure when struggles, opposition, and persecution come.)
Mt.24:10: “And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another.” (This is one who falls away, becomes scandalized, or who becomes apostates.)
Mt.26:31: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘This night all of you will have your faith in Me shaken.'” (Difficulties or circumstances cause one to betray, to disobey, or fall away from Jesus’ teachings.)
2Cor.11:29: “Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is lead to sin? and I am not indignant?” (As a sinner himself, can empathize with the sinner. But he is also indignant at the one who sins.)
Who is led to sin:
- Who is made to stumble and who causes others to stumble
- Who becomes a stumbling block (to himself or to others)
- Who is led astray or causes others to go astray
- Who gives offense and scandalizes.
Monsignor Nicola Bux’s thoughts on Fiducia Supplicans:
- There are no non-liturgical blessings.
- A blessing is a formula of approval from above, that is, from God.
- The good shepherd does not bless the lost sheep because it has gone astray. But rather the good shepherd brings it back to the fold.
- No prayer can be made to God to confirm the state of sin into which one has fallen.
- Healing prayers are called liturgical if they are found in approved liturgical books. Otherwise, they are spontaneous prayers.
- These prayers are not effective if the believer does not want to abandon the state of sin.
- A blessing is not compatible with a state of sin.
Modern-day syncretism (harlotry) of Christianity with worldly values, paganism, and sin in the Church:
- Remaking Jesus’ Church into a synodal Church (in the image of man)
- A Panchamama idol at Mass at the Vatican and other pagan rituals in Mass
- Allowing Anglican services in Vatican cathedrals
- Dialog with Freemasons
- Appointing a Vatican doctrinal chief with a questionable past: (works of hard-core theological porn, accusations of heresy)
- Overlooking, ignoring, and normalizing sin
- Bringing worldly values, laity decision-making, “lived experiences”, and sin into the Church (Synods)
- Allowing sacrilegious gatherings in Church (St. Patrick’s Cathedral)
- Cardinals supporting Fiducia Supplicans. Some have stated that the Church has entered into its “millstone moment.”
- Celebrating the Vatican document focusing ecumenism with other faiths.
- The pope allowing scandalous priests to remain in ministry.
- The pope warmly receives homosexual couples, transgenders, and scandalous clergy. (This is not a good look for Pope Leo.)
- The Church continuing its LGBTQ “outreach” while continuing to pay lip service to Church teachings against homosexuality.
The German bishops’ scandalous requests (to remake the Church into their own image) to the Vatican for the Catholic Church:
- Create a permanent body of bishops and laity to govern the German Church
- Allow the laity to choose the bishops instead of the Vatican
- Allow the laity to preach homilies at Mass
- End clerical celibacy
- Allow for woman deacons
- Re-examine John Paul II’s declaration that the priesthood is only allowed for men. They want women priests.
- Revise the Catechism to allow for homosexuality
- Allow the laity to govern the German dioceses
Literature:
- The Catholic Douay-Rhims translation of the New Testament, published in 1582, caused quite a stir when it replaced the words “offend” and “stumbling block” with “scandalize” and “scandal.”
- Despite initial criticism, this terminology was accepted in the European continent accustomed to scandals in many aspects of life.
- Medieval and Renaissance writers, including Shakespeare, quickly adopted these terms.
- Interestingly, Shakespeare’s play Hamlet makes references to mousetraps and scandals.
Conclusion:
Scandal, scandalize, indignant, shock, shocking hurt, offend, offensive
It is quite interesting that Epictetus already understood the notion of someone “living rent-free” in another person’s head. (Trump Derangement Syndrome perhaps?)
Jesus often speaks in purposely exaggerated terms (cutting off limbs and eyes) to illustrate the more serious consequences of sin.
Brothers and sisters: This term referred to cousins. There was not yet a word for cousin.
Update: It is unfortunately scandalous (but not surprising) that the Vatican continues to restrict the TLM and to remove altar rails in more and more churches.
Bishop Strickland pleaded before his brother bishops about the scandalous confirmation of a homosexual led by Fr. James Martin. Of course, the bishops did not really care about what he said. Shocker!
It is also scandalous that too many Cardinals, bishops, and priests are still remaining silent about Church scandals because they are FEARFUL AND AFRAID OF OFFENDING their superiors, the Vatican, the laity, and the LGBQT community!
It is scandalous that clergy are failing to teach about the Church’s teachings against the sinful act of homosexuality. As a result, Cardinals, bishops, and priests are putting many immortal souls in a grave moral situation.
This synodal Church seems offended at recognizing Jesus’ statements on sin and sinning no more. There is no mention of sin, forgiveness and conversion of heart. Evidently, this does not apply to homosexuality.
THE “CONTROVERSIAL” ISSUE OF HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOW BEING CALLED “EMERGENT”. This is how Synodality seeks to normalize the sin of homosexuality! Are you surprised?
Let’s not forget that USCCB has also put together a “LGBTQ friendly” bible whitewashing homosexuality.
Scandalous silent assent for the Vatican LGBTQ Jubilee: Bishop Savino stated, ‘Pope Leo urged me to celebrate Mass with LGBTQ Catholics.” For Pope Leo, silence ===> tacit acceptance
More scandal from Fr. James Martin: In his meeting with Fr. James Martin, Pope Leo could have told Fr. James Martin to “reign it in” with his “ministry, but Pope Leo did not do so. As a result, we have another scandal involving Fr. James Martin. Shocker!
It was St. Peter Damian in the 11th century who had shed light on the scandal of homosexuality in the priesthood (promotion of this lifestyle, sexual abuse, silence, and covering up). Sound familiar?
The USCCB, doubling down on their immigration efforts, criticize the US government’s mass deportation efforts. Yet, the tone-deaf USCCB does not respect Catholic social teaching on foreigners respecting countries’ borders and their implicit culpability in funds being sent for illegal immigration, leftist causes, and child trafficking.
It is also a scandal that Vatican II and Synodality have lost sight of the Church’s primary mission for the SALVATION OF SOULS and BRINGING SOULS INTO HEAVEN. They are more focused on MAKING A BETTER WORLD and SEEKING FAVOR WITH THE WORLD.
Quotes on scandal:
“It is better that scandals arise than the truth be suppressed.” Pope St. Gregory the Great
“We should even go beyond doing what is required in order to avoid scandal.” St. Basil
“Those who commit these types of scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder.” St. Francis De Sales
“Those who take scandal-who allow scandals to destroy their faith are guilty of spiritual suicide.” St. Francis De Sales
“It is not the sinner, but the wicked who should despair; it is not the magnitude of one’s crime, but contempt of God that dashes one’s hopes.” St. Peter Damian
Kyle Clement, assistant to exorcist priest Fr. Ripperger, warned that blessing homosexual couples flings the door open to the demonic. (This is a grave scandal which affirms the soul in mortal sin! Very interesting! A MILLSTONE MOMENT!)