[Greek] σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō), [Latin] offendere, [French] huerter, [French] indigner, [German] shockieren

[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

Satan is the prince of this world (Jn.12:31) ===> worldliness and the “smoke of Satan” creeping into the Church. Unfortunately, we continue to have Satanically “inspired” clergy and laity who seek to undermine the Church.

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:

1. This is an intercourse of the mixing of Old Testament values with worldly values, idolatry, paganism, and sin.
2. Abandoning the Lord for a foreign god was called prostitution or adultery.
3. Against God, the harlot prostitutes oneself with idolatry, paganism, and sin.
4. 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?'”

1. Jesus did not try to convince His disciples to come back by saying, “I was only speaking figuratively!”
2. 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].
3. This Jewish restriction prohibited the Jew from partaking of the blood.
4. 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:

1. Who is made to stumble and who causes others to stumble
2. Who becomes a stumbling block (to himself or to others)
3. Who is led astray or causes others to go astray
4. Who gives offense and scandalizes.

[Greek] σκάνδαλον (skandalon)

Mt.16:22-23: “Peter rebuked Jesus, ‘God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.’ Jesus turned to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an obstacle [scandal] to Me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.'”

1. At first glance, Peter’s statement toward Jesus sounds reasonable: Peter, concerned for Jesus’ safety, does not want Jesus to die.
2. However, this statement is scandalous and evil. This statement seeks to deflect Jesus’ mission from the Father.
3. Peter was briefly “inspired” from Satan. Peter has just made a satanic and evil statement.
4. Satan seeks to undermine Jesus’ mission to die on the cross to seek redemption for humanity.

Modern-day syncretism (harlotry) of Christianity with worldly values, paganism, and sin in the Church:

1. Remaking Jesus’ divine Church into a synodal wordly Church (in the image of man)
2. Inserting pagan idols, Anglican concelebrants, indigenous cultural practices, and LGBTQ Jubilees in the Mass
3. Seeking outward synodal ecumenism outside the Catholic Church: accommodating and seeking unity with other faiths 
4. Appointing scandalous and morally questionable clergy, pro-LGBT bishops, politically motivated bishops 
5. Engaging in LGBTQ outreach: inclusion, tolerance, false compassion, Overlooking, ignoring, and normalizing sin
6. Synodality: clergy and laity sharing decision making authority about Church teachings and Church practices
7. Synodality: bringing lived experiences, worldliness, tolerance, and inclusion into the Church. 
8. Supporting Fiducia Supplicans: clergy allowing “non-liturgical blessings” for same-sex couples, putting many soul’s in moral peril
9. Permitting the German bishops to continually “renew” and “reform” itself into decline and heresy. This is great warning sign about Synodality.
10. Church authorities continually seeking to downgrade Mary’s status in the Church for purposes of accommodating Protestants
11. Church authorities’ indifference and silence (tacit acceptance) towards scandal (LGBTQ Jubilee) and scandalous priests (Fr. James Martin)
12. Inclusion, tolerance, and false compassion take precedence over sin, Jesus’ statements on sin, forgiveness, and conversion of heart

Literature:

1. 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.”
2. Despite initial criticism, this terminology was accepted in the European continent accustomed to scandals in many aspects of life.
3. Medieval and Renaissance writers, including Shakespeare, quickly adopted these terms.
4. 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.

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!

Let’s not forget that USCCB has also put together a “LGBTQ friendly” bible whitewashing homosexuality.

Fr. Pat Fitzgerald said that distributing Holy Communion to the faithful in their mouth is like feeding animals.” (Quite a scandalous statement!)

At the Our Lady of Pompeii parish in Corrientes, a local priest publicly blessed a couple who both identify as transgender. A male, presenting as a woman, and female, presenting as a man, completed a standard marriage preparation.

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? Yet we continue to have many priests living in a homosexual lifestyle.

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.

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

“Homosexual marriage is false, and a scandal.” Cardinal Robert Sarah

“The worst kind of heretic is the one who, while teaching mostly true Catholic doctrine, add a word of heresy, like a drop of poison in a cup of water.” Pope Leo XII