| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| Fraternal Correction | Fay | Monday, June 2, 2008 |
Question: Dear Bro. Ignatius Mary, Thank you for all you do here. I have learned so much since finding this forum and your advice is always so down to earth. I have a question that has been plaguing me horribly about my obligation to "fraternal correction." I am a scrupulous person and I do not get through even an hour of my day without ruminating and obsessing over some real or imagined sin. I am in real anguish, and now I am grappling with how to handle this next obligation on top of it all. Do I really have to correct every sinner I meet? Is it ever OK just to leave a soul between its owner and God and keep my nose out of their business? I look at message boards on the internet, looking at topics of interest but not posting usually (lurking, they call it). Now I am increasingly unable to do even that. People post things that infringe copyright all the time, which to my understanding is a mortal sin. I am terrified at the prospect of contacting every poster and every webmaster I come across to play copyright police under the guise of "admonishing the sinner." Even registering at sites where I otherwise wouldn't bother, just to make one post that will be poorly received. I have no reason to believe my efforts would make even the slightest difference. I feel so beaten down. I can't barely handle my own soul, but I must look after everyone else's now, too? Please set me straight on this. Thank you for your time. |
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| Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM
Dear Fay: Fraternal Correction must be done in love, not from compulsion. Our obligation extends to that in which we have the opportunity and when God directs and then only if our motive is love. As a scrupulous person (which is the religious form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) I really doubt if you are qualified to give Fraternal Correction. Your compulsion will cloud your judgment and lead you to rash judgment (which is a sin). The example is your idea that people are violating copyright laws. You do not know that. Are you a copyright lawyer? Do you know for a fact that the person does not have a license to make a copy? Do you know if the material is in the Public Domain or not? Are you sure that the material fails the "Fair Use" doctrine? I really doubt you can answer these questions. You are simply not qualified to make this judgment. And copyright infringement is not automaticallymortal sin. In most cases it may not be grave sin. You can NEVER say someone has committed a mortal sin. You do not know that. NO ONE knows that but God. All we can say is that someone has committed a grave sin (whether or not it is mortal requires knowledge and unimpaired free consent). In any regard, because of your scrupulosity my advice is to not offer Fraternal Correction to anyone at all. Your judgment is impaired and thus you cannot trust it. If you feel fraternal correction is needed then BEFORE giving it check with your spiritual director or confessor first. God Bless, Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum
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