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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Had a bad thought about a Priest...	Matthew	Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Question: Brother, I go to daily Mass on my lunch break. For about a year and a half i've gone to a Jesuit parish each day for Mass. I was unhappy there due to the Pastor's questionable rantings during his sermons. He bashed EWTN on a few occasions, made a questionable remark about the Pope, and also has claimed that "we don't know if the words in the Gospels are really what Jesus actually said." Obviously this all made me uncomfortable and i didn't want to deal with that anymore. I just recently decided to go to a parish that holds firm to the teaching of the Magisterium. Today while i was at Mass, a thought popped in my head that said..."Man, that Priest was a real *$#%!" (Obviously, i won't repeat the word) I then became upset because i don't want to think something like that but i was irritated at the way that priest acts like he is above the Magisterium or something. Anyway, is something like this a mortal sin or a venial sin, or not a sin at all since it was just a random thought that entered? Thanks Brother. God Bless, Matthew
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Matthew: It is a very sad thing when a priest, especially a Jesuit, loses his faith and more bashes loyal children of the Church. We will pray for this man. As for thoughts, if your thought was a fleeting thought that popped into your head there is no sin as this was not under your control AS LONG AS you did not entertain the thought. When such thoughts pop into your head you need to immediately reject them and renounce them. For example, a prayer like the following may be appropriate: "Father in heaven, I reject these evil thoughts. Cleanse from my mind all thoughts that are not of You. Forgive me for any underlying anger I have toward this priest. Give me a spirit of forgiveness and concern for him. Amen." We cannot control random thoughts that pop into our minds, but we are responsible for what we do with those thoughts. As implied in the prayer above, we may want to explore underlying factors (such as anger and unforgiveness) that may contribute to the fleeting thoughts. With that said, you may want to confess this in your next confession, not because it was mortal (unless you entertained the thought), but because you want to be healed of any residual anger and unforgiveness. You may also consider the spiritual warfare aspect of this in that the devil knows of your feelings about this Jesuit priest and may have exploited that by placing this thought in your head. Praying to rebuke the demon of anger, unforgiveness, etc. may be in order too. God bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary 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

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Had a bad thought about a Priest...

Matthew

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Question:

Brother,

I go to daily Mass on my lunch break. For about a year and a half i've gone to a Jesuit parish each day for Mass. I was unhappy there due to the Pastor's questionable rantings during his sermons. He bashed EWTN on a few occasions, made a questionable remark about the Pope, and also has claimed that "we don't know if the words in the Gospels are really what Jesus actually said." Obviously this all made me uncomfortable and i didn't want to deal with that anymore.

I just recently decided to go to a parish that holds firm to the teaching of the Magisterium. Today while i was at Mass, a thought popped in my head that said..."Man, that Priest was a real *$#%!" (Obviously, i won't repeat the word)

I then became upset because i don't want to think something like that but i was irritated at the way that priest acts like he is above the Magisterium or something.

Anyway, is something like this a mortal sin or a venial sin, or not a sin at all since it was just a random thought that entered? Thanks Brother.

God Bless,
Matthew

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Matthew:

It is a very sad thing when a priest, especially a Jesuit, loses his faith and more bashes loyal children of the Church. We will pray for this man.

As for thoughts, if your thought was a fleeting thought that popped into your head there is no sin as this was not under your control AS LONG AS you did not entertain the thought.

When such thoughts pop into your head you need to immediately reject them and renounce them. For example, a prayer like the following may be appropriate:

"Father in heaven, I reject these evil thoughts. Cleanse from my mind all thoughts that are not of You. Forgive me for any underlying anger I have toward this priest. Give me a spirit of forgiveness and concern for him. Amen."

We cannot control random thoughts that pop into our minds, but we are responsible for what we do with those thoughts. As implied in the prayer above, we may want to explore underlying factors (such as anger and unforgiveness) that may contribute to the fleeting thoughts.

With that said, you may want to confess this in your next confession, not because it was mortal (unless you entertained the thought), but because you want to be healed of any residual anger and unforgiveness.

You may also consider the spiritual warfare aspect of this in that the devil knows of your feelings about this Jesuit priest and may have exploited that by placing this thought in your head. Praying to rebuke the demon of anger, unforgiveness, etc. may be in order too.

God bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

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