Ezek 33.7-9;
Ps 94;
Rom 13.8-10;
Mt 18.15-20
In today’s gospel, our Lord praises the practice of ‘fraternal correction’: “if your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him.” The phrase ‘fraternal correction’ has a somewhat stark tone, implying telling others about their sins and misdemeanors—first confronting them face to face, then in the presence of two or three witnesses, and finally, if they persist, in front of the whole community. If these efforts don’t work, the instruction is to treat him as a gentile or a tax-collector—that is, to exclude him from the community, essentially excommunication.
Some people are happy to accept well-meant correction from a family member or close friend. Yet, they often find it harder to accept when it comes from the Church. I believe it bothers us more today than it did our ancestors. Honestly, most of us don’t like being told we’ve done wrong. It especially rankles when the correction comes from a priest, bishop, or even the Pope. Media reactions to the Holy Father’s encyclicals on moral issues are a good example. The liberal establishment often jumps up and down about them, touching a nerve in the collective liberal psyche. The Catholic Church affirms its right to remind the world that there is such a thing as right and wrong—an objective moral law—and that it has the authority and duty to correct us when we stray.
When Our Lord commanded His disciples to admonish sinners and correct the wayward, He knew the chaos that could ensue if human judgment was the only guide. He understood that the natural law of right and wrong, inscribed on every rational soul, can easily be twisted. He also knew that the truths of His revelation and the natural law could only be preserved intact through an infallible Church. Only an infallible Church would have the moral authority necessary to correct a wayward conscience. He foresaw that we would accept His teachings only if we believed the Church spoke with His voice and authority.
At the very foundation of the Church, Christ breathed His own voice into it, just as He breathes His law into each soul at the moment of creation. The interaction between these two sources of truth is crucial for us to understand. Today’s modern culture, which advocates feeling good at any cost, has nearly overshadowed the idea of an objective moral law. This is just one of the issues the Holy Father has consistently sought to clarify during his pontificate. As challenges to this moral law grow, we will undoubtedly hear a lot more about it in the years ahead.
Fr Joseph Osho