It’s a terrible thought: dying excommunicated…
I want you to stop for a moment and do something: Right now… try to imagine what goes through the mind of a soul during her first 15 seconds in Hell. The realization of where you are…
“This can’t … be happening… to ME….”
But. It. Has.
Let’s get a couple things clear.
We should never wish Hell for a person out of malice. We must pray that both God’s mercy and God’s justice place people exactly where they ought to be. If that place is Hell, so be it, but we should prefer and pray that all find the means to attain heaven, even after an unfathomably long time of purgation. We especially pray for God’s mercy on all obvious sinners, just as we pray for mercy for ourselves, for wee, too, are sinners. We should desire that even the most horrible of sinners, in their last moments at least, repent and throw themselves on God’s loving mercy.
Secondly, excommunication is not a sentence to Hell. Excommunication means that you may not receive the sacraments. But think about how much harder it is to get to heaven without the sacraments! The sacraments are the ordinary means of our salvation. Christ Himself willed that we receive sacraments. He gave them to us. When you are excommunicated, you cannot receive Communion or go to confession.
How much harder is it to reach Heaven without the sacraments? Lots. How much easier is it to go to Hell? Lots.
This is something that the divorced and civilly remarried had better start thinking about, especially if they are going about their business as if they haven’t placed themselves in real spiritual peril. For example, every time they would go to Holy Communion, they would be committing the sin of sacrilege. ”Sacrilege”… the improper or irreverent treatment of something sacred… in this case the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, God. If that isn’t seriously bad, I don’t know what is.
Does that sound like something that you can do over and over again and still get to heaven? Really?
The above goes for all of you who are in the state of mortal sin for any reason and are still trooping up for Communion as if nothing were wrong.
Having a great day yet? Let’s make it even better. You are all going to die someday and you don’t know when that will be. When you die, you will go to your judgment and the verdict is eternal. Get that? Once given, it can never change.
Are you ready, or are there some things you need to get straightened out?
I turn now to something I saw at Fishwrap, where they shamelessly and scandalously promote the ordination of women. Get this headline:
First woman priest ordained in New Jersey dies
First, she wasn’t a priest, wasn’t ordained.
Newton, N.J. Mary Ann McCarthy Schoettly was not known to brag, but many among the more than 150 who attended her memorial service Monday at Newton Presbyterian Church [How sad is that? But remember... she was excommunicated.] said she had plenty to boast about.
One thing she could have trumpeted was that she had received all seven Catholic sacraments. [No. She hadn't. It is a matter of wonder that Fishwrap publishes this rubbish without hesitation.] From her baptism in 1942 to her more recent reception of the anointing of the sick, she had made her first confession, first Communion and been confirmed in her youth. Later, she entered into matrimony.
But what set her apart from the others in the church was her ordination to the priesthood. [No, she wasn't. She attempted something that was impossible and then simulated the celebration of the Eucharist, publicly, which is a horrible sin.] Schoettly was the first Roman Catholic Womenpriest from New Jersey to be ordained. [No.] Her [fake] ordination took place for the St. Mary Magdalene Community in Philadelphia in 2009.
Schoettly died July 22, the feast of Mary Magdalene. At the time of her passing, she had been co-presiding over the Sophia Inclusive Catholic Community, [sheesh] which meets every Sunday for worship and faith sharing in Sparta, N.J., and once a month in Morristown, N.J.
[...]
The assembly was encouraged to participate in the Eucharist by joining the celebrant in the words of consecration. Following the opening hymn, “All Are Welcome,” Corso repeated the welcome when it was time “for all” to come forward and receive the gluten-free bread and alcohol-free wine.
[...]
If you have the stomach to, read the rest of this goofy but tragic business over there.
Remember: Those who attempt ordination like this, to the diaconate or priesthood, incur the censure of excommunication. Any attempt to celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice, Mass, by someone not truly ordained to the priesthood commits a delictum gravius. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 2008 decree confirms that these “attempted ordinations” are invalid. Cann. 1378 and 1443 apply to those who participate in these fake ordinations. Those involved are automatically excommunicated.
As faithful Catholics we hope for the salvation of this poor deluded soul and for the conversion of all those who are set on that same path. It is a horrible thing to be excommunicated and to die excommunicated.
Now that you have, hopefully, been frightened about Hell, stop and say a prayer for the soul of poor Mary Ann, who died recently.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord…
Fishwrap closed the combox on that entry. Wisely. I shall turn on the moderation queue.
Finally,
GO TO CONFESSION!
