Msgr. Pope on Sins of the Intellect

"When I was in the seminary, my Moral Theology Professor, Fr. Robert Zylla (R.I.P.), encouraged us to meditate on the sins of the intellect during the third sorrowful mystery (The Crowning with Thorns). In his years of teaching he had surely witnessed the intellectual pride that could beset theologians and seminary students who figured they knew a few things. And added to this human tendency to intellectual pride was the rather prideful sense of the 20th century that we had somehow 'come of age.' Dissent from church teaching was rampant and what came to be called the 'hermeneutic of rupture and discontinuity was in full flower. Many dismissed things merely because they were 'old' and 'pre-Vatican II.' Our advanced technology, tall buildings, terrifying weapons of war, and astonishing techniques of medicine had mesmerized us; we confused mere knowledge with wisdom. Knowing how to get to the moon and back is impressive, but only wisdom and humility, with lots of grace and mercy, can get us to Heaven."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the role of humility and docility in our faith lives and on how easy it is for us, when we know a few things, to think/believe we know far more than we actually do.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Meditation on the Sins of the Intellect (8 APR 15)