September 28, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

In the canon law class I teach weekly up at the seminary, we recently covered the topic of criminal law in the church. In short, there are certain actions that are crimes in church law and carry with it a penalty. Some penalties are known as latae sententiae, which means the penalty is imposed automatically upon commission of the delict. Other penalties are known as ferendae sententiae, which means the penalty has to be imposed by the authority through some procedure. So, for example, if the priest were to directly break the seal of confession, the penalty is a latae sententiae excommunication. That is, the priest is “automatically” excommunicated as soon as he breaks the seal. (This is one of the harshest punishments–it shows you how seriously the church takes the seal of confession.)

However, there are a few caveats to this. A penalty cannot be imposed without the defendant being aware that the action was indeed a crime. So, “automatic” excommunication isn’t totally precise. It’s similar to committing a sin, in the technical sense. It requires full consent, knowledge, and deliberation. So, if the priest didn’t realize he was breaking the seal of confession, or it’s questionable that what he said was a direct violation of the seal, then he is not excommunicated. In dubiis pro reo, is the principle of Roman Law.

There is yet another caveat to this. Ignorance of the law does not always excuse. While a regular Catholic could claim they didn’t realize their action brought a particular penalty (say, for instance, physical attack on the pope, which is another latae sententiae excommunication…a person punched the pope but didn’t realize that was an excommunicable offense) and so they are exonerated through ignorance, the priest cannot claim ignorance of the law regarding the seal of confession. He should know the law, which is why he gets taught canon law! He might have slept through my canon law class, but it would still be criminal negligence for him to not know the canons on the seal of confession (and other duties and obligations).

I’m thinking about this with regard to the rich man in Christ’s parable this weekend. He is punished (sent to Hell) for not taking care of Lazarus during his life. But it would seem the rich man wasn’t intentionally committing a sin. He is almost caught by surprise that he ends up in Hell. This is further evidenced by the fact that he asks Abraham to give a warning to his brothers not to do the same. The implication is that the rich man didn’t know he was doing anything wrong, and if he had only been told of his error, he could have repented and been saved. So, our Lord doesn’t seem to be fairly applying the principles of justice here.

Well, we know Jesus is just and merciful and all-knowing, so there has to be something we’re missing. Was the rich man entirely innocent? Probably not. For one, how do you miss a poor man lying right outside your door? Generally we notice right away when a homeless person is in an area where they shouldn’t typically be. All the more would we notice them right outside our home. And, say in the small chance the rich man truly didn’t notice him, then that would be a crime unto itself–being so consumed in yourself that you don’t even notice what’s happening around you.

The rich man, we are told in the parable, “dressed in purple garments and fine linen dined sumptuously each day.” Purple garments were reserved for royalty. So, the rich man is treating himself like a king. And a king, he believes, is about being served and not serving. A king, in his eyes, doesn’t need to notice poor beggars or anyone else. The poor beggars should notice him!

That might have been okay at the time, but not any more with Christ. With this parable the law is changed. Actions aren’t the only crimes. Omissions are too. And to be a king is to serve.

This parable isn’t, I think, about guilting rich people into giving money to the poor. The lesson is, rather, about noticing the people around us. When we see a “poor” person (and by “poor” don’t just think materially poor, but spiritually or emotionally poor), our first inclination generally is to judge them. At best, we just ignore them. Jesus is telling us to love them. The poor person might be hard to love, especially if they are a family member or friend who is hurting you by their poverty. But, with God’s grace (if we ask for it), we can serve them from our spiritual wealth and end up by Abraham’s side in paradise.

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The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi is this week, and so we will hold our annual Animal Blessing at 9am on Saturday, October 4th in the parking lot outside the side entrance to the church.

Saturday, October 4th is the SPC School Homecoming. Good luck to our football teams and cheerleaders who play that day, and all the best to all of our fall athletes, as well as to athletes at the public schools in the area.

Our next Family Mass will be next Sunday, October 5th at 10:30am in the Holy Family Chapel. The following Family Mass for the month will be October 19th.

Please see inside the bulletin a copy of a letter I sent a few weeks back to the mayor of Park Ridge and the City Council regarding the relocation of the Park Ridge Farmer’s Market. A new site being considered for the farmer’s market starting next spring is on Summit Avenue by our parish, which would have a significant impact on the many Saturday morning activities that occur at our parish. Our food pantry distribution would especially be hindered. I hope the City Council will make a decision that is best for the community.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James Wallace