Correction with Compassion

Correction with Compassion
Fr Anthony Charanghat

In a powerful Lenten message, Pope Benedict XVI has called upon the world’s Catholics to uncompromisingly fulfil their Christian obligation of correction with compassion. This practice has traditionally been known as "fraternal correction for eternal life". The theme of the Pope’s reflection is based on the text from Hebrews 10:24: "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works."
For the Pope, "paying attention" also means "not keeping silent in the face of evil and sin, being willing to denounce sinners and calling them to account for their actions when necessary." But he warns, that we must be careful not to let our reproach be motivated "by a spirit of condemnation or recrimination; it is always motivated by love and mercy, and springs from genuine concern for the welfare of our brothers and sisters."
The Pope then calls upon the faithful not to remain silent spectators in the rising tide of moral laxity and turpitude which is the prevailing mentality in today’s society. There is a growing trend today that "accepts any moral choice in the name of individual freedom". He warns us against falling into the same trap of allowing the need for human respect or convenience to stop us from warning our brothers against the ways of "thinking and acting that contradict the truth and do not follow the path of good."
Today, with the growing awareness of social responsibility, "we are generally very sensitive when we talk about care and love for the physical and material good of others, but we are almost completely silent on the spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters," cautions the Pope. The Holy Father admonishes us that in our world that is steeped in individualism, it is necessary to rediscover the importance of naming the evil and battling corruption in society, "so that we might walk together towards holiness" and avert the danger of a sort of "spiritual anaesthesia".
The Holy Father in his reflection affirms that "our existence is correlated with that of others, both in good and evil," and therefore "both sin and acts of love have also a social dimension." This is the reason the Pope emphasises why we must "be attentive to one another" and "not show ourselves as distant, indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters". He points out that "indifference and disinterest arise from selfishness, masked by a semblance of respect for privacy."
He draws our attention to Christian Charity which teaches us that we are responsible not only for the material well-being of others, but also for their moral and spiritual good. We cannot overlook the fact that a certain ideology, which exalts the rights of the individual, can have the consequence of creating isolation and solitude. "When the call to communion is denied in the name of individualism, it is our humanity that suffers, deceived by the impossible mirage of happiness obtainable alone" says the Pope.
The Church is moved by a sincere concern for humankind and for the world. Her activities are not moved by a desire to condemn or recriminate, but by a justice and mercy which must also have the courage to call things by their name. Only in this way can we expose the roots of evil, which continue to intrigue the mind of modern man. This task of the Church is called prophetic mission.
A society like ours can become blind to physical sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community! The papal message reminds the faithful that the Church is a community, in which the welfare of one member affects the welfare of all. Being concerned for the good of others, he writes, advances the overall mission of the Church.