Podcast Summary: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Day 248: The Spread of Sin (2025)
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Date: September 5, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the "proliferation of sin" as discussed in Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 1865–1876. He explains how sin creates a tendency towards more sin, details the concept of capital (or "deadly") sins, addresses the social dimension of sin including complicity, and reflects on personal and communal responsibility to resist evil. The discussion is both practical and theologically grounded, with personal anecdotes and analogies to clarify how sin operates in the life of the individual and the broader community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spreading Nature of Sin

Timestamp: 02:25

• Main Point: Sin begets further sin, creating a vicious cycle or “proclivity” towards vice.
• Support: “Sin creates the proclivity to sin. It engenders vice by repetition of the same acts... Sin makes it easier to sin.”
  – Fr. Mike [02:35]
• Implication: Awareness of this pattern is crucial—not just noticing societal trends, but recognizing how our own choices set us on paths that become easier with repetition.

2. Clouding of Conscience

Timestamp: 06:15

• Observation: Repeated sin doesn’t destroy the innate sense of morality but clouds our judgment, making it easier to rationalize or excuse wrongdoing.
• Quote: “Sin clouds our conscience and can corrupt the concrete judgment of good and evil. We can convince ourselves that something we knew was wrong is maybe not so wrong after all.”
  – Fr. Mike [06:28]
• Insight: People who strive for virtue often see things more clearly, while those who repeatedly sin can become confused about basic moral truths.

3. The Capital (Deadly) Sins

Timestamp: 08:00

• Definition: The seven capital sins are pride, avarice (greed), envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth (acedia).
• Clarification: “They’re called capital because they engender other sins, other vices. Basically, they’re gateway sins.”
  – Fr. Mike [08:30]
• Anecdote: Fr. Mike refers humorously to the movie Seven as many people’s first exposure to the concept—while making clear he is not recommending it.
• Example: Discusses King David’s descent from sloth (not being where he should be) into progressively graver sins: adultery, assault, and murder (see: story of Bathsheba, 2 Samuel 11).
• Quote: “He went from simply not doing what he was supposed to be doing... to an adulterer, a sexual assaulter, and a murderer.”
  – Fr. Mike [10:33]
• Insight: Seemingly “smaller” sins, when left unchecked, can snowball into much greater evil.

4. Sins That Cry Out to Heaven

Timestamp: 13:55

• From Scripture: Some sins are said to "cry out to heaven": the blood of Abel, the sin of the sodomites, oppression of the foreigner/widow/orphan, and injustice to wage earners.
• Purpose: These spotlight violations of human dignity and the needs of the most vulnerable.
• Quote: “Here are people that have dignity... used, abused, that cries out to heaven for justice.”
  – Fr. Mike [14:25]

5. Social Sin and Complicity

Timestamp: 15:20

• Teaching: While sin is fundamentally a personal act, we share responsibility when we cooperate in the sins of others—by advising, praising, approving, not hindering, or protecting evildoers.
• Practical Examples:
  • Attending or celebrating certain events (e.g., some weddings) may signal approval of a sinful action [16:30].
  • Complicity includes “by ordering, advising, praising or approving them... not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so, [and] by protecting evildoers.”
    – Fr. Mike quoting Catechism [15:42]
• Church Reflection: Candid acknowledgment of the Church’s historical failures to disclose and address abuse:
  • “We know that... the Church knew of abuse and the Church didn’t disclose, but... protected some people who are committing horrible acts. And we must not ever do that.”
    – Fr. Mike [17:39]

6. The Challenge and Our Call to Action

Timestamp: 18:07

• Moral Responsibility: We must resist not only our own sins but also actively avoid cooperating in—or even appearing to approve of—the sins of others.
• Quote: “We have to fight to be in the place... So when we see something evil going on, we have to disclose it. That we must not protect evildoers. And that's a huge responsibility.”
  – Fr. Mike [19:01]
• Encouragement: Recognizes the difficulty, reminds listeners that God’s grace empowers us for this mission, and calls for mutual prayer and support.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sin’s Spread:
  “Sin creates the proclivity to sin. It engenders vice by repetition of the same acts... Sin makes it easier to sin. We all, we know this.” [02:35]

• On Conscience:
  “Sin clouds our judgment. That’s one of the reasons why those people who have resisted sin have walked in virtue. They're among the clearest... Sometimes we see people who are choosing virtue, and we can say, ‘well, they're so naive’. And yet, wait—are they naive? Or are we blinded by our compromises?” [07:10]

• Explaining Capital Sins:
  “They’re called capital because they engender other sins, other vices. Basically, they’re gateway sins.” [08:30]

• A Modern Example:
  “I think it’s one of the reasons why, as Catholics, we have to ask the question: are there certain weddings that I can’t go to? And there are. Are there certain celebrations I can’t go to? And there are. Because by going to some... I would be praising or approving of them.” [16:30]

• Responsibility to Disclose Evil:
  “If there is a way to stand up for those who are being hurt... to say, this is going to cost something, but we have to disclose the evil that's happening here. We cannot protect the people doing the evil.” [17:39]

• Our Challenge:
  “It is huge enough for us to fight against sin in our own hearts, but also to guard against the invitation, the temptation, the opportunity to cooperate with someone else's sin. We have to fight against that as well, which is hard, and yet it's the least we can do.” [19:20]

Major Segment Timestamps

• Proliferation of Sin & Its Effects – 02:25
• Conscience and Confusion in Sin – 06:15
• Capital/Deadly Sins & Their Gravity – 08:00
• Scriptural Sins That Cry to Heaven – 13:55
• Complicity: Social and Personal Sin – 15:20
• Applying the Teaching: Church, Life, and Responsibility – 16:30
• Closing Reflections and Mutual Prayer – 19:01

Tone and Language

Fr. Mike’s delivery is conversational, candid, and pastorally direct. He mixes Catechism readings with everyday examples, personal anecdotes, and humor, making profound topics accessible without watering them down. He does not shy away from hard truths about individual and collective complicity, calling listeners to both self-reflection and transformation.

Conclusion

Fr. Mike concludes by reminding listeners that resisting sin in themselves and refusing to cooperate in the sins of others is a daunting but essential Christian calling—one that cannot be accomplished without God’s grace. He calls for prayerful support within the community, and encourages listeners to continue the journey together.

For listeners who missed the episode:
This summary covers the crucial ideas, spiritual encouragement, and practical guidance Fr. Mike offers on the proliferation of sin—what it means, where it leads, why resisting it matters, and how individual and social responsibility are inseparably linked in the Christian moral life.