Just In Time to Keep You On Your Toes for the Last 2 Weeks of Lent
The Vatican Announces 7 New Deadly Sins

I spent Friday evening with some old and new-er friends. Opening a bottle of wine to enjoy as we hung out, several mentionned that they couldn't - or shouldn't - partake because of Lent and their choice to give up alcohol during these 6 weeks (between Ash Wednesday and Easter). Well the Pope is making things even harder for those trying to give up sinful habits during this Lenten Season and all year round. They're adding another 7 deadly sins to the list of the original seven. In our era of globalisation we'll need not only a Savior but also a Prius, to avoid shopping at WalMart, and getting a mani-pedi. I'm not against his idea at it's foundational level. But while he's bemoaning the de-Christianisation of the Western World I doubt that the intentional effort of expanding the list of deadly sins from 7 to 14 will be a motivator for faith throughout North America and Europe. Good luck avoiding Sin today.

Here's the list of the news sins
1. Drug Pushers
2. The Excessive Accumulation of a Few, who've gotten there at the expense of the poor and have thus caused poverty
3. Environmental Polluters
4. Related to Abortion
5. DNA/Genetic Manipulations, in particular on Embryos
6. Social Injustices
7. Economic Injustices

Articles you can check out online

Read the Principal Article in Yesterday's Edition of "L'Osservatore Romano" (paper of the Vatican) - in Italian, couldn't yet find an English Version.
"Seven New Deadly Sins: Are You Guilty?"
"Vatican Lists New Sins: including Pollution"
"Vatican Lists New Sins (MSNBC)"