Michelle here.
If you read carefully through the questions-and-answers by staff apologists on the Catholic Answers Forums, you’ll notice that we use a lot of qualifiers. Especially when dealing with issues of moral culpability, we try very hard not to use absolutes. While it is possible to state definitively whether or not a particular action is grave matter, it is not possible for the apologists to discern any inquirer’s personal culpability because culpability for grave matter depends on knowledge and consent, two things I am not remotely qualified to discern. So we use qualifiers. We use may, could, perhaps, possible, might, etc. It becomes habitual. So habitual that I find it leaks into other forms of writing I do, such as this blog.
In what was supposed to be a "throwaway" post that turned into a major brouhaha over Martin Luther, I wrote:
"If you’re trying to think of the perfect gift for Luther, might I suggest obtaining a partial or plenary indulgence for his soul? Wherever Luther is now, I’m sure he now knows the value of an indulgence."
You may be horrified to learn that this innocuous bit of humor has brought me to the attention of the Universal Inquisition. Well, the Sacred Weblog of the Universal Inquisition at any rate, where I am exposed as a neo-Catholic (gasp!). The Inquisitor General, who describes his blog (one hopes with tongue in cheek) as "the weblog for the office of the Inquisitor General, scourge of heretics, archenemy of modernity, and protector of all things traditional" writes:
"Jimmy Akin’s blog has mentioned Luther’s birthday and given us this mildly humorous comment:
‘If you’re trying to think of the perfect gift for Luther, might I suggest obtaining a partial or plenary indulgence for his soul? Wherever Luther is now, I’m sure he now knows the value of an indulgence.’
"Of course, our only quibble is with the ‘wherever’ part. Luther is almost certainly in Hell*, and we have no qualms about saying it, unlike our neo-Catholic fellow bloggers.
"* Note the words ‘almost certainly.’"
While I did not intend to write with qualifiers in a humor bit, I note with amusement that it has become a bit of a modus operandi. And, frankly, that’s fine with me. (It’s primarily artistic writing, such as fiction, where qualifiers may be a problem.) In the case now being scrutinized, my qualifier wherever is an acknowledgement that it is not given to us to know where Luther is right now or whether an indulgence may help him, but that we can know that he does now know the value of an indulgence. Even if the indulgence cannot be used for his sake because he is in heaven or hell, God can use the indulgence for the sake of a suffering soul who can benefit. If Luther’s in purgatory, God can use the indulgence for his sake. In any case, the indulgence is of benefit and value to someone.
But, in the spirit of the Universal Inquisition, let’s look at the Inquisitor General’s use of qualification. Apparently, he desperately wants to say flat-out that Luther is in hell and thus separate himself from those Awful Neo-Catholics who refuse to make such a judgment. Despite assertions to the contrary, he does have qualms about saying it flat-out and so he highlights and explains his qualification so that he cannot be accused of casting Luther into hell. I submit to the Universal Inquisition that this isn’t a case of acknowledging that judgment belongs only to God but a case of Cover Your Tracks.
Note: The Wikipedia article on neo-Catholicism was down when I tried to check it. I can’t wait to try again later and find out all about neo-Catholicism.
Update: Link to the Inquisitor General’s post added. Apologies for the oversight.
