corrupting effects of Original Sin, which remain after Original Sin is forgiven. Those effects include a weakening of our will, a clouding of our intellect, and concupiscence—the tendency to indulge our desires rather than to subordinate them to the right operation of our reason. Those effects are why we still fall prey to sin even after our baptism, and the absence of those effects is why Christ and Mary could remain free from sin throughout their lives. John the Baptist, however, was subject to Original Sin, even though he was cleansed of it before his birth. That cleansing placed him in the same position that we find ourselves after our baptism: freed from Original Sin, but still subject to its effects. Thus Catholic doctrine does not hold that John the Baptist remained free from sin throughout his life; indeed, the likelihood that he did so was quite remote. The special circumstances of his cleansing from Original Sin notwithstanding, John the Baptist remained, as we do, under the shadow of sin and death that Original Sin casts upon man.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 21:50:53 +0000