Blame has no place in dealing with ‘slavery to corruption’

In the second reading on the 15th Sunday in ordinary time, the final words in St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans drives home a sensitive topic, which needs to be addressed:   “….for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption.” [Rom. 8:8-23] What is this “slavery to corruption” suffered by creation? In particular, how has this “corruption” affected us humans?

It is the teaching of the Church that there will be a constant tug-of-war between Good and Evil in our world until Jesus’ Second Coming, which marks the culmination of God’s saving plan. At that time, Christ will triumph definitively against Satan and usher in the new age of glory—when those who are found righteous will live forever in a state of joy, peace and congruity in perfect unity with each other. Those who are not found to be in good standing with God will be sent to hell, which is a place marked by the total absence of God—where God is not, life and light do not exist, rather, this is perpetual death and darkness.

As we are in the midst of this flux preceding the Second Coming, nothing serves as a better example of our “slavery to corruption” or, better, “addiction to what is bad for us,” than the battle waged by adults and their children over illicit drugs. I am convinced that the increased use of fentanyl laced painkillers and heroin in our country is not the result of negligence by parents.  If any of you, parents, have children with a drug problem, please do not blame yourselves. Why not? Because this affliction hits the best of homes where parents have sacrificed everything to make a better life for their families. How many of you have to make the four-hour commute into the City just to sustain the lifestyle to which your family has grown accustomed? How many of you live in two income families just to pay the high taxes, touring team registration fees and escalating costs of school tuition just to give your kids what you, yourselves, could not enjoy in your youth? You do not complain but do what you have to, in order to make a good life for your loved ones. So, there should be no finger-pointing when it comes to having an addict in the household.

Most health professionals concur that there is a genetic pre-disposition to addiction in certain individuals—which means a hereditary propensity toward addiction which is passed on from one generation to the next or, maybe, it even skips a generation. This means that we are dealing with a pathology which is scientifically verified to be a disease. Addiction is a disease and its symptoms are, in Paul’s words “slavery to corruption,” in modern day terms, “an addiction to what is bad for us.”  It does not affect every family—but those families should not boast that they escaped this nightmare because of good parenting skills. Granted the parenting skills helped, but there is also the inexplicable phenomenon known as “luck,” which explains why your kids sailed through school, college and life without having a brush with addiction to alcohol or illicit drugs. I say “luck” because your genetic pool was not corrupted. Now, why are some corrupted and some not, that is a mystery that has been at the forefront of scientific research.

What we need to do, then, is not throw up our hands and say that the stars have spoken and accept some sort of moral predestination which holds that some will be addicts and some will not, based on your DNA. No, we need to be pro-active and try to implement the following.

1. If your child has an addiction, get him or her help. Don’t close your eyes in denial because the problem will not go away on its own.

2. Don’t blame yourselves for what has corrupted your child’s life. Addiction is a disease for which there is no cure but, if treated professionally, can lead to a long and healthy life in recovery which means abstinence from alcohol and narcotics.

3. Our kids do not belong in jail if they are caught using drugs. They belong in medical facilities which can treat them through detox and rehabilitation.

This “slavery to corruption” of which St. Paul speaks is not limited to drugs and alcohol. We have people addicted to food, to gambling and extra-marital sex.

We are not called to judge those who are suffering from their slavery to corruption. We are called to bring the problem to light. We are called to get those who are victims, assistance and to comfort those whose families have been at odds with each other as a result of this horrible manifestation of evil within the homes of good people.  Let’s not be quick to condemn parents or lock up their teens—instead, let us resolve to pray, to support and to bring awareness of the facts to those who remain trapped in this “slavery to corruption.”

Father Comandini is managing editor of  The Catholic Spirit.