Rebound
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains in this lecture the topic of apostasy and its various causes, showing that behind every departure from faith there is a human, social, material, or intellectual reason, and that the Church’s role is care and healing, not condemnation.
1. Apostasy due to personal status issues:
He speaks about cases where people change their religion or sect for legal reasons related to marriage or divorce, emphasizing that such motives are not based on faith but are superficial. Mixed marriages, he warns, cause spiritual difficulties in worship and in raising children.
2. Apostasy driven by poverty or need:
He notes that in poor areas, some may change their religion for material reasons due to neglect or need. He stresses the Church’s duty to care for the poor materially and spiritually, as poverty may lead to the loss of faith if the person does not find the Church’s support.
3. Apostasy caused by brainwashing or intellectual doubt:
His Holiness points out that some groups exploit ignorance of doctrine, influencing people with constant doubt until their faith weakens. He urges theological education for priests, youth, and women to be able to respond wisely to false teachings.
4. The importance of theological education:
He encourages women’s theological study so that mothers can raise their children in true faith and answer their spiritual questions, since knowledge strengthens faith and prevents deviation.
5. Apostasy due to family harshness:
He explains that some youth abandon their faith because they did not find love or tenderness at home, and seek comfort from someone outside their faith. He emphasizes that parental love and emotional support are the first defense of faith.
6. Returning to the Church and repentance:
Whoever returns after apostasy is not re-baptized but enters the rite of repentance and is accepted by the Church in mercy. However, the Church does not pray over those who die in apostasy, though it entrusts them to God’s compassion.
Spiritual conclusion:
Pope Shenouda teaches that apostasy is not only a change of religion, but a failure of faith, care, and education. The cure is found in love, true teaching, and comprehensive pastoral care — especially for the poor and weak — because the Church is a loving mother who never abandons her children.
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