In this lecture His Holiness Pope Shenouda III addresses the subject of stumbles (causes of stumbling) — that is, the reasons that lead a person to sin or that make us be the cause of another’s fall into sin — and explains their danger, examples, and spiritual and practical methods of prevention.

Main idea
Stumbles may come from within a person or from outside, and can result from temptations of the devil, wrong teaching, bad company, media influences, or even from close people. The greatest danger is being the one who causes another to stumble, because then you share with them in the sin and bear its burden.

Biblical and spiritual basis
His Holiness presents scriptural and prophetic examples (like Eve, Joseph the Righteous, Simon Peter, examples from kings and prophets) to show that a stumble can be due to the devil’s deception, human error, or inner weakness, and that Christ warned saying “woe to the world because of stumbling blocks.”

Forms of stumbles and their sources
Stumbles can be sexual, intellectual, moral, or arise from brainwashing, false visions, deceptive dreams, or even from wrong books and philosophies. They may come from the devil in disguise as an angel, or from relatives, friends, teachers, or from media and entertainment.

Who is most harmed?
The innocent and simple — children and the weak in understanding — are most exposed to becoming victims of stumbles because they accept quickly and imitate those who guide them. Therefore the one who misleads them bears a greater responsibility.

Is a stumble intentional or accidental?
A true stumble is considered when there is intent or deliberate provocation that causes another to fall. If there is no intent and the heart is pure, the victim is not wholly blamed; nevertheless one must correct the inner self so that it does not open to response.

Prevention and spiritual/practical remedy
Fleeing from the place of temptation is not weakness but prevention: close the doors through which temptations come, choose righteous company, be strict with what books and ideas you read, train the soul in resistance, exercise spiritual discernment, and engage in prayer and fasting. Also we must prevent the spreading of rumors and harmful ideas and not accept unchecked external teachings.

Responsibility of leaders, teachers, and parents
Teachers, fathers, and preachers are responsible for not misleading others by words or actions. Whoever gives wrong counsel or spreads harmful thoughts becomes the cause of many stumbles. We must watch our examples and what we present to people.

Conclusion and practical exhortation
The exhortation is to internal fortification with holiness and virtue, and to discernment in what we hear and read, to avoid the paths of stumbling, and to protect the weak. We ask God to give us a pure heart, wisdom to avoid stumbles, and courage to refuse what misleads others.

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