Anger, envy, lust, pride, gluttony, sloth and covetousness are the seven capital, or deadly, sins so often spoken of by theologians in the past. They are hardly mentioned today in a society become inured to the whole idea of sin. Yet, as Fulton Sheen makes clear in his inimitable way, these sins are very real with very real consequences for our happiness in this world and in the next. Jesus atoned for each one on the cross and addressed them individually in the words He spoke as He hung there dying. In a series of eight addresses delivered over the radio on the Sundays from February 26 to April 9, 1939, Sheen correlated the Seven Last Words from the Cross with these Seven Capital Sins and shows in a final Easter Sunday sermon, also presented here, how when we make God the enemy, we can never be sure that we have won the day. When God is our ally, as He was on the Cross, we can be sure
Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979) was one of the best-loved prelates of twentieth century Catholicism. A prolific writer and orator, a distinguished scholar and teacher, an influential master of the media, Bishop Sheen was one of the most effective communicators of our time. His scores of books have offered inspiration, profound thought, and penetrating analysis of Christian faith and life.
