Sins And Fathers

Deus servabit filiis illius dolorem patris, et cum reddiderit, tunc sciet. Scriptum novimus: Qui reddis peccata patrum in filios ac nepotes, in tertiam et quartam generationem. Et rursum scriptum est: Quid est quod inter vos parabolam vertitis in proverbium istud in terra Israel, dicentes: Patres comederunt uvam acerbam, et dentes filiorum obstupuerunt? Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus, si erit vobis ultra parabola haec in proverbium in Israel. Ecce omnes animae, meae sunt; ut anima patris, ita et anima filii, mea est. Anima quae peccaverit, ipsa morietur. In utraque igitur hac sententia dum dissimilis sensus invenitur, auditoris animus ut discretionis viam subtiliter requirat instruitur. Peccatum quippe originale a parentibus trahimus; et nisi per gratiam baptismatis solvamur, etiam parentum peccata portamus: quia unum adhuc videlicet cum illis sumus. Reddit ergo peccata parentum in filios, dum pro culpa parentis, ex originali peccato anima polluitur prolis. Et rursum non reddit parentum peccata in filios: quia cum ab originali culpa per baptismum liberamur, iam non parentum culpas, sed quas ipsi committimus, habemus. Quod tamen intelligi etiam aliter potest: quia quisquis pravi parentis iniquitatem imitatur, etiam ex eius delicto constringitur. Quisquis autem parentis iniquitatem non imitatur, nequaquam delicto illius gravatur. Unde fit, ut iniquus filius iniqui patris non solum sua quae addidit, sed etiam patris peccata persolvat; cum vitiis patris, quibus iratum Dominum non ignorat, etiam suam adhuc malitiam adiungere non formidat. Et iustum est, ut qui sub districto iudice vias parentis iniqui non timet imitari, cogatur in vita praesenti etiam culpas parentis iniqui persolvere. Unde et illic dictum est: Anima patris mea est, et anima filii mea est. Anima quae peccaverit, ipsa morietur: quia in carne nonnunquam filii etiam ex patris peccato perimuntur. Deleto autem originali peccato, ex parentum nequitia in anima non tenentur. Sanctus Gregorius Magnus, Moralia, sive Expositio in Job, Liber XV, Caput LI Source: Migne PL 75.1110b-1111a

God shall store up the grief of the father for his sons. And when He repays, then he shall know it. 1 We know that it is written, 'He who visits the sins of the fathers upon the sons, and upon the sons of the sons, to the third and fourth generation.' 2 And again it is written, 'Why is it that among you that you turn a parable into a proverb in the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?' As I live, says the Lord, you shall not have this for a proverb any more in Israel. Behold all souls, they are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.' 3 Thus in both these sentences, while a dissimilar meaning is found, the mind of the hearer is instructed that it should carefully search out the way of discernment. Since we derive original sin from our parents, unless we are freed from it by the grace of Baptism, we bear the sins of our parents with us, seeing that we are obviously still one with them. Thus 'He visits the sins of the fathers to the sons,' when because of the guilt of the parent, the soul of the offspring is defiled with original sin. But again He does not 'return the sins of the fathers to the sons,' because when we are freed from original guilt by Baptism, we no longer are in possession of the sins of our fathers, but only those which we have committed ourselves. And this may be understood in yet another way: that anybody who imitates the wickedness of a depraved father is also bound up in his sin. But whoever does not imitate the wickedness of a father, is not burdened with his sin. Whence it happens that the wicked son of a wicked father not only adds to his own sins but even pays for the sins of the father, which he is not ignorant that the Lord has been vexed by and yet he does not fear to add to wickedness. And it is right that he who is beneath the gaze of the judge and who does not fear to imitate the ways of a wicked parent, is compelled to pay in this present life for the evils of a parent. Whence it is said: 'The soul of the father is mine, and the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sins, it shall die,' because by the sin of the father sons are sometimes destroyed in the flesh. But with original sin removed, they are not bound in the soul by the wickedness of the parents. Saint Gregory the Great, Moralia, or Commentary on Job, Book 15, Chap 51 1 Job 21.19 2 Exod 34.7 3 Ezek 18.2-4