Be a Sinner, not a Hypocrite

Fr. Paul D. Scalia distinguishes between the struggles of a sinner and the actions of a hypocrite in an article for The Catholic Thing. He notes that people often accuse serious Catholics of hypocrisy when their behavior contradicts their professed beliefs.

Scalia explains that while both sinners and hypocrites may say one thing and do another, their intentions differ. He defines a sinner as someone who has not yet become the Christian they desire to be. In contrast, he describes a hypocrite as someone who lacks that desire entirely. He suggests that the feeling of being a hypocrite often stems from the gap between a person's religious practices, such as attending Mass or praying the Rosary, and their human failures.