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The Catholic Communications Network has published a following world-wide coverage of the Seven Deadly Sins story. Rather belatedly, they now make it clear that the Vatican is not publishing an official "list" of new sins. Instead, it appears that a senior Vatican official in the published interview was exploring how the traditional idea of sin (and "deadly" or "mortal" sins) should be interpreted in the context of the modern world. The official then listed some examples of modern sins that would endanger a person's soul without Confession. It's worth pointing out that the original list of Seven Deadly Sins, which originates with Pope Gregory in the 6th century, was never intended as a full and final list; this traditional account of sin has been expanded and, to a degree, complicated in the centuries since. It is therefore not at all unusual that a Vatican theologian should speculate about how that account may be further expanded to deal with the world today.

The Monsignor in question will no doubt have learned that this is the kind of subject that will interest the media -- and massively so. He is probably sitting in front of a computer screen as I write wondering how he managed to trigger such an avalanche of news coverage across the world.