523. What is forbidden by the eighth commandment? (part 3 continuation)
(Comp 523 repetition) The eighth commandment forbids: * false witness, perjury, and lying, the
gravity of which is measured by the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the
intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims; * rash
judgment, slander, defamation and calumny which diminish or destroy the good
reputation and honor to which every person has a right; * flattery, adulation,
or complaisance, especially if directed to serious sins or toward the
achievement of illicit advantages. A sin committed against truth demands
reparation if it has caused harm to others.
“In brief”
(CCC 2509)
An offense committed against the truth requires reparation.
To deepen and
explain
(CCC 2481) Boasting
or bragging is an offense against truth. So is irony aimed at disparaging someone by maliciously caricaturing some
aspect of his behavior. (CCC 2482) "A lie
consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving" (St.
Augustine, De mendacio 4, 5: PL 40:
491). The Lord denounces lying as the work of the devil: "You are of your
father the devil,… there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according
to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (Jn
8:44).
Reflection
(CCC 2483) Lying is the most direct offense against the
truth. To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone
into error. By injuring man's relation to truth and to his neighbor, a lie
offends against the fundamental relation of man and of his word to the Lord. (CCC
2484) The gravity of a lie is
measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the
intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie
in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave
injury to the virtues of justice and charity. [IT CONTINUES]
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