The Frugal Farmer
By JOE SIXPACK
A frugal farmer was on his way to market one day when he saw a piece of string lying on the road. He thought it might come in useful, so he bent down to pick it up . . . just as a passerby saw him put it into his pocket.
Later a man’s wallet containing several hundred dollars was reported lost in the same spot, so the police asked the farmer what he knew about it. They didn’t believe him when he told them he’d only picked up a piece of string. Indeed, the entire town laughed at the farmer’s explanation. He tried to tell everyone around town the true story of what happened, but nobody believed him. He couldn’t sleep that night and was absolutely miserable over everyone thinking he was a thief.
The next day the wallet was found lying empty on the road. The farmer happily told everyone this new detail, but by now he’d been judged guilty by common consent of all the town’s people. They decided this latest detail was just a clever trick by the farmer so he could keep the money.
His reputation ruined, the farmer returned home. He brooded over the incident until it drove him to a nervous breakdown and mental illness. He kept babbling over and over to himself, “A piece of string. It was only a piece of string.” He died soon after that.
As we complete our examination of the Eighth Commandment, this story touches on so much of what we’ve already learned. It also covers some of what we’ll look at today — calumny, contumely, libel, secrets, and reparation for sins against the Commandment.
Calumny is probably a new word for some of you. Calumny, which we commonly call slander today, is the making of “remarks contrary to the truth [which harm] the reputation of others and give occasion [of] false judgment concerning them” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2477). Calumny is gravely immoral, as everyone has a right to a good reputation.
If calumny was a new word for some of you, I suspect contumely is a new word for most of you. I know I didn’t know either word when I first started studying Catholicism, but they really are words that were at one time common in our language. Anyway, contumely is showing contempt for a person by unjustly dishonoring him. It may be committed by ignoring the person, refusing to show him the proper signs of respect, or through ridicule. Not only is this a sin against the Eighth Commandment, but it tempts the person being disrespected to anger, revenge, and other sins.
Libel is any false or malicious written or printed statement or any sign, picture, or effigy tending to injure a person’s reputation in any way. We commonly see this today when a political cartoonist abuses his liberty in favor of license to harm a political enemy. I’m not saying all political cartoons are libelous. I’m merely saying that they often go too far.
We also see violations of the Eighth Commandment regarding secrets. We’re obliged to keep secrets if we have promised to do so, if our office requires it (lawyers, doctors, priests, etc.), or if the good of others demands it.
Covered under this prohibition against revealing secrets extends to reading the private letters and writings of others. We may never read such letters or the private writings of others (diaries, etc.) without the person’s permission, unless the motive for reading them is to prevent grave harm to oneself, another, or society.
For example, say your friend has been very depressed and you’re concerned about him. You can’t find your friend one day, but do find a letter he’s written and left on his desk. Should you look at that letter? If you’re concerned it could be a suicide note then you can look at it. If it is a suicide note, you’re morally obligated to do something about it. If, however, it becomes apparent that the letter isn’t a suicide note, then you’re morally obligated to stop reading it and to keep to yourself the content of that part of the letter you’ve already read.
This indirectly leads us to the seal of Confession. The vast majority of people believe the seal of Confession applies only to priests. That simply isn’t the case. “The secret of the sacrament of reconciliation is sacred, and cannot be violated under any pretext” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2490). Therefore, if you somehow gain knowledge of matter for someone’s Confession you must never reveal that knowledge to anyone.
This extends to seeing or becoming privy to someone’s sin that hasn’t yet been confessed, as it is potential matter for Confession — whether the person confesses it or not. The only exception to that is in the case of a felonious act. But even if you come to know of a felonious act because you may have overheard a sacramental Confession, you are obliged to keep that information to yourself. It’s gravely immoral to violate the seal of Confession…even if you merely overheard a Confession. I know I’ve overheard several Confessions while waiting to see the priest myself, because the person ahead of me speaks too loudly.
What I’ve overheard will die with me . . . as it should you.
Reparation for sins against the Eighth Commandment is absolutely necessary, and making reparation one time will keep you from ever committing that particular sin again. “Every offense committed against justice and truth entails the duty of reparation, even if its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. The duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another’s reputation. The reparation, moral and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2487). Following is an example of reparation.
Let’s say Deacon John owns a plumbing business, and you see his truck outside a known brothel at two o’clock in the morning. Your first obligation is to view that situation in the best possible light — he may be there on an emergency call to fix a busted water pipe. But rather than doing as you ought, you instead tell other people you saw his truck outside the brothel. Later, when you discover that he was indeed repairing a busted pipe, you must make reparation for telling others about what you saw.
How is that done? You must go to everyone you told and correct what you told them. You must also find out who they told and go to them as well. You must also find out who they told and go to them too. You must carry this reparation as far as is possible in the name of justice and charity! So you can see it’s much easier to learn to tame the tongue rather than let it move freely.
I think St. James gives us the best advice in his epistle: “Wherefore, it is better to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath” (James 1:19). In other words, you have two ears and one mouth, so use them proportionately.
If you have a question or comment you can reach out to me through the “Ask Joe” page of JoeSixpackAnswers.com, or you can email me at Joe@CantankerousCatholic.com.
Hey, how would you like to see things like this article every week in your parish bulletin as an insert? You or your pastor can learn more about how to do that by emailing me at Joe@CantankerousCatholic.com.