The Catechism, in teaching about the 8th commandment has some interesting things to say about our vocation to bear witness to God who is truth and wills the truth. We can often identify the sin of detraction (disclosing another’s faults without good reason) and of calumny (harming another with false accusations). Notice in detraction, what we share is true; while in calumny it is false. Gossip can be in either one of these species of sins.

However, there is another sin, that I believe is in the top five of modern day sins: rash judgment. One is guilty of rash judgment “who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor…”

This is what we do all day on the internet. If this sin were to be eradicated, facebook and twitter would go out of business! Or be radically transformed!

So what can one do to avoid this sin? One should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way. This takes practice. Lots of practice. The Catechism quotes the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius on this point:

“Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.”

Please take one person who annoyed you today. And looking back, remembering their words and/or deeds, find a way to give the most favorable possible interpretation to them.

Or to quote Our Lord, “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.” (Mk 4:25)

pax,

Father John Mosimann