33. On Charity Toward Neighbor

1. Christina, having several children, desires that her little son, recently born blind, be snatched by death from the miseries of this world and enjoy paradise. She desires the same grace for another son, five years old, deaf and mute, and for a third son, nine years old, lame in both feet. Likewise she makes a vow that her daughter of marriageable age, but unmarried on account of excessive poverty and deformity, depart from the living, lest she remain exposed to the dangers of sinning. But she fervently prays God that her husband, who often beats her and continually vexes her with many imprecations, and daily and at every hour blasphemes God and the Saints, at last be converted to God and rest in peace.

2. Leontia, in frequent conversation with a certain friend, is accustomed often to sadden her with words. And although the friend often shows grave sorrow, nevertheless Leontia has no scruple in this matter; for she says that she does this only for joke and recreation, and to cheer the other friends present.

Q. 1. Is there a precept of charity toward neighbor? - 2. Have Christina and Leontia, in the aforesaid cases, sinned gravely against charity?

R. To the first, cf. I. M. 382. To the second: Christina in none of the aforesaid cases sins against charity and piety; for she does not desire evil for her children and husband, but, on the contrary, that they be freed from the evil of punishment and from the evil of sin, and possess the infinite good in heaven. Nor indeed, as appears from the case, is she led by weariness, impatience, or hatred toward the children or toward the husband; but she is impelled only by the motive of faith and piety. Wherefore Christina seems to sin neither gravely nor lightly. G. 213.

But what is to be held concerning Christina? Would she sin gravely if she desired death for her husband, so that at last she might be freed from the husband's most harsh vexation and tyranny? This must certainly be denied, the spirit of inordinate revenge being excluded. For, according to the common opinion of the doctors, it is licit to desire death for oneself in order to escape this most harsh treatment. Why then could someone not, from the same end and without sin, desire death for his neighbor? I. M. 374, 386; Elbel 342.

As regards Leontia, she can perhaps be excused from grave sin on account of an erroneous conscience, or on account of a defect of advertence and due consideration. But the thing in itself is grave, against charity. "It is grave against charity," says D'Annib., ed. 3, p. 2, n. 92, "to affect someone with grave sorrow without a grave cause, even short of injustice; whether he is reasonably saddened, which no one doubts; or irrationally, as for example from games, jokes, perhaps because he is of a small and pusillanimous spirit."