35. On Almsgiving

Lucretia, pretending that she is poor, burdened by numerous offspring, and has an infirm husband, although she has neither children nor husband, obtains a monthly pension of 60 lire from a certain noble and pious man. Likewise, pretending that she is near childbirth, she obtains a notable sum of money from a certain rich and fervent matron. Using other arts, she obtains other alms from various confessors whom she approaches, and from other priests; indeed she has also obtained a legacy from her parish priest.

Q. 1. Is there a precept of almsgiving? - 2. What as to the case?

R. To the first, cf. I. M. 396 seqq. To the second: Lucretia sins gravely. The reason is that, with grave fraud, she accepted another's property in grave quantity, the owners being reasonably unwilling. For if these had known Lucretia's fiction, certainly they would never have given alms, and in so notable a quantity. Therefore Lucretia must altogether abstain in the future from such fraud, and she can no longer receive the charitable pensions assigned to her, and other charitable subsidies. Besides, she is held to restitution. What she received in notable quantity must be restored to the proper owners; since surely these are entirely known to Lucretia, and they would not have given alms in so great a quantity to other common poor persons. The legacy must be restored to the heirs or to the new parish priest, so that it may be distributed to another true poor person, or to other poor persons, since the legacy is pious. But moderate alms are to be restored either to the owners themselves, or to other poor persons, especially if they cannot be restored to their proper owners, I. M. 493, from the presumed will of the owners, that, if they had not given to this feigned poor woman, they would have given to other poor persons. She must also restore altogether trifling alms in the same way. Yet there are not wanting those who say that these alms of the least moment are not necessarily to be bestowed upon others, because the owners are less unwilling about them, and because it is piously presumed that the owner wished to give them principally on account of love of God and neighbor, and only secondarily for relieving the need of this or that poor person. Indeed these small alms are more easily given without attention to the persons to whom they are given, and all know that among begging poor persons there are not lacking those who are not truly poor. Elbel 283-285; G. 221, 222.