Case XXX: The Manifestation of a Secret

Case.—Charles, a tutor in a college, and much trusted by most of the young men of the institution, receives a visit from one of the students, James, who requests a promise of secrecy in a matter he is about to confide to the tutor. Charles without hesitation gives the promise, and then learns that William, a member of the senior class, is corrupting the morals of the boys in the lower classes, by secret and depraved practices. Now it so happens that William is looked upon by the faculty as a boy of irreproachable character, a model in every sense. After a few days’ reflection, the tutor informs James that it is his duty to denounce the depraved student to the college authorities. This James stoutly refuses to do. He cannot bring himself to squeal and be looked upon as an informer. Then Charles takes the matter himself to the college faculty. An investigation follows and William is dismissed.

Question.—Did Charles do the proper thing or was he still bound by his promise of secrecy?

Solution.—A secretum commissum of which the above is an example, binds under pain of serious sin, by the very terms of the contract which beget an obligation in justice. Yet common sense and the teachings of theology tell us that under certain circumstances it must always and ever be lawful to reveal certain knowledge received under promise of secrecy. We could even go further and admit that the possessor of such secret knowledge may be bound in conscience to make it known. In the present case, we consider, that the circumstances are such that they make the revelation not only lawful, but they compel its manifestation. In the first place the danger to many innocent charges of the school, sent there for the uplifting purposes of a moral education, and entrusted by parents who would quickly remove them from such an atmosphere did they know the real condition of things, makes the revelation necessary. Secondly the fact that harm had been and was being done to many of the pupils, imperatively called for immediate action, and therefore charity demanded that some way be found to put a quick end to the presence of so baneful an agent. No other way was at hand save the denunciation of the guilty party to the governing board of the school. This involved the breaking of the promise of secrecy, which in the given instance was entirely lawful. A third consideration would be the good name of the school itself. Although hidden at the time, it is absolutely certain that the condition of affairs would eventually become public property. The shock and the scandal thus produced would cause much detriment to the school; might even put an end to its existence, as now-a-days no school could endure which had lost its reputation. It is clear then that the school should be protected against the malign influence that threatened its life, and this could only be done by following the course pursued by Charles. It is true that James was unwilling to have the knowledge he confided made use of. But he was unreasonably unwilling, and his attitude was justly ignored by the more practical and more experienced tutor. His fear of being held as an informer might be classed as mawkish sentimentality, too prevalent at times in the young and more deserving of censure than silence. Charles did the only possible thing under the circumstances, and his action is not only licit, but praiseworthy.