Chapter VIII — Who are bound to give alms, out of what goods, and to which poor?

I. Question I. Who can and ought to lay out alms? Answer. All who enjoy absolute dominion over their own goods. Wherefore slaves and bondservants, since they lack right over things, have nothing to lay out in alms; but it must be said otherwise if they possessed a peculium: they can also take away from those things which are given them determinately for their own sustenance, and distribute them among the poor. Minors, wards, and prodigals may make only small alms; guardians and curators ought to make those alms which their charges would be bound to lay out.

II. Question II. Can children under paternal power, and wives, give alms? Answer. Children under paternal power cannot give alms out of those goods whose dominion is in the hands of their parents; nor out of the goods called adventitious, whose usufruct is in the hands of their parents. But they can and ought to succor the poor out of their castrensian goods; likewise out of those goods which they receive from their parents for honorable recreation, and while they conduct their parents' business, they can make moderate alms, because their parents are presumed to consent. Nay, parents ought to hand over some money to their children to be distributed to the poor, that they may accustom themselves to fulfill the precept.

III. Wives cannot absolutely give alms out of their Husbands' goods. Yet where custom prevails, and with the consent of Christian husbands, wives can make fitting and moderate alms. Likewise, to avert some temporal or spiritual harm they can lay out alms, especially if their husbands be negligent in fulfilling the precept. Again, wives can and ought to succor one in extreme need, even against their husbands' will. But out of their own goods obtained by gift, inheritance, or another just title — which are called paraphernal — wives are bound to make fitting alms.

IV. Question III. Are Religious bound to give alms? Answer. If the discourse be of Religious as private persons, it is plain that they can lay out no alms, since they lack all dominion. When extreme necessity presses, they ought to succor the poor even against the will of their Prelates. In other events the license of the Prelate is necessary. But the monasteries of Religious are bound to almsgiving, when they abound in goods.

V. Question IV. To which poor are alms to be laid out? Answer. Some poor are necessarily poor, others voluntarily. Both are to be relieved. In an equal cause, those poor are rather to be relieved who shine with greater piety and sanctity. Poor persons who feign misery and need, that they may extort alms, sin, and are bound to restitution. Those who are truly poor, but counterfeit a greater misery than that by which they are pressed, sin, because lies, whether in words or in deeds, are always vicious; yet they are not bound to restitution, since they are in very deed poor. Wherefore Preachers gravely sin who exaggerate feigned necessities to their hearers, that they may extort more abundant alms. Alms collected under feigned poverty must be restored to the poor.