Article III: On the Obligation of Defending the Reputation of Neighbor

We are held, from the precept of charity, to defend neighbor if he, with us present, is injured in his reputation. And since we can be lacking to this office in a threefold mode, namely by bearing ourselves negatively toward detractors, by rejoicing concerning detraction, and by cooperating with detraction, the following things must be established.

1202. PRINCIPLES. I. He who hears detraction, and does not impede it when he conveniently can, sins against charity. Nevertheless, he who is not the Superior of the one detracting is excused from mortal sin by many, and grave, Doctors, if on account of shame or fear he omits correction; provided that, beyond infamy, no other grave damage comes to neighbor from the detraction, and provided it is not established that the correction will be useful (H. Ap., XI, 17). "But this can be established with difficulty; indeed there is danger that the correction may rather increase or confirm the detraction." Yet he is not without fault who, when he easily can, omits efficacious correction (cf. n. 493).

But they are excused even from VENIAL sin who, adverting to the detraction, either depart, or turn away the conversation, show a sad face, according to that saying (Prov., 25, 23): A sad face dissipates the detracting tongue. The reason is that those actions are true corrections (III, 981).

But a SUPERIOR, both of the one infaming and of the one infamed, sins gravely by hearing detraction if he does not avert it when he conveniently can; because a special obligation lies upon him of correcting the detractor and of meeting the damage of the one infamed.

Nevertheless, more probably he does not sin against justice, neither the Superior of the one detracting, since he is not held to watch over the good of another not subject to him; nor the Superior of the one defamed, since it does not lie upon him from justice to attend to the temporal good of the subject. Except: a) if the Superior of the one detracting is a Bishop or parish priest (because these are held from justice to correcting subjects); b) if the one infaming and the one infamed are subjects of the same Superior, and the one infamed has recourse to him so that reputation may be restored to him: in which case he is held from justice, provided he can without fear of a graver evil (III, 979, 980).

1203. II. He who rejoices concerning grave detraction sins gravely against charity. The reason is that he is delighted concerning the grave damage of neighbor. But if he does not rejoice concerning the infamy of neighbor, nor concerning the detraction, but concerning the hearing of a new matter, or concerning the curious knowledge of the crimes of others, he does not sin gravely.

"Indeed, they say (the Doctors), that he does not sin gravely even if he is delighted in the detraction itself, not because of hatred or joy concerning another's damage, but from curiosity or vanity; and they deduce this from St. Thomas (2. 2, q. 73, a. 4), who teaches that it is grave only then when the detraction pleases him on account of hatred of him from whom detraction is made" (III, 979, Resp. 2).

1204. III. He who hears a detractor and cooperates efficaciously with him sins gravely both against charity and against justice. For he furnishes the one infaming an occasion of sinning, and is a true cause of the damage which is brought upon neighbor through detraction.

Nevertheless, "it is not a sin against justice, at least mortal, to ask the cause of someone's captivity, or to speak about it; for just as the captivity is public, so also the cause seems to have been made public" (III, 974, 9). Nor is it grave, if, having suspected something light about someone, you interrogate another, and beyond intention induce him to grave detraction (Sporer, tr. V, c. 4, n. 105).