§ 1. On the Obligations of Disciples

709. Principle. Disciples, both from piety toward parents and by reason of the pact entered by parents, owe to their teachers love, reverence, and obedience in those things which pertain to studies and good morals. The reason is that parents, by this very fact that they have committed children to teachers to be educated, have delegated their own authority to them for obtaining this end. - In Religion, a similar office toward professors is founded in piety toward the Order.

Therefore disciples sin: 1. "Who mock their teachers, deride them, detract from them, affect them with curses, calumnies, troubles, provoke them to anger, and then they sin by a double sin. In these things, however, Sporer adverts, for the most part children are excused from mortal sin, because of levity, imprudence, or passion." - 2. "Who do not comply with teachers seriously commanding in a matter regarding good morals, studies, or the discipline of the school. But the sin is light

or grave, according to the reason of the matter," although inadvertence more often excuses them from mortal sin. - 3. Those who spend time in idleness, in play, or in other follies; "who during the time of lessons attend to nothing or little, the mind distracted elsewhere and preoccupied with various useless cares. In these and similar things, disciples sin gravely if by this manner of acting the acquisition of sciences necessary to status or condition is notably impeded. For estimating this, two things must be attended to: namely the quantity of time uselessly consumed, and the quality of the things which the teacher then hands on" (cf. Jaugey, n. 620).

Note. Disciples who are of their own right, and enter Institutes or Colleges in which they live under the authority of a Superior, are altogether held to observe the statutes of the Institute and to furnish obedience to the Superior, from the renunciation of their liberty freely furnished.