Morals of the Church
Library › Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology › Volume II. On the Precepts of God and of the Church › Part Second. On the Precepts of the Decalogue › Book Sixth. On the Seventh Precept of the Decalogue › Chapter Second. On the Injury of Ownership

Question — Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology

Question Second. On the Unjust Taking Away of a Thing

413.

413. Declarations. 1. Another's thing can be taken away in a twofold way, either secretly and without force brought upon the owner, or openly and by force brought upon the owner. If the first, theft is committed; if the second, robbery.

Therefore two things are required for robbery: a. that the thing be taken away with the owner present; b. that it be taken away with violence brought upon him, which is judged to be employed also by any fear unjustly instilled, as when someone threatens another with death or a grave evil and thus compels him to hand over the thing. Hence a thief who breaks open doors but takes away the thing while the owner does not notice does not commit robbery; nor he who takes away the thing while the owner is indeed present, but without force brought upon him.

  1. Theft and robbery are sins specifically distinct: theft is against commutative justice through real injury concerning goods of fortune; robbery is against commutative justice through injury concerning goods of fortune and through personal injury against the owner.

TheftWhat theft is and its gravity

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