Case 1. Essence of a Lie

Titius, a religious, is not rarely occupied in preaching the word of God and in giving missions to the people. Having returned to the monastery, he is accustomed to relate to the brethren marvelous things concerning what was seen and heard by him while he was outside the monastery. Almost all of them, however, are entirely fictitious, devised and uttered by Titius in order to increase the esteem of himself among the brethren and to delight them. Without scruple he also invents excusing causes in order that he may remain longer outside the monastery, and with them appeases the superior. He strongly maintains that he does not lie in acting thus, since he harms no one and the essence of a lie consists in the violation of another’s right to the truth. Hence it is asked:

1. What is a lie, and how many kinds are there?

2. In what does the malice of a lie consist, and is it ever lawful to lie?

3. What is to be said of the case?

1. What is a lie, and how many sorts of lies are there?

A lie is a speech against one’s mind. Lies are divided into jocose, officious, and hurtful lies.¹

1 Manual of Moral Theology, vol. i, p. 464.

2. In what does the malice of a lie consist, and is it ever lawful to lie?

Some would put the malice of lying in the denial to others of that to which they have a right. Others would say that it lies in the deceit practised on others. The common Catholic teaching follows St. Thomas in putting it in the disorder which is intrinsically in saying that which is known to be false. We have from nature the power of communicating our thoughts to our fellow men, and this power is necessary for a social being like man. Those thoughts which are to be communicated to others should be communicated truthfully, and there is a perversion of right order, if this is not done; the virtue of veracity is violated. As lying is intrinsically inordinate and wrong, it is never allowed to tell a lie.¹

1 Manual of Moral Theology, vol. i, p. 465.

3. The case. Titius, a Religious, frequently goes out of the monastery to preach. On his return he has wonderful things to tell the brethren, but for the most part, they are pure fabrications, invented to amuse his brethren and to add to his own reputation. He says he does nobody any harm by these tales, and that therefore he does not lie. Titius is wrong. Hurtful lies are not the only species; there are also jocose and officious lies, and Titius is guilty of jocose and officious lying. He says what he knows to be false, and he says it with the intention of deceiving others, or else there would be no prospect of his lies adding to his reputation. Much more is this the case when he invents reasons to be laid before the superior in order to excuse himself for making a longer stay than necessary out of the monastery. In this he is guilty of officious lying. He is also imperceptibly lessening his own estimation of the virtue of truth, and accustoming himself to trifle with it.