§ II. On Avarice

I. Notion. Avarice is the inordinate appetite for goods of fortune. It is opposed to liberality.

II. Morality. Avarice per se, i.e., insofar as it is opposed to liberality, is venial. It can become mortal, for example, by reason of violated justice, charity, etc.

III. The daughters of avarice are: hardness of heart, restlessness of heart, violence, fallacy (deceit in words), fraud (deceit in deed, for example, in contracts), betrayal (deception against faith given or owed) (St. Thomas, I-II, q. 84, a. 1; II-II, q. 118; St. Alphonsus, V, 68-70).

IV. Remedies of avarice: 1. Weigh the vanity of earthly goods, which slip away, while heavenly goods endure.¹ 2. Consider that you are destined for higher things and therefore that the heart of man is not satisfied by riches.² 3. Consider the example of Christ, who for our sake was made poor.³ 4. Exercise liberality, by distributing alms, etc.⁴

Note. Just as avarice is opposed to liberality by defect, so prodigality is opposed to it by excess. Now prodigality is a superfluous distribution of one's own goods. Prodigality per se, i.e., insofar as it is opposed to liberality, is a venial sin. It can become mortal, for example, by reason of harm to the family that will follow, etc. (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 119; St. Alphonsus, V, 68).

¹ Luke 12:20.

² Eccles. 5:9; Matt. 16:26; Luke 12:31.

³ 2 Cor. 8:9.

⁴ Cf. Sweens, Theologia moralis fundamentalis, n. 96.