Section — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology
§ IV. On Envy
I. Notion. Envy is sadness concerning the good of one's neighbor, estimated as one's own evil, i.e., as something diminishing one's own excellence (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 36, a. 1). Now:
Envy differs: 1. from sadness concerning another's good insofar as from it you fear harm to yourself or to others, for example, concerning the eminent knowledge of a wicked deputy; 2. from sadness concerning the good of one's neighbor, not because the neighbor has it, but because it is lacking to you; "and this properly is zeal... and if this zeal is concerning honorable goods, it is praiseworthy, according to that saying in 1 Corinthians 14: Seek earnestly spiritual things" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 36, a. 2); 3. from sadness concerning another's good because he is unworthy of that good, as if someone grieves over an office conferred on an unworthy person; "and this sadness... is called nemesis (or indignation) and belongs to good morals" (St. Thomas, cited place). So also St. Alphonsus, V, 72.
Envy is found especially among those who are equal, or nearly equal, in something (St. Alphonsus, V, 72). "No one," says St. Thomas, "strives for those things in which he is greatly deficient; and therefore when someone surpasses him in this, he does not envy him. But if he is deficient only slightly, it seems that he could attain to this; and thus he strives for it; hence if his striving is frustrated on account of the excess of another's glory, he is saddened. And from this it is that lovers of honor are more envious; and likewise the faint-hearted are envious, because they reckon all things great; and whatever good happens to anyone, they reckon themselves to have been surpassed in something great; hence also in Job 5 it is said: Envy slays the little one. And Gregory says in the fifth book of the Moralia (cap. 31) that we cannot envy any except those whom we think better than ourselves in some respect" (II-II, q. 36, a. 1, ad 3). Moreover, those who are accustomed to sin by the vice of envy are:
a) "The ambitious, and those who seek glory from some thing; since, when they place glory in this, that in that matter they be alone and singular, they grieve and are saddened if others approach it" (St. Alphonsus, V, 72; St. Thomas, II-II, q. 36, a. 1, ad 3).
b) "The faint-hearted, to whom, since all things seem great, any good whatever of another seems to diminish their own. Thus women, for example, easily apprehend and grieve that they are surpassed by another's good, for example, by beauty" (St. Alphonsus, cited place; St. Thomas, cited place).
c) "Old men with respect to young men; and whoever have with difficulty obtained something which others easily attain" (St. Alphonsus, cited place; St. Thomas, cited place).
II. Morality. Envy is a mortal sin from its genus, which is clear both from Sacred Scripture, which excludes the envious from the kingdom of heaven,1 and from the fact that it is opposed to charity (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 36, a. 3; St. Alphonsus, V, 72). But more often it is venial, either on account of smallness of matter, or because a great good is envied only slightly (cf. St. Thomas, cited place).
1 Gal. 5:21.
III. The daughters of envy are: 1. hatred; 2. whispering; 3. detraction; 4. exultation in the adversities of one's neighbor; 5. affliction at his prosperity (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 36, a. 4, ad 3; St. Alphonsus, V, 72).