Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume I › Book II. On the Exercise of the Christian Life, or on the Cultivation of the Virtues › Treatise II. On the Cultivation of the Moral Virtues › Dissertation I. On the Precepts of the Decalogue › Part VII. On the Seventh and Tenth Precepts of the Decalogue › Section II. On Injustice and on Restitution › Chapter II. On Restitution in Common › Article II. The Subject and Object of Restitution › § IV. On Those who Cooperate in Injustice

point — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Point I. On Positive Cooperators

998.

I. In order that positive cooperators be held to restitution of the damage that followed, it is required: 1° that the cooperation was an efficacious cause, whether physical or moral, of the damage; 2° that it was an unjust cause of the damage; 3° that it was theologically culpable.

II. He who cooperated in damage is obligated to restitution, even if, failing him, another would have cooperated (St. Alphonsus, III, 562, at the end). He who cooperated only in part of the damage is held to restitution in proportion to that part; and this you should also apply to him who brought it about that a greater damage was inflicted.

III. A moral cause, for example one commanding, counseling, etc., in the case in which the author of the damage was already prepared for inflicting the damage, is bound thus:

  1. If he in no way moved the author of the damage, he is not bound to restore, because in truth he exercised no influence, or cannot be called the cause of the damage (St. Alphonsus, III, 561).

  2. If he only confirmed the author of the damage in his purpose, he is sufficiently probably immune from restitution, because it is denied not without foundation that he was an efficacious cause of the damage (cf. St. Alphonsus, loc. cit.).

  3. If he only brought it about that the damage was inflicted sooner or in another way, he is sufficiently probably exempted from restitution, because he did not influence the substance of the damage (St. Alphonsus, III, 563).

With these things noted generally, we pass on to the individual cooperators.

Positive Cooperators

Within this division