SHEPHERD’S VOICE
Dear brothers and sisters in the risen Lord,
India is the biggest democracy in the world. In a massive exercise of franchise,
the elections to the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of the Parliament are underway and
since the elections are held in this vast country in 9 phases spanning over five
weeks, the campaigning is continuing still. In the past several weeks one has witnessed,
as reported in the national channels and newspapers, campaigning by political parties
in an unprecedented manner. What is sickening is the political blame game, vitriolic
attacks, hate speeches, calls for revenge, rash judgements, calumnies, detraction
and libel by one party against another, by one candidate against another ad nauseam.
In defamation, detraction and calumny our politicians have crossed all limits, and
have stooped down to such levels of filth and meanness that they have lost all sense
of human dignity and decency.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that “Respect for the reputation
of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He/she
becomes guilty: of rash judgement who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient
foundation, the moral fault of a neighbour; of detraction who, without objectively
valid reason, discloses another’s faults and failings to persons who did not know
them; and of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation
of others and gives occasion for false judgement concerning them.” (CCC 2477)
The Catechism further teaches that “Detraction and calumny destroys the reputation
and honour of one’s neighbour. Honour is the social witness given to human dignity
and everyone enjoys a natural right to the honor of his name and reputation and
to respect. Thus, detraction and calumny offend against the virtues of justice and
charity.” (CCC 2479)
The gravity of moral evil and sin in this matter depends on the seriousness or gravity
of the injury and damage done to the reputation of the person and to justice and
charity. The harm done by defamation, detraction and calumny is difficult to repair.
But the duty of reparation is equally grave. Regarding the duty of reparation the
CCC has this to say: “Every offence committed against justice and truth entails
the duty of reparation, even if its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible
Publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who
Has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral Satisfaction
in the name of charity ….. This reparation, moral and sometimes Material must be
evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience.”
(CCC 2487)
Sadly, not only politicians but all of us sometime or the other are guilty of gossip,
detraction, calumny, defamation, character - assassination, rash judgment and false
accusation, etc. The untold damage done to others by such attitude and Behavior
is hard to repair adequately. The best thing is to refrain from such acts Which
cause damage to the reputation of others. Let us follow the Golden Rule: “Do not
do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.”
Happy Easter! May the risen Lord fill you with all the Easter blessings?
Yours in the Risen Lord,
Gerald John Mathias
Bishop of Luck now