Gossip & whatnot

[brandelynmarie]

What exactly is detraction & calumny? A friend tells me that it means that every person has a right to their personal honor & so one must never say anything "bad" about anyone for any reason...I can understand trying to see other people in a good light, for their hearts cannot be judged or known by us...but if someone does something wrong, shouldn't something be said? Or if a co-worker vents about about another person's behavior to me...isn't it charitable to listen? Please advise! Thanks much!

[cappie]

From the Catechism

2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:

- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;

- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them;

- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:

Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.

2479 Detraction and calumny destroy the reputation and honor of one's neighbor. Honor 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.

To listen to such only encourages the person guilty of such if possible all people should avoid listening or encouraging 2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury.278 He becomes guilty:

- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;

- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them;279

- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

It's best, if possible, to avoid listening to such thing as it only encourages the perpertrator.

What needs to be stressed, however, is that a person's good name is something he cherishes even though we may not think he deserves it. No matter; it is his good name, not ours. We may, if we wish, forfeit our good name provided no harm is done to others. But another person's good reputation belongs to him, and we may not do it injury by revealing, [b]without proportionately grave reason, what we know is true about him.[/b]



If someone offends against the law and places others in that situation and you have first hand evidence of such then charity towards others would demand that the peoper authorities would be notified.