Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that fraternal correction is not a matter of precept. For nothing impossible is a matter of precept, according to the saying of Jerome : "Accursed be he who says that God has commanded any. thing impossible." Now it is written (Eccles. 7:14): "Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom He hath despised." Therefore fraternal correction is not a matter of precept.

Objection 2: Further, all the precepts of the Divine Law are reduced to the precepts of the Decalogue. But fraternal correction does not come under any precept of the Decalogue. Therefore it is not a matter of precept.

Objection 3: Further, the omission of a Divine precept is a mortal sin, which has no place in a holy man. Yet holy and spiritual men are found to omit fraternal correction: since Augustine says (De Civ. Dei i, 9): "Not only those of low degree, but also those of high position, refrain from reproving others, moved by a guilty cupidity, not by the claims of charity." Therefore fraternal correction is not a matter of precept.

Objection 4: Further, whatever is a matter of precept is something due. If, therefore, fraternal correction is a matter of precept, it is due to our brethren that we correct them when they sin. Now when a man owes anyone a material due, such as the payment of a sum of money, he must not be content that his creditor come to him, but he should seek him out, that he may pay him his due. Hence we should have to go seeking for those who need correction, in order that we might correct them; which appears to be inconvenient, both on account of the great number of sinners, for whose correction one man could not suffice, and because religious would have to leave the cloister in order to reprove men, which would be unbecoming. Therefore fraternal correction is not a matter of precept.

On the contrary, Augustine says (De Verb. Dom. xvi, 4): "You become worse than the sinner if you fail to correct him." But this would not be so unless, by this neglect, one omitted to observe some precept. Therefore fraternal correction is a matter of precept.

I answer that, Fraternal correction is a matter of precept. We must observe, however, that while the negative precepts of the Law forbid sinful acts, the positive precepts inculcate acts of virtue. Now sinful acts are evil in themselves, and cannot become good, no matter how, or when, or where, they are done, because of their very nature they are connected with an evil end, as stated in Ethic. ii, 6: wherefore negative precepts bind always and for all times. On the other hand, acts of virtue must not be done anyhow, but by observing the due circumstances, which are requisite in order that an act be virtuous; namely, that it be done where, when, and how it ought to be done. And since the disposition of whatever is directed to the end depends on the formal aspect of the end, the chief of these circumstances of a virtuous act is this aspect of the end, which in this case is the good of virtue. If therefore such a circumstance be omitted from a virtuous act, as entirely takes away the good of virtue, such an act is contrary to a precept. If, however, the circumstance omitted from a virtuous act be such as not to destroy the virtue altogether, though it does not perfectly attain the good of virtue, it is not against a precept. Hence the Philosopher (Ethic. ii, 9) says that if we depart but little from the mean, it is not contrary to the virtue, whereas if we depart much from the mean virtue is destroyed in its act. Now fraternal correction is directed to a brother's amendment: so that it is a matter of precept, in so far as it is necessary for that end, but not so as we have to correct our erring brother at all places and times.

Reply to Objection 1: In all good deeds man's action is not efficacious without the Divine assistance: and yet man must do what is in his power. Hence Augustine says (De Correp. et Gratia xv): "Since we ignore who is predestined and who is not, charity should so guide our feelings, that we wish all to be saved." Consequently we ought to do our brethren the kindness of correcting them, with the hope of God's help.

Reply to Objection 2: As stated above (Question 32, Article 5, ad 4), all the precepts about rendering service to our neighbor are reduced to the precept about the honor due to parents.

Reply to Objection 3: Fraternal correction may be omitted in three ways.

First, meritoriously, when out of charity one omits to correct someone. For Augustine says (De Civ. Dei i, 9): "If a man refrains from chiding and reproving wrongdoers, because he awaits a suitable time for so doing, or because he fears lest, if he does so, they may become worse, or hinder, oppress, or turn away from the faith, others who are weak and need to be instructed in a life of goodness and virtue, this does not seem to result from covetousness, but to be counselled by charity."

Secondly, fraternal correction may be omitted in such a way that one commits a mortal sin, namely, "when" (as he says in the same passage) "one fears what people may think, or lest one may suffer grievous pain or death; provided, however, that the mind is so dominated by such things, that it gives them the preference to fraternal charity." This would seem to be the case when a man reckons that he might probably withdraw some wrongdoer from sin, and yet omits to do so, through fear or covetousness.

Thirdly, such an omission is a venial sin, when through fear or covetousness, a man is loth to correct his brother's faults, and yet not to such a degree, that if he saw clearly that he could withdraw him from sin, he would still forbear from so doing, through fear or covetousness, because in his own mind he prefers fraternal charity to these things. It is in this way that holy men sometimes omit to correct wrongdoers.

Reply to Objection 4: We are bound to pay that which is due to some fixed and certain person, whether it be a material or a spiritual good, without waiting for him to come to us, but by taking proper steps to find him. Wherefore just as he that owes money to a creditor should seek him, when the time comes, so as to pay him what he owes, so he that has spiritual charge of some person is bound to seek him out, in order to reprove him for a sin. On the other hand, we are not bound to seek someone on whom to bestow such favors as are due, not to any certain person, but to all our neighbors in general, whether those favors be material or spiritual goods, but it suffices that we bestow them when the opportunity occurs; because, as Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ. i, 28), we must look upon this as a matter of chance. For this reason he says (De Verb. Dom. xvi, 1) that "Our Lord warns us not to be listless in regard of one another's sins: not indeed by being on the lookout for something to denounce, but by correcting what we see": else we should become spies on the lives of others, which is against the saying of Prov. 24:19: "Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest." It is evident from this that there is no need for religious to leave their cloister in order to rebuke evil-doers.

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod correctio fraterna non sit in praecepto. Nihil enim quod est impossibile cadit sub praecepto, secundum illud Hieronymi, maledictus qui dicit deum aliquid impossibile praecepisse.

Sed Eccle. VII dicitur, considera opera dei, quod nemo possit corrigere quem ille despexerit.

Ergo correctio fraterna non est in praecepto.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, omnia praecepta legis divinae ad praecepta Decalogi reducuntur. Sed correctio fraterna non cadit sub aliquo praeceptorum Decalogi. Ergo non cadit sub praecepto.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, omissio praecepti divini est peccatum mortale, quod in sanctis viris non invenitur. Sed omissio fraternae correctionis invenitur in sanctis et in spiritualibus viris, dicit enim Augustinus, I de CIV. Dei, quod non solum inferiores, verum etiam hi qui superiorem vitae gradum tenent ab aliorum reprehensione se abstinent, propter quaedam cupiditatis vincula, non propter officia caritatis.

Ergo correctio fraterna non est in praecepto.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, illud quod est in praecepto habet rationem debiti.

Si ergo correctio fraterna caderet sub praecepto, hoc fratribus deberemus ut eos peccantes corrigeremus. Sed ille qui debet alicui debitum corporale, puta pecuniam, non debet esse contentus ut ei occurrat creditor, sed debet eum quaerere ut debitum reddat.

Oporteret ergo quod homo quaereret correctione indigentes ad hoc quod eos corrigeret. Quod videtur inconveniens, tum propter multitudinem peccantium, ad quorum correctionem unus homo non posset sufficere; tum etiam quia oporteret quod religiosi de claustris suis exirent ad homines corrigendos, quod est inconveniens. Non ergo fraterna correctio est in praecepto.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Augustinus dicit, in libro de verb. Dom., si neglexeris corrigere, peior eo factus es qui peccavit.

Sed hoc non esset nisi per huiusmodi negligentiam aliquis praeceptum omitteret. Ergo correctio fraterna est in praecepto.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod correctio fraterna cadit sub praecepto.

Sed considerandum est quod sicut praecepta negativa legis prohibent actus peccatorum, ita praecepta affirmativa inducunt ad actus virtutum. Actus autem peccatorum sunt secundum se mali, et nullo modo bene fieri possunt, nec aliquo tempore aut loco, quia secundum se sunt coniuncti malo fini, ut dicitur in II ethic..

Et ideo praecepta negativa obligant semper et ad semper. Sed actus virtutum non quolibet modo fieri debent, sed observatis debitis circumstantiis quae requiruntur ad hoc quod sit actus virtuosus, ut scilicet fiat ubi debet, et quando debet, et secundum quod debet. Et quia dispositio eorum quae sunt ad finem attenditur secundum rationem finis, in istis circumstantiis virtuosi actus praecipue attendenda est ratio finis, qui est bonum virtutis. Si ergo sit aliqua talis omissio alicuius circumstantiae circa virtuosum actum quae totaliter tollat bonum virtutis, hoc contrariatur praecepto. Si autem sit defectus alicuius circumstantiae quae non totaliter tollat virtutem, licet non perfecte attingat ad bonum virtutis, non est contra praeceptum.

Unde et philosophus dicit, in II ethic., quod si parum discedatur a medio, non est contra virtutem, sed si multum discedatur, corrumpitur virtus in suo actu.

Correctio autem fraterna ordinatur ad fratris emendationem.

Et ideo hoc modo cadit sub praecepto, secundum quod est necessaria ad istum finem, non autem ita quod quolibet loco vel tempore frater delinquens corrigatur.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod in omnibus bonis agendis operatio hominis non est efficax nisi adsit auxilium divinum, et tamen homo debet facere quod in se est.

Unde Augustinus dicit, in libro de corr. Et grat., nescientes quis pertineat ad praedestinatorum numerum et quis non pertineat, sic affici debemus caritatis affectu ut omnes velimus salvos fieri.

Et ideo omnibus debemus fraternae correctionis officium impendere sub spe divini auxilii.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, omnia praecepta quae pertinent ad impendendum aliquod beneficium proximo reducuntur ad praeceptum de honoratione parentum.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod correctio fraterna tripliciter omitti potest. Uno quidem modo, meritorie, quando ex caritate aliquis correctionem omittit.

Dicit enim Augustinus, in I de CIV. Dei, si propterea quisque obiurgandis et corripiendis male agentibus parcit, quia opportunius tempus inquiritur; vel eisdem ipsis metuit ne deteriores ex hoc efficiantur, vel ad bonam vitam et piam erudiendos impediant alios infirmos et premant, atque avertant a fide; non videtur esse cupiditatis occasio, sed consilium caritatis.

Alio modo praetermittitur fraterna correctio cum peccato mortali, quando scilicet formidatur, ut ibi dicitur, iudicium vulgi et carnis excruciatio vel peremptio; dum tamen haec ita dominentur in animo quod fraternae caritati praeponantur. Et hoc videtur contingere quando aliquis praesumit de aliquo delinquente probabiliter quod posset eum a peccato retrahere, et tamen propter timorem vel cupiditatem praetermittit.

Tertio modo huiusmodi omissio est peccatum veniale, quando timor et cupiditas tardiorem faciunt hominem ad corrigendum delicta fratris, non tamen ita quod, si ei constaret quod fratrem posset a peccato retrahere, propter timorem vel cupiditatem dimitteret, quibus in animo suo praeponit caritatem fraternam. Et hoc modo quandoque viri sancti negligunt corrigere delinquentes.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod illud quod debetur alicui determinatae et certae personae, sive sit bonum corporale sive spirituale, oportet quod ei impendamus non expectantes quod nobis occurrat, sed debitam sollicitudinem habentes ut eum inquiramus.

Unde sicut ille qui debet pecuniam creditori debet eum requirere cum tempus fuerit ut ei debitum reddat, ita qui habet spiritualiter curam alicuius debet eum quaerere ad hoc quod eum corrigat de peccato. Sed illa beneficia quae non debentur certae personae sed communiter omnibus proximis, sive sint corporalia sive spiritualia, non oportet nos quaerere quibus impendamus, sed sufficit quod impendamus eis qui nobis occurrunt, hoc enim quasi pro quadam sorte habendum est, ut Augustinus dicit, in I de doct. Christ..

Et propter hoc dicit, in libro de verb. Dom., quod admonet nos dominus noster non negligere invicem peccata nostra, non quaerendo quid reprehendas, sed videndo quid corrigas.

Alioquin efficeremur exploratores vitae aliorum, contra id quod dicitur Prov. XXIV, ne quaeras impietatem in domo iusti, et non vastes requiem eius.

Unde patet quod nec religiosos oportet exire claustrum ad corrigendum delinquentes.