Formal cooperation with evil

[Ron_Conte]

Formal cooperation occurs when the act of another person is intrinsically evil, and the cooperative act assists that act in attaining its evil moral object.

It is never moral to commit an act of formal cooperation with evil. If an act is intrinsically evil and gravely immoral, then formal cooperation with that act is also intrinsically evil and gravely immoral.

Formal cooperation includes approving of, encouraging, or in any other way assisting the intrinsically evil act itself of the other person to attain its moral object.

So, for example, a person commits the sin of formal cooperation if he:

approves of, or encourages abortion or contraception;
approves of, or encourages an act of murder committed by another person;
approves of, or encourages the lie of another person;
advises a co-worker as to the most effective way to steal from an employer;
approves of, or encourages another person in the sin of heresy;

Formal cooperation with an intrinsically evil venial sin is a venial sin;
formal cooperation with an intrinsically evil mortal sin is a mortal sin.

 

[sawman]

O K! I agree. Does this maen all democrats have to go to confession for this sin?

 

[thistle]

Formal cooperation occurs when the act of another person is intrinsically evil, and the cooperative act assists that act in attaining its evil moral object.

It is never moral to commit an act of formal cooperation with evil. If an act is intrinsically evil and gravely immoral, then formal cooperation with that act is also intrinsically evil and gravely immoral.

Formal cooperation includes approving of, encouraging, or in any other way assisting the intrinsically evil act itself of the other person to attain its moral object.

So, for example, a person commits the sin of formal cooperation if he:

approves of, or encourages abortion or contraception;
approves of, or encourages an act of murder committed by another person;
approves of, or encourages the lie of another person;
advises a co-worker as to the most effective way to steal from an employer;
approves of, or encourages another person in the sin of heresy;

Formal cooperation with an intrinsically evil venial sin is a venial sin;
formal cooperation with an intrinsically evil mortal sin is a mortal sin.

Is it also cooperation if a person knows someone is committing a sin of grave matter and does not try to prevent it or even speak out against it?

 

[uxordepp]

Is cooperation with an intrinsic evil still a mortal sin, even if the cooperator does not know an act is evil?

 

[Ron_Conte]

Is it also cooperation if a person knows someone is committing a sin of grave matter and does not try to prevent it or even speak out against it?

Yes, this would be a sin of cooperation by omission.

Germaine Grisez: “Formal cooperation with others’ sinful acts can be by means of an omission. For instance, a police officer who ignores criminal activities in order to obtain a percentage of the proceeds intends the success of the criminal acts; thus, he or she formally cooperates with them by omitting the police work that would impede them.”
(The Way of the Lord Jesus, Living a Christian Life, 7-F-1)

 

[Ron_Conte]

Is cooperation with an intrinsic evil still a mortal sin, even if the cooperator does not know an act is evil?

If a person cooperates formally with a gravely immoral intrinsically evil act, without realizing that the act is evil, then the cooperative act would be an objective mortal sin, but not an actual mortal sin.

Formal cooperation with an intrinsically evil gravely immoral act is always objectively gravely immoral. If the act of the other person is an intrinsically evil venial sin, then the cooperative act is objectively venial.

 

[Ignatius]

the act of the other person is an intrinsically evil venial sin, then the cooperative act is objectively venial.

Anything the is intrinsically evil is inherently grave matter, therefore the is not such thing as an intrinsic evil that is not grave matter (i.e. venial.).

 

[Ron_Conte]

Anything the is intrinsically evil is inherently grave matter, therefore the is not such thing as an intrinsic evil that is not grave matter (i.e. venial.).

Not true.
Lying is intrinsically evil, but is not always grave matter (objective mortal sin).
Theft is intrinsically evil, but is not always grave matter.
Some lies are venial sins, and other lies are mortal sins.
Some thefts are venial sins, and other thefts are mortal sins.

When an act has an evil moral object, the act is intrinsically evil.
When an act has an evil moral object that is gravely immoral (gravely disordered), the act is intrinsically evil and the matter is grave (it is an objective mortal sin).

 

[PaulinVA]

Formal cooperation occurs when the act of another person is intrinsically evil, and the cooperative act assists that act in attaining its evil moral object.

It is never moral to commit an act of formal cooperation with evil. If an act is intrinsically evil and gravely immoral, then formal cooperation with that act is also intrinsically evil and gravely immoral.

Formal cooperation includes approving of, encouraging, or in any other way assisting the intrinsically evil act itself of the other person to attain its moral object.

So, for example, a person commits the sin of formal cooperation if he:

approves of, or encourages abortion or contraception;
approves of, or encourages an act of murder committed by another person;
approves of, or encourages the lie of another person;
advises a co-worker as to the most effective way to steal from an employer;
approves of, or encourages another person in the sin of heresy;

Formal cooperation with an intrinsically evil venial sin is a venial sin;
formal cooperation with an intrinsically evil mortal sin is a mortal sin.

I’d like to see your rational for approval of a sinful act being formal cooperation. I even have problems with encouraging.

If I drive a woman to the abortion clinic to get an abortion, that is formal cooperation.

If I encourage her, but don’t provide money or a ride to the clinic, I’m not so sure.

If I silently approve of what she is doing, I have not cooperated in her act at all.

Isn’t participation required for cooperation?

 

[tafan]

I would agree with PaulinVA in that simply “Approving of” a particular act is not formal cooperation of that sin. However, when PaulinVA says he is not for sure about the encourgagment, he is wrong. If I actively encourage one to sin, I formally cooperated.

 

[PaulinVA]

However, when PaulinVA says he is not for sure about the encourgagment, he is wrong.

No, I am right. I really am unsure.

If I actively encourage one to sin, I formally cooperated.

If you add “actively”, that might make it, but cooperation is an strange thing. I might be materially cooperating, but I don’t think it rises to the point of *formal *cooperation.

Wouldn’t you agree that driving someone to the abortion clinic is much worse than just encouraging them to go?

By driving, you are making sure that the evil act happens. By encouraging, you are simply giving an opinion and the person involved makes the choice.

 

[Bookcat]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1868 Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in them:

• by participating directly and voluntarily in them;
• by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them;
• by not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so;
• by protecting evil-doers.

vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm#V

there ya go.

 

[Ron_Conte]

I’d like to see your rational for approval of a sinful act being formal cooperation. I even have problems with encouraging.

If I drive a woman to the abortion clinic to get an abortion, that is formal cooperation.

If I encourage her, but don’t provide money or a ride to the clinic, I’m not so sure.

If I silently approve of what she is doing, I have not cooperated in her act at all.

Isn’t participation required for cooperation?

Formal cooperation need not include physical participation in the sinful deed. Verbal participation would also be immoral. For example, if a person who is suicidal is on a ledge, and the crowd below begins to encourage him to jump, this would be formal cooperation with an intrinsically evil and gravely immoral act. Or if a group of voters conducts a letter writing campaign to encourage a legislator to vote for a law legalizing abortion, again, it is formal cooperation. Germaine Grisez gives this example: “when a misguided counselor encourages a person to commit embarrassing sins, imagining that this will lead to his or her spiritual growth….”
twotlj.org/G-2-7-F.html

Formal cooperation need not be exterior. Consider that great good can be done with interior acts, such as prayer and self-denial. But great harm can also be done with interior acts. For example, if a citizen in one State hears that another State is thinking of legalizing euthanasia, the person might do great good by praying that the law will not pass. But a citizen might also do great harm by interiorly approving of that law, hoping that it will pass. This interior act is certainly a grave sin, and all grave sins harm the Church and the world, even if this harm is not readily apparent. In physical terms, interior approval is not a participation, but in moral terms, and before the eyes of God, it is a type of participation, and it is directed toward the intrinsically evil act itself. So even the interior approval for someone else’s intrinsically evil act is formal cooperation.

Formal cooperation need not be an exterior act; it can be an interior decision to omit an exterior act. For example, an employee might decide interiorly not to report an act of theft by his friend and co-worker; this act of formal cooperation is interior. An interior act of approval for the sin of another person is formal cooperation just as an interior decision to omit an exterior act can be formal cooperation. The interior act of approval for the intrinsically evil sin of another person is inherently directed to that sinful act as to a moral object; and this is precisely what makes every act of formal cooperation intrinsically evil.

 

[PaulinVA]

Ron, thank you for your reply.

I use your opinions to know if I’m on the right course.

 

[PaulinVA]

Formal cooperation need not include physical participation in the sinful deed. Verbal participation would also be immoral. For example, if a person who is suicidal is on a ledge, and the crowd below begins to encourage him to jump, this would be formal cooperation with an intrinsically evil and gravely immoral act. Or if a group of voters conducts a letter writing campaign to encourage a legislator to vote for a law legalizing abortion, again, it is formal cooperation. Germaine Grisez gives this example: “when a misguided counselor encourages a person to commit embarrassing sins, imagining that this will lead to his or her spiritual growth….”
twotlj.org/G-2-7-F.html

Okay, I agree. But, frankly, there is a physical aspect to both of your examples. And, both of your examples have someone *participating *in the act.

Formal cooperation need not be exterior. Consider that great good can be done with interior acts, such as prayer and self-denial. But great harm can also be done with interior acts. For example, if a citizen in one State hears that another State is thinking of legalizing euthanasia, the person might do great good by praying that the law will not pass. But a citizen might also do great harm by interiorly approving of that law, hoping that it will pass. This interior act is certainly a grave sin, and all grave sins harm the Church and the world, even if this harm is not readily apparent. In physical terms, interior approval is not a participation, but in moral terms, and before the eyes of God, it is a type of participation, and it is directed toward the intrinsically evil act itself. So even the interior approval for someone else’s intrinsically evil act is formal cooperation.

No, I have to disagree. This is not formal cooperation - the person is not participating in the action.

Formal cooperation need not be an exterior act; it can be an interior decision to omit an exterior act. For example, an employee might decide interiorly not to report an act of theft by his friend and co-worker; this act of formal cooperation is interior.

In your example the co-worker is a co-conspirator in the act, and of course he is cooperating.

An interior act of approval for the sin of another person is formal cooperation just as an interior decision to omit an exterior act can be formal cooperation. The interior act of approval for the intrinsically evil sin of another person is inherently directed to that sinful act as to a moral object; and this is precisely what makes every act of formal cooperation intrinsically evil.

Hmmm. Let me think about that.

 

[Ron_Conte]

Explicit formal cooperation occurs when a person intends to assist the sinful act of another person to attain its moral object. The intention to assist someone in committing a sin is always immoral.

Implicit formal cooperation occurs when a person choose an act that inherently is directed toward assisting the sinful act of another person to attain its moral object.

Both types of formal cooperation are intrinsically evil.

Explicit cooperation is always more sinful than implicit cooperation, for the very same cooperative act, because the addition of an immoral intention makes any act more sinful.

 

[Bookcat]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1868 Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in them:

• by participating directly and voluntarily in them;
• by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them;
• by not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so;
• by protecting evil-doers.

vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm#V

NOTE – approving them is already sinful cooperation. If one wants to get into what is formal and material that is fine…but we must recall that while the first is always sinful --for one wills the evil act or omission – material “can” but may not be sinful.

But in any case – the above from the CCC is very clear…to approve an evil act is already to sin …

 

[PaulinVA]

Okay, is the upshot of this that Nancy Pelosi et.al have incurred latae sententiae excommunication for formal cooperation with abortion by supporting the structure that allows it and voting for legislation that enables it?

 

[Ignatius]

Not true.
Lying is intrinsically evil, but is not always grave matter (objective mortal sin).
Theft is intrinsically evil, but is not always grave matter.
.

Not all evil acts are intrinsically evil. Pope John Paul the Gread defined intrinsic evil in his encyclical Veritatis Splendor,

He wrote that they are "objects of the human act which are by their nature incapable of being ordered to God, because they radically contradict the good. These are the acts which, in the Church’s moral tradition, have been termed “intrinsically evil” (intrinsece malum): they are such always and per se evil on account of their very object, quite apart from the ulterior intentions of the one acting and the circumstances.

Jimmy Akin gives a very clear discussion of the subject here: mliccione.blogspot.com/2007/12/concept-of-intrinsically-evil.html.

 

[Ignatius]

Okay, is the upshot of this that Nancy Pelosi et.al have incurred latae sententiae excommunication for formal cooperation with abortion by supporting the structure that allows it and voting for legislation that enables it?

I think it goes beyond that. Her Bishop, his predecessor and even Pope Benedict have made clear to her what the De Fide Teaching of the Catholic Church is to her, and yet she has remained willfully recalcitrant and has adamently refused correction.

Let’s pray for her to have a change of heart before she is called to final judgment.