Help! Trying to Avoid Sins against "revealing faults"

[bindybox]

My husband has been working under a boss that has been having an affair. My husband tried to ignore it, but the boss has been giving “special treats and recognition” to his favorite, but those treats were entitled to my husband (they do scientific research: the boss just took my husband’s data, and published it under his new lady’s name). My husband ignored this maltreatment, in order not to rock the boat and get a paycheck, but further developments have resulted in the near loss of my husband’s job, which he may or may not deserve (we are both scrupulous, and it is a very complicated situation, although my husband has done nothing overtly wrong. The boss wants my husband fired after he took a vacation- a vacation that he was entitled to, rightfully under his union, but which angered the boss).
I am aware that the catechism says not to expose the sins of another.
Does this mean that the boss gets away with it all and we eat at the soup kitchen?!?! This is literally what it comes down to!
We can hire a lawyer, expose the unethical treatment of my husband’s working for another’s credit, or we can keep it quiet, for the catechism’s sake.
What do we do?!

Sure, I can use this opportunity to tell my husband that his boss might be punished for it in the next life, etc. etc., but is it really fair to us? Aren’t we, with 3 children, supposed to also fight to protect ourselves?

thanks
I would only like answers based solidly on the catechism (which I don’t know in its entirety)-- no opinions, please!!!

 

[Hastrman]

My husband has been working under a boss that has been having an affair. My husband tried to ignore it, but the boss has been giving “special treats and recognition” to his favorite, but those treats were entitled to my husband (they do scientific research: the boss just took my husband’s data, and published it under his new lady’s name). My husband ignored this maltreatment, in order not to rock the boat and get a paycheck, but further developments have resulted in the near loss of my husband’s job, which he may or may not deserve (we are both scrupulous, and it is a very complicated situation, although my husband has done nothing overtly wrong. The boss wants my husband fired after he took a vacation- a vacation that he was entitled to, rightfully under his union, but which angered the boss).
I am aware that the catechism says not to expose the sins of another.
Does this mean that the boss gets away with it all and we eat at the soup kitchen?!?! This is literally what it comes down to!
We can hire a lawyer, expose the unethical treatment of my husband’s working for another’s credit, or we can keep it quiet, for the catechism’s sake.
What do we do?!

Sure, I can use this opportunity to tell my husband that his boss might be punished for it in the next life, etc. etc., but is it really fair to us? Aren’t we, with 3 children, supposed to also fight to protect ourselves?

thanks
I would only like answers based solidly on the catechism (which I don’t know in its entirety)-- no opinions, please!!!

Forgive me, but it is better to have a solid grounding in Catholic moral theology and never to have cracked the Catechism, than it is to be scrupulous and not understand the hierarchy of goods, but have memorized large portions of that endlessly troublesome book. It is not the Torah–and actually even Charedim interpret Torah, so you’re being more literalist than that.

The boss giving presents to his mistress (yes that’s the word) is one thing, and telling about it, in and of itself, would probably count as revealing faults.

But stealing your husband’s research is only tangentially connected with the affair–it would be just as wrong if it was for his own benefit.

You should not reveal faults just to reveal faults, but if your husband could lose his job, you don’t have a choice. Your survival trumps his reputation, life being a higher good than esteem.

If you need me to quote you chapter and verse from the Catechism (hardly the Catholic attitude, this “Sola Catecismus”), then I can go get them.

 

[thistle]

My husband has been working under a boss that has been having an affair. My husband tried to ignore it, but the boss has been giving “special treats and recognition” to his favorite, but those treats were entitled to my husband (they do scientific research: the boss just took my husband’s data, and published it under his new lady’s name). My husband ignored this maltreatment, in order not to rock the boat and get a paycheck, but further developments have resulted in the near loss of my husband’s job, which he may or may not deserve (we are both scrupulous, and it is a very complicated situation, although my husband has done nothing overtly wrong. The boss wants my husband fired after he took a vacation- a vacation that he was entitled to, rightfully under his union, but which angered the boss).
I am aware that the catechism says not to expose the sins of another.
Does this mean that the boss gets away with it all and we eat at the soup kitchen?!?! This is literally what it comes down to!
We can hire a lawyer, expose the unethical treatment of my husband’s working for another’s credit, or we can keep it quiet, for the catechism’s sake.
What do we do?!

Sure, I can use this opportunity to tell my husband that his boss might be punished for it in the next life, etc. etc., but is it really fair to us? Aren’t we, with 3 children, supposed to also fight to protect ourselves?

thanks
I would only like answers based solidly on the catechism (which I don’t know in its entirety)-- no opinions, please!!!

Catechism:

CCC 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.

Canon Law:

Can. 220 No one may unlawfully harm the good reputation which a person enjoys, or violate the right of every person to protect his or her privacy.

 

[Hastrman]

It occurs to me, since it was the OP’s husband that was harmed, it’s not revealing faults–it’s complaining that he’s been wronged. Not reporting a rape or robbery is not the same thing as avoiding gossip. And this is theft, pure and simple.

Nuff sed.

 

[1ke]

As Thistle pointed out, one is guilty of detraction only if one reveals a fault **without **an objectively valid reason.

You and your husband **have **an objectively valid reason and commit no sin in doing so.

Your husband needs to go straight to his union and/or the Human Resources department and report EVERYTHING. Hire a lawyer if you must.

If you are overly worried about scrupulosity, go see your priest.

 

[thistle]

It occurs to me, since it was the OP’s husband that was harmed, it’s not revealing faults–it’s complaining that he’s been wronged. Not reporting a rape or robbery is not the same thing as avoiding gossip. And this is theft, pure and simple.

Nuff sed.

None of us here are privy to the actual situation. A husband telling a wife and a wife telling us. For us that is hearsay and may or may not be true.
We can only comment in general on the Church’s teachings about revealing or not revealing faults.