I'm Confused About Detraction

[Poetess_Kera]

What exactly is the sin of detraction? What is considered to be “revealing too much”? I’m reading pamphlets and handouts from my RCIA classes that talk about the sins of converts and saints. I’m just curious what I’m not supposed to reveal without a sin being involved. Thanks!

 

[DavidFilmer]

What exactly is the sin of detraction?

It is the revealing of something potentially damaging that may be true, but is not necessary to reveal (and the revelation could damage the person, whether deserved or not).

For example, if you had knowledge that a person in your RCIA group was sexually promiscuous (or a drug user, or whatever) and you revealed this to the group, you would be guilty of this sin. There is no compelling reason to reveal this information to this particular audience (it might be different if you knew this person was an axe-murderer who liked to prey on group members).

This is usually the same as the sin of “gossip.”

This would apply only to private knowledge that you have, which others would not be privy to. Anything that was generally accepted as public knowledge (ie, something you could find on Wikipedia) would generally not apply. Thus (for example), you are free to discuss the sins that St. Augustine himself discloses in his “Confessions.”

 

[Fidelis]

Great answer David. To reinforce what you’ve said, here is the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaching on this and related topics:

**OFFENSES AGAINST TRUTH **

2475 Christ’s disciples have “put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” By “putting away falsehood,” they are to “put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander.”

2476 False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement contrary to the truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness. When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused. They gravely compromise the exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial decisions.

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.

**2480 **Every word or attitude is forbidden which by flattery, adulation, or complaisance encourages and confirms another in malicious acts and perverse conduct. Adulation is a grave fault if it makes one an accomplice in another’s vices or grave sins. Neither the desire to be of service nor friendship justifies duplicitous speech. Adulation is a venial sin when it only seeks to be agreeable, to avoid evil, to meet a need, or to obtain legitimate advantages.

2481 Boasting or bragging is an offense against truth. So is irony aimed at disparaging someone by maliciously caricaturing some aspect of his behavior.

Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church

 

[Jesus_123]

Main Entry: de·trac·tion
Pronunciation: \di-ˈtrak-shən, dē-
Function: noun
Date: 14th century

**1 : a lessening of reputation or esteem especially by envious, malicious, or petty criticism : belittling, disparagement

2 : a taking away **
— de·trac·tive -ˈtrak-tiv\ adjective

— de·trac·tive·ly adverb

- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary​

Detraction can be talking or sharing/repeating through some medium or another something true that might damage another person’s reputation or standing in the eyes of others . . . when the sharing serves no good purpose such as perhaps warning about someone’s character to keep someone out of harms way . . . or . . . it can also be attributing something false and utterly untrue to another person . . . such as the lies and complete fabrications of the “yellow” tabloid journalism magazines that just make up all kinds of things for personal profit and gain about celebrities and well known people to sell their magazines . . . with no consideration or concern for the painful destruction to the perrsons and their reputations they may be damaging and destroying . . .

Some people seem to thrive on sharing negatives about other people . . . and their conversations are full of these negatives . . . to the very real detriment of those whom they are talking about . . . we need to check ourselves whenever we are tempted to make a negative comment about someone else . . . and not indulge ourselves in saying anything if there is no good purpose to be served for the negative comment’s being made about another person . . . taking care even in speaking a truth if no good purpose is being served . . .

St. James in Sacred :bible1: Scripture teaches about the seriousness of this particular selfish and incredibly self-centered sin . . . and the grave damage this sin can inflict on others . . . which is a violation of the second commandment of our Lord . . .

. . . :coffeeread: . . .

The Holy :bible1: Bible

If any man among you seem to be religious,
and bridleth not his tongue,
but deceiveth his own heart,
this man’s religion is vain.
** *James 1:26 ***

Even so the tongue is a little member,
and boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a matter
a little fire kindleth!

• James 3:6*

Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets. - Matthew 22:37-40​

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Blessed Lord+
. . . thank you Holy Mother Church+​

 

[Poetess_Kera]

Thank you very much for the info!

So it’s basically revealing a fault in another for the purpose of making people think less of them? If I were to reveal a fault of another person with the purpose of asking someone to pray for that person or something, would that be different?

 

[Mintaka]

It wouldn’t be a sin to reveal a sin, or an embarrassing situation, to get people to pray for them. But usually, it would be imprudent and inconsiderate, if there were any possibility of people knowing about it and meeting them. There’s a reason we have secrecy in the confessional.

However, you don’t have to reveal someone’s identity to get them prayed for. You can say, “I know somebody who’s having a problem with X sin” or “I know someone who’s not very good at math but has to use it all the time in business” or “I heard about someone who’s struggling to understand why abortion is wrong and needs prayers for wisdom and understanding” without mentioning any names or positions or whereabouts. Don’t lie, but don’t tell everything you know unless you have good reason.

The super-discreet way to go is to ask people to pray “for a certain person I know” or “for a special intention”. This is perfectly normal; nobody will think twice about it.

 

[Poetess_Kera]

The super-discreet way to go is to ask people to pray “for a certain person I know” or “for a special intention”. This is perfectly normal; nobody will think twice about it.

So if I were to keep the person’s identity completely anonymous, it would be fine? I’m sorry for the repetitive series of questions; I just get rather nitpicky with these sorts of things sometimes. Sometimes I write poems about someone’s faults, but the person I’m writing about is always anonymous. Is this okay?

 

[Jesus_123]

So if I were to keep the person’s identity completely anonymous, it would be fine? I’m sorry for the repetitive series of questions; I just get rather nitpicky with these sorts of things sometimes. Sometimes I write poems about someone’s faults, but the person I’m writing about is always anonymous. Is this okay?

+Dwelling on negatives . . . unless one is seeking knowledge, wisdom and understanding from God in regard to a situation or reality . . . is essentially an unhealthy pasttime . . . and it can and does harm the soul and takes the soul’s heart and eye’s off Jesus and the things of God and our heavenly kingdom inheritance as children of God . . . and focuses on something worldly . . . which if the focus is on a negative is spiritually very unhealthy . . . As in all things . . . lift up your concern to our Wonderful Lord in prayer . . . . . . and He will guide you into holy and healthy paths of thought and expression . . . *that will not bring harm to your soul and will be healthy and help you grow spiritually day by day . . . *and don’t forget to ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to help you . . . she never fails to aid and assist when we ask her . . .

As I pondered your question the following meditation from the wonderful Holy Rule of St. Benedict came to mind . . .

+:compcoff:
The Holy Rule of Saint Benedict - Chapter 7
Of Humility

February 6 - June 7 - October 7

The ninth degree of humility is, when a monk withholdeth his tongue from speaking, and keeping silence doth not speak until he is asked; for the :bible1: Scripture showeth that “in a multitude of words there shall not want sin” (Prov 10:19); and that “a man full of tongue is not established in the earth” (Ps 139[140]:12).

Ora et Labora (Pray and Work)
*"Glory be to the Father . . .
and to the Son . . . and to the Holy Spirit . . .
as it was in the beginning . . . **is ***. . . now . . .
and ever shall be . . . world without end . . . Amen . . . "
:harp:
+

The ability to write is a gift from God . . . if you surrender this gift up to the Lord and truly seek His Holy Guidance and Direction . . . He will not fail to show you the way . . . Claiming the following holy promise from Sacred :bible1: Scripture daily can be a wonderful blessing when exploring such unknown territories . . .

**In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths. **
Proverbs 3:6
:bible1:

In dedication to the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart . . .

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Blessed Lord+
. . . thank you Holy Mother Mary+
. . . thank you Holy Mother Church+​