Lying and Reparation

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In the Catechism it says that we must make reparation if we lie. Does that mean we must go back to the person and say “I lied to you about x and this is the truth”? What happens if telling the person would hurt them and weaken the relationship between the two of them?
 
Maybe I can make the question a bit different. That Catechism (2487) says that reparation is required when it is a sin “against justice and truth”. Are those two conditions required for reparation? In other words, if it is just against truth and not justice, would reparation be required? The Compendium (523) says “A sin committed against truth demands reparation if it has caused harm to others”
 
I’ll go to your ‘original’.

Look at it this way. If person A tells person B a lie. . .person A has already ‘weakened the relationship’ between them. Just because person B doesn’t ‘know’ it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

So person A makes reparation, and confesses the truth. In an ideal world, person B would recognize this confession to be a **repairing **of the relationship that person A had damaged (knowingly) and person B had **not known. **Of course, person B would understandably feel hurt that person A had not ‘trusted’ person B enough to tell the truth in the first place, and that ‘consequence’ is going to have to be dealt with. Remember, when person A and person B die, that lie is going to ‘come out’. . .and person A is going to pay reparations then. Person A will be a lot better off if he has paid some of those reparations already on earth by admitting the truth. And person B has the opportunity to exercise his own ‘forgive as we forgive those who sin against us’ if he hears the truth from person A. If person B has trouble with that on earth. . .he’ll have the same trouble in heaven. But at least before death he’ll have the chance (hopefully) to have the time to accept the confession and to forgive.

I really cannot think of a situation where, ultimately speaking, meaning with the idea that ultimately what we should be doing is God’s will (which means not lying to people, among other things), there would be situations where we should** not **be not only confessing our lies, but trying to do whatever reparation we can here on earth.

For the second slight difference: Are we (as a general rule) trying to do ‘only’ the bare minimum and to look for every possible loophole or scenario to justify our original actions or excuse them. . .or are we supposed to imitate Christ and try to do what HE would do–which is always more than the minimum and on the maintenance of truth and one’s relationship with God above all? The answer to that will tell you whether or not one should make it a general rule to ‘confess’ a lie (under all circumstances) and what kind of reparation to offer.

That being said, please realize that I’m as imperfect as anybody else (more so) and I’m still working on exactly this problem. Of course it’s hard. . .but losing heaven because I’m more attached to having people keep their good opinion of me which they got because I lied, fudged, ‘fibbed’, etc. instead of accepting their justifiable hurt and even anger over my lying, fibbing etc. in the first place. . .would be a ‘hell’ of a lot harder, IMO.
 
TantumErgo90 said:
In the Catechism it says that we must make reparation if we lie. Does that mean we must go back to the person and say “I lied to you about x and this is the truth”? What happens if telling the person would hurt them and weaken the relationship between the two of them?
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Honey, I have to now tell you the truth. I lied to you earlier and I honestly do think that dress makes you look fat.

Let me know how that goes for you. 😃
 
I think the Catechism is getting more to sins such as slander and defamation. If you spread lies about someone or if your lie causes harm, then there is something to repair. Going around and setting the record straight.

Though, the best remedy is not to lie in the first place. I am reminded of a story of a Saint (I think Saint John Vianney, but I’m not certain) who had a woman come to Confession. She confessed being a gossip and as a penance the Saint had her go to the market, but a chicken, and bring it back to the Church all the while plucking its feathers. She did as she was told and when she returned the Saint then told her to go and collect all of those feathers. She exclaimed that it would be impossible as they would be scattered all about the city. And he answered that it is the same with a rumor once it has passed the teeth.
 
I’m reading the Catechism with the Compendium and there just seems to be a contradiction. One says all sin against “justice and truth” requires reparation and the Compendium says just if they hurt people. So when it says “justice and truth” does that mean both requirements have to be filled? Obviously it is better to not lie. But I just like to know what to say if someone asks me for advice, and the Catechism and the Compendium seemed to contradict. I’m human, and I’ve lied before, and I also want to know what I have to do to become “right with God”.
 
TantumErgo90 said:
I’m reading the Catechism with the Compendium and there just seems to be a contradiction. One says all sin against “justice and truth” requires reparation and the Compendium says just if they hurt people. So when it says “justice and truth” does that mean both requirements have to be filled? Obviously it is better to not lie. But I just like to know what to say if someone asks me for advice, and the Catechism and the Compendium seemed to contradict. I’m human, and I’ve lied before, and I also want to know what I have to do to become “right with God”.
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I take it as meaning were injury has been done - whether emotional, spiritual, or material. Hence, what are generally referred to as little white lies (Honey, of course I don’t think that dress makes you look fat) wouldn’t need to have reparation.

Of course, many times discernment will be needed to determine what if any injury has occurred.

If you need more info than that, I suggest you talk with your confessor and/or spiritual director.
 
There are many sins that you cannot repair directly. This is especially true for sins that occurred a long time ago and you just recognized them recently, for example. Or it happens with sins that you commit against a person that you didn’t know (harsh behavior to a stranger in a subway station, etc).

In those cases, we have to make reparation by prayers, alms, and personal penance of some kind.

Lying falls into this category in some ways also. The virtues we need to have to figure out what to do are: Humility and Prudence.

Humility will help us see the truth, even if it’s not very pleasant.
Prudence will help us make the best decision according to God’s will.

We have to judge the nature of the lie. In some cases, telling a person that we lied to them will cause more damage than the lie itself caused. In those cases, it’s better to do penitential reparation. There are other ways of saying that you lied also. You can point out to someone that you were trying to make a point but you exaggerated or fabricated things and you were not accurate.

If the lie is minor, then it’s going to be more embarrassing and hurtful to the person if you confess your lie.

What the Catechism is getting at is a question of serious lies (at the level of a mortal sin). This is where your word was on the line, or you were asked point blank about something that had great importance for the person.

In order for a lie to be a mortal sin, you have to deliberate and decide “Yes, I am going to lie about this”.

If it’s a spontaneous reaction where you exaggerated or wanted to say a pleasing thing which wasn’t true – and you just let a false statement slip out, that’s a venial sin anyway.

Reparation is still required, but it’s not what the Catechism is really talking about.
 
Can you please tell me if this requires reparation. Hypothetical Situation: A friend asks you were speeding down the street, and you say “no, a neighbor with a green car did it”. Is that serious enough to require reparation? Would you have to tell your friend “I lied to you, I was really speeding”?
 
I"m guessing that it would be a venial sin, but would it require reparation?
 
TantumErgo90 said:
Can you please tell me if this requires reparation. Hypothetical Situation: A friend asks you were speeding down the street, and you say “no, a neighbor with a green car did it”. Is that serious enough to require reparation? Would you have to tell your friend “I lied to you, I was really speeding”?
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What if anything has been injured? Did you hit his dog, almost run him over, etc.?

If it was just ask and answered falsely, I don’t see an injury. Of course there are two venial sins (speeding (potentially mortal depending on circumstances) and lying).

Again, if this is something that is troubling your conscience, better to ask your confessor and/or spiritual director than us.
 
This didn’t actually happen, I was just wondering how specific you need concerning a person in order for it to be calumny. “Neighbor with a green car” or “John Smith”.
 
TantumErgo90 said:
I"m guessing that it would be a venial sin, but would it require reparation?
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If it was not premeditated or deliberate then it wasn’t a mortal sin. Remember the three conditions needed for a mortal sin:
  1. Serious matter
  2. Sufficient reflection
  3. Full consent of the will
This instance doesn’t even fulfill one of those criteria.
It’s a venial sin – not deliberate.
If you caused some damage to your friend, then you’d have to make reparation.
In this case, it’s amost certain that your friend didn’t need to know the answer.
 
I realize that situation would probably be a venial sin. My main question is: Is “neighbor with a green car” to vague to ruin a reputation?
 
TantumErgo90 said:
I realize that situation would probably be a venial sin. My main question is: Is “neighbor with a green car” to vague to ruin a reputation?
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Depends - how many neighbors with green car are there? If you’re in a city and there are 50 people on the block with green cars that’s pretty vague. If you’re in the country and he only has on neighbor and that neighbor has a green car, that’s pretty specific. Of course, if he only has one neighbor and his car is blue, you’re friend will know something is fishy. 😉

In such a case as pointing out a specific person and falsely accusing them, reparation probably should be made. If you only told your friend, only your friend should be told the truth, in my opinion.

Again, ask your confessor and/or spiritual director.
 
JMJ_coder said:
In such a case as pointing out a specific person and falsely accusing them, reparation probably should be made. If you only told your friend, only your friend should be told the truth, in my opinion.

Again, ask your confessor and/or spiritual director.
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I would agree.
It’s good for your character to admit that you lied.
Just do it.
“I’m really embarrassed, but remember when you asked me about speeding? Well, I got nervous and I didn’t tell the truth”.

There, that’s not so bad is it? 🙂
 
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