Restitution Authority of Priest over scripture

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Restitution for fraud and/or stolen Goods I will list some scripture and also a Doctor of the church

The delema I have asked in the confessional many priests and even emailed priests with much the same answer if you committed or a crime or if giving back the money to the person would do more harm then good then as a form of restitution I have been ordered by nearly all the priests to give money to a charity instead of the original owner. My problem is I can’t find scripture for this practice or any saints writings I may be missing something do.

It says the owner in all the scripture and if restitution can’t be paid says Thomas Aquinas that a respite must be asked for by you or someone else but in the same theology he said that you don’t have to reveal a crime and the money should be handed to the priest…

Please help is giving money to charity a form of restitution or not ? And we’re does it say in the Catholic Church scripture or saints writings that this is ok.

Some writings

justice, to preserve our neighbor’s rights and render him what is his due;

2412In virtue of commutative justice, reparation for injusticecommitted requires the restitution of stolen goods to their owner:
 
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justice, to preserve our neighbor’s rights and render him what is his due;

2412In virtue of commutative justice, reparation for injusticecommitted requires the restitution of stolen goods to their owner:

[Luke 19:8-9]

Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.

[Leviticus 6:4]

Verse Concepts

then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him or the lost thing which he found,

[Proverbs 6:31

But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house

[Ezekiel 33:15]

if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

[Numbers 5:7]

then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged.

[Proverbs 6:30-31]

Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house.

Thomas Aquinas summa theologica

On the contrary,[Augustine]says (Ep. ad Maced. cxliii): “Unless a man restore what he has purloined, his is not forgiven.”

I answer that,Restitution re-establishes the equality of commutative , which equality consists in the equalizing of thing to thing, as stated above Now this equalizing of things is impossible, unless he that has less than his due receive what is lacking to him: and for this to be done, restitution must be made to the from whom a thing has been taken.

Reply to Objection 2.Although a man is not bound to reveal his crime to other men, yet is he bound to reveal it to in confession; and so he may make restitution of another’s property through the to whom he confesses

Consequently one is bound to immediate restitution, if possible, or to ask for a respite from the who is empowered to grant the use of the thing.

Reply to Objection 2.When one is unable to restore at once, this very inability excuses one from immediate restitution: even as is altogether excused from making restitution if he is altogether unable to make it. He is, however, bound either himself or through another to ask to whom he owes compensation to grant him a remission or a respite.
 
Have you spoke with a Priest? Obviously Indulgence is still required for the Lord requires us to pay for our sins. Here’s a great video on Purgatory: Pay now or pay later.

 
I know about indulgences that’s temporal punishment I try get plenary indulgences but Augustine says that a sin is not forgiven without restitution I want to give restitution but I’m not sure if what I done is fraud or not I had a lawyer involved and discussed with him but God knows the truth and I feel guilty not so I confessed it but the question is that is giving to charity instead of injured part is a valid restitution that’s the question
 
Hello I am to become a priest my preference would be a Franciscan in Jerusalem or any were in Israel I have great love for Jewish people
But I have a problem in my previous life I was not moral I did not believe in God and thought because I was thought this in school every day for 6 years that it’s survival of the fittest we came from monkeys and God is a superstition and religion is made by man to control people a very sad reality I lived. in what happened next is when I reached college I had a accident with a car not my fault but I lied and said I did not drink when asked by a police officer did I, but I did not cause the accident.
I could not finish my college course i lost my job at the time as well because I stole money to pay for medical bills I was working part time and could not even afford a full weeks worth of food not to mind physio and Doctor bills and chiropractor bills from then on for the next 4 years I could not work and was waiting on money from my accident compensation at the time I had no money so I robbed money off people to eat and get busses normally I would take very small amounts from family and friends like I said I believed in survival of the fittest I told this to my confessor and he said pay restitution to the church I owe a lot of restitution because I feel like I was not honest with the police officer even do the accident was not my fault I got compensated a years wage even do i lost my college my jobs have serious back pain for the rest of my life can’t exercise properly and also was put into a mental hospital for 8 months were I read the Bible and found God all in the space of 4 years now I think even do i asked my lawyer at the time of getting compensation I was dishonest in getting compensation because I lied about drinking alcohol my lawyer said I was more then likely not over the limit and that I did not cause the accident but I feel like I committed a injustice and feel like I owe restitution for the compensation which is 40,000€ my lawyer took nearly half so 25,000€ I got should I focus on paying this money back before starting the priesthood or pay it back when in the priesthood ?
 
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You need to speak to the vocations director for the order you wish to join about this. It is not something that any of us can help or advise you with. God bless.
 
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Oh thanks i also read this

Respect for the goods of others **
**2408 The seventh commandment forbids theft, that is, usurping another’s property against the reasonable will of the owner. There is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods. This is the case in obvious and urgent necessity when the only way to provide for immediate, essential needs (food, shelter, clothing . . .) is to put at one’s disposal and use the property of others.191
 
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Again, you need to discuss with the vocations director for the order or diocese you wish to join.

It is not going to help you to try to find passages in the Catechism, scripture etc to apply to your situation and try to figure it out yourself.
 
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Theft is permitted in urgent circumstances
 
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Restitution must be made as far as is (morally, not absolutely) possible.

Catholic Encyclopedia: Restitution:
[Restitution] signifies an act of commutative justice by which exact reparation as far as possible is made for an injury that has been done to another…Restitution signifies not any sort of reparation made for injury inflicted, but exact reparation as far as possible. Commutative justice requires that each one should have what belongs to him, not something else; and so that which was taken away must be restored as far as possible.
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Sometimes it is not possible (such as when it would cause more harm). But we still can and must make satisfaction.

Satisfaction is distinguished from restitution properly-so-called because it is our best effort to “satisfy” the debt of our sin, even if it really doesn’t strictly and exactly repay it like restitution.

Of the three main ways we make satisfaction for our sins (prayer, almsgiving, and fasting), almsgiving is the one traditionally associated with sins against neighbor. Even if we can’t make restitution, we can at least expiate our unjust gain and make satisfaction by giving our ill-gotten gains as alms.
 
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Thanks Genesis 315 does this mean if I fast pray and give alms I’m doing restitution correctly !
 
John121 said:
Thanks Genesis 315 does this mean if I fast pray and give alms I’m doing restitution correctly !
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From the spiritual point of view, if you can’t make restitution, you’re making satisfaction correctly by doing those things.

Obviously, civil society has its own laws governing these things, which I can’t speak to.
 
My last Question is satisfaction good enough in my case for restitution since a couple of priests said pay money to the church and/or charity instead.

I do give money to the church every week and will for the rest of my life so long as I have money coming in.
 
I would listen to the many priests you have asked and do as they say. Why ask them if you don’t want their advice?
 
It’s not that I don’t want there advice it’s that when reading about scripture or saints such as Thomas Aquinas who is a Doctor of the church they all say restitution should be made to the person who suffered the loss but I don’t know when it’s not possible to make restitution such as my case will God be ok with giving to charity or a church I just wanted so Catholic Church teaching or scriptural reference
 
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Have you asked the priests who advised you to explain their stance? I’m sure they have an explanation.
 
I asked 2 or 3 they said it’s church teaching I asked via email and I got a reference to

Luke 19:8-9

Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.

The priest who referenced this was obviously talking about Zaccheus giving to the poor.
 
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