PRO EXAMEN

PER OCTAVVM PRAECEPTVM

Examination on the Eighth Commandment

Examination on the Eighth Commandment: 'Thou shalt not bear false witness.' This forbids lying, perjury, rash judgment, detraction (revealing true hidden faults), and calumny (attributing false faults). Both detraction and calumny require restitution of the damaged reputation.

LATINE
Non loqueris contra proximum tuum falsum testimonium.
Num mendacia protuli?
Num alios mendaciis laesi?
Num de aliis temere iudicavi?
Num defectus occultos aliorum sine necessitate revelavi (detractio)?
Num defectus aliis attribui quos non habent (calumnia)?
Num damnum famae aliorum reparare omisi?
Num cum delectatione rumores vel detractiones audivi?
Num secretum mihi commissum violavi?
Num adulationis vel hypocrisis reus fui?
Pone, Domine, custodiam ori meo,
et ostium circumstantiae labiis meis,
ut non declinet cor meum in verba malitiae.
ENGLISH
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Have I told lies?
Have I injured others by lies?
Have I rashly judged others?
Have I revealed the hidden faults of others without necessity (detraction)?
Have I attributed faults to others which they do not have (calumny)?
Have I failed to repair the damage done to the reputation of others?
Have I listened with pleasure to gossip or detraction?
Have I broken a secret entrusted to me?
Have I been guilty of flattery or hypocrisy?
Set a watch, O Lord, upon my mouth,
and a door round about my lips,
that I may not sin with my tongue.
NOTA
FONS
Catechismus Romanus; Psalmus 140:3
USUS
Preparation for confession
CONTEXT
Detraction (revealing true faults) and calumny (attributing false faults) both damage reputation and require restitution. The obligation to repair a damaged reputation binds gravely.