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<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Scandal</title><script src="https://dtyry4ejybx0.cloudfront.net/js/cmp/cleanmediacmp.js?ver=0104" async="true"></script><script defer data-domain="newadvent.org" src="https://plausible.io/js/script.js"></script><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13506d.htm"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="description" content="A word or action evil in itself, which occasions another's spiritual ruin"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="http://feeds.newadvent.org/bestoftheweb?format=xml"><link rel="icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><link rel="shortcut icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><meta name="robots" content="noodp"><link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="../utility/screen6.css" media="screen"></head> <body class="cathen" id="13506d.htm">  <br/> <div id="capitalcity"><table summary="Logo" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="100%"><tr valign="bottom"><td align="left"><a href="../"><img height=36 width=153 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></td><td align="right"> <form id="searchbox_000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0" action="../utility/search.htm">  <input type="hidden" name="safe" value="active"> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:9"/>  <label for="searchQuery" id="searchQueryLabel">Search:</label> <input id="searchQuery" name="q" type="text" size="25" aria-labelledby="searchQueryLabel"/>  <label for="submitButton" id="submitButtonLabel" class="visually-hidden">Submit Search</label> <input id="submitButton" type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" aria-labelledby="submitButtonLabel"/> </form> <table summary="Spacer" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td height="2"></td></tr></table> <table summary="Tabs" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../"> Home </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_white_on_color" href="../cathen/index.html"> Encyclopedia </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../summa/index.html"> Summa </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../fathers/index.html"> Fathers </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../bible/gen001.htm"> Bible </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../library/index.html"> Library </a></td> </tr></table> </td> </tr></table><table summary="Alphabetical index" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"> <a href="../cathen/a.htm"> A </a><a href="../cathen/b.htm"> B </a><a href="../cathen/c.htm"> C </a><a href="../cathen/d.htm"> D </a><a href="../cathen/e.htm"> E </a><a href="../cathen/f.htm"> F </a><a href="../cathen/g.htm"> G </a><a href="../cathen/h.htm"> H </a><a href="../cathen/i.htm"> I </a><a href="../cathen/j.htm"> J </a><a href="../cathen/k.htm"> K </a><a href="../cathen/l.htm"> L </a><a href="../cathen/m.htm"> M </a><a href="../cathen/n.htm"> N </a><a href="../cathen/o.htm"> O </a><a href="../cathen/p.htm"> P </a><a href="../cathen/q.htm"> Q </a><a href="../cathen/r.htm"> R </a><a href="../cathen/s.htm"> S </a><a href="../cathen/t.htm"> T </a><a href="../cathen/u.htm"> U </a><a href="../cathen/v.htm"> V </a><a href="../cathen/w.htm"> W </a><a href="../cathen/x.htm"> X </a><a href="../cathen/y.htm"> Y </a><a href="../cathen/z.htm"> Z </a> </td></tr></table></div> <div id="mobilecity" style="text-align: center; "><a href="../"><img height=24 width=102 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></div>  <div id="mi5"><span class="breadcrumbs"><a href="../">Home</a> > <a href="../cathen">Catholic Encyclopedia</a> > <a href="../cathen/s.htm">S</a> > Scandal</span></div> <div id="springfield2"> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-top' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <h1>Scandal</h1> <p><em><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/na2"><strong>Please help support the mission of New Advent</strong> and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99...</a></em></p> <h2 id="section1">Notion of scandal</h2> <p>According to <a href="../cathen/14663b.htm">St. Thomas</a> (<a href="../summa/3043.htm#article">II-II:43:1</a>) scandal is a word or action <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> in itself, which occasions another's spiritual ruin. It is a word or action, that is either an external act—for an internal act can have no influence on the conduct of another—or the omission of an external act, because to omit what one should do is equivalent to doing what is forbidden; it must be <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> in itself, or in appearance; this is the interpretation of the words of <a href="../cathen/14663b.htm">St. Thomas</a>: <em>minus rectum</em>. It is not the physical cause of a neighbor's <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, but only the moral cause, or occasion; further, this moral <a href="../cathen/03459a.htm">causality</a> may be understood in a strict sense, as when one orders, requests, or advises another to commit the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> (this is strictly <a href="../cathen/07779a.htm">inductive</a> scandal, which some call co-operation in a broad sense), or in a large sense, as when a <a href="../cathen/11726a.htm">person</a> without being directly concerned in the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> nevertheless exercises a certain influence on the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> of his neighbor, e.g. by committing such a <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> in his presence (this is <a href="../cathen/07779a.htm">inductive</a> scandal in a broad sense). For scandal to exist it is therefore essential and sufficient, with regard to the nature of the act and the circumstances under which it takes place, that it be of a nature to induce <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> in another; consequently it is not <a href="../cathen/10733a.htm">necessary</a> that the neighbour should actually fall into <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>; and on the other hand, for scandal strictly so-called, it is not enough that a neighbour take occasion to do <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> from a word or action which is not a subject of scandal and exercises no influence on his action; it must be a <a href="../cathen/03459a.htm">cause</a> of spiritual ruin, that is of <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, consequently that is not scandal which merely dissuades the neighbour from a more perfect act, as for instance, <a href="../cathen/12345b.htm">prayer</a>, the practice of the Evangelical virtues, the more frequent use of the <a href="../cathen/13295a.htm">sacraments</a>, etc. Still less can that be considered scandal, which only arouses comment, indignation, horror etc., for instance <a href="../cathen/02595a.htm">blasphemy</a> committed in the presence of a <a href="../cathen/12406a.htm">priest</a> or of a religious; it is <a href="../cathen/15073a.htm">true</a> that the act arouses indignation and in common parlance it is often called scandalous, but this way of speaking is inaccurate, and in strictly <a href="../cathen/14580x.htm">theological</a> terminology it is not the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> of scandal. Hence scandal is in itself an <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> act, at least in appearance, and as such it exercises on the will of another an influence more or less great which induces to <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>. Furthermore, when the action from which another takes <a href="../cathen/11196a.htm">occasion of sin</a> is not bad, either in itself or in appearance, it may violate charity (see below), but strictly speaking it is not the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> of scandal. However, some authorities understanding the word scandal in a wider sense include in it this case</p> <div class="CMtag_300x250" style="display: flex; height: 300px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; "></div> <h2 id="section2">Divisions</h2> <p>(1) Scandal is divided into active and passive. Active scandal is that which has been defined above; passive scandal is the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> which another commits in consequence of active scandal. Passive scandal is called scandal given (<em>scandalum datum</em>), when the act of the scandalizer is of a nature to occasion it; and scandal received (<em>acceptum</em>), when the action of the one who scandalizes is due solely to <a href="../cathen/07648a.htm">ignorance</a> or weakness—this is scandal of the weak (<em>infirmorum</em>),—or to malice and <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> inclinations—this is <a href="../cathen/11789b.htm">pharisaical</a> scandal, which was that of the <a href="../cathen/11789b.htm">Pharisees</a> with regard to the words and actions of Christ.</p> <p>(2) Active scandal is direct when he who commits it has the intention of inducing another to <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>; such is the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> of one who solicits another to the crime of <a href="../cathen/01163a.htm">adultery</a>, theft etc. If one prevails upon another to commit the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> not only because of an advantage or pleasure believed to accrue therefrom but chiefly because of the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> itself, because it is an offence to <a href="../cathen/06608a.htm">God</a> or the ruin of a neighbor's <a href="../cathen/14153a.htm">soul</a>, direct scandal is called by the expressive name of diabolical scandal. On the other hand scandal is only indirect when without the intention to cause another to fall into <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> we say a word or perform a deed which is for him an <a href="../cathen/11196a.htm">occasion of sin</a></p> <h2 id="section3">Malice</h2> <p>(1) That active scandal is a mortal <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> <a href="../cathen/08374c.htm">Christ</a> Himself has taught (<a href="../bible/mat018.htm#vrs6">Matthew 18:6 sqq.</a>) and reason makes evident. If charity obliges us to assist our neighbor's temporal and spiritual necessities (see <a href="../cathen/01328f.htm">ALMS</a>; CORRECTION) it obliges us still more strongly not to be to him a <a href="../cathen/03459a.htm">cause</a> of <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> or spiritual ruin. Hence it follows that every <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> of scandal is contrary to charity.</p> <p>Moreover (2) direct scandal is obviously contrary to the virtue against which another is induced to <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>; in fact every virtue forbids not only its violation by ourselves but also that we should desire its violation by another. </p> <p>(3) Indirect scandal is also contrary to charity (see above); but is it also opposed to the virtue violated by another? <a href="../cathen/01334a.htm">St. Alphonsus</a> answers in the affirmative; others, and this seems the <a href="../cathen/15073a.htm">true</a> opinion, deny this. In fact no one has hitherto <a href="../cathen/12454c.htm">proved</a> this species of malice, and those who admit it are not consistent with themselves, for they should also maintain, which no one does, that anyone who is indirectly the cause of an <a href="../cathen/08010c.htm">injustice</a> by another is also bound to restitution; what is <a href="../cathen/15073a.htm">true</a> of <a href="../cathen/08571c.htm">justice</a> should hold good for the other virtues.</p> <h2 id="section4">Cases in which the sin of scandal occurs</h2> <p>The question remains: When is there a <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> of scandal? for it is obvious not all who an <a href="../cathen/11196a.htm">occasion of sin</a> to others are thereby guilty.</p> <p>(1) As a general rule the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> of scandal exists when one directly induces another to do a thing which he cannot do without <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, either formal or material, e.g. by soliciting a <a href="../cathen/11726a.htm">person</a> to <a href="../cathen/11696a.htm">perjury</a>, drunkenness, <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sins</a> of the flesh, etc., even though the <a href="../cathen/11726a.htm">person</a> induced to this act is habitually or at the time disposed to commit it. It is otherwise when the thing we ask is good or indifferent; this may be done without scandal and without <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, when there is a just cause or serious reason for asking it; even though one foresees that the other will probably <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> in granting it; thus for the common weal a judge may demand an <a href="../cathen/11176a.htm">oath</a> even from those who will probably commit <a href="../cathen/11696a.htm">perjury</a>; one who has need of money and who cannot find anyone who will lend to him may have recourse to an <a href="../cathen/15235c.htm">usurer</a> although he foresees that the latter will exact exorbitant and <a href="../cathen/08010c.htm">unjust</a> interest, etc. The thing asked must be without <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> either formal or material because it is not allowed to profit by the <a href="../cathen/07648a.htm">ignorance</a> of another to induce him to commit what is forbidden, to cause a child to utter <a href="../cathen/02595a.htm">blasphemies</a>, to induce someone who is unaware of the precept of the <a href="../cathen/03744a.htm">Church</a> to eat flesh on a fast day and so on. In fact in all these cases the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> is to be ascribed to the <a href="../cathen/11726a.htm">person</a> who endeavors to cause it This is the general rule, but here the question arises, may one advise another bent on committing a great crime to be satisfied instead with doing something less <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a>? This question is much discussed, but the opinion which considers such a course justifiable is probable and may be followed in practice. In fact the advice thus given is not properly speaking advice to do <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> but to do a lesser <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> or rather not to do the greater <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> which a man intends to commit; therefore some writers exact that the words or circumstances must demonstrate that one advises the <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> solely as the lesser <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a>; others, however, consider it sufficient that such be the intention, even when not made manifest, of the <a href="../cathen/11726a.htm">person</a> who gives the advice. Nevertheless, if a man had decided to do an injury to a certain <a href="../cathen/11726a.htm">person</a> one could not—unless in exceptional circumstances—induce him to do a lesser injury to any other <a href="../cathen/11726a.htm">person</a>.</p> <div class="CMtag_300x250" style="display: flex; height: 300px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; "></div> <p>(2) He is guilty of the <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> of scandal who without positively pledging or inducing to <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> nevertheless performs an act <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> in itself which will be an <a href="../cathen/11196a.htm">occasion of sin</a> to another. The same must be said when the act is <a href="../cathen/05649a.htm">evil</a> only in appearance, unless there be sufficient reason to act and to permit the fault of another Thus those who <a href="../cathen/02595a.htm">blaspheme</a> before others when they foresee that their example will cause the latter to <a href="../cathen/02595a.htm">blaspheme</a> are guilty of scandal; so also those who attack religion or <a href="../cathen/10559a.htm">morals</a>, hold immoral conversation, sing immoral songs or (by their behaviour dress, writings etc.) offend against the <a href="../cathen/09053a.htm">laws</a> of decency and modesty, when they foresee, as is usual, that those who see, hear, or read will be impelled to <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>.</p> <p>(3) To prevent another's <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> one may even be bound to forego an act which is <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sinful</a> neither in itself nor in appearance, but which is nevertheless the <a href="../cathen/11196a.htm">occasion of sin</a> to another, unless there be sufficient reason to act otherwise. It has already been shown that when there is a just cause we may ask of another a thing which he can do without <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> although we may foresee that he will not do it without fault. Likewise we are not bound to be disturbed by <a href="../cathen/11789b.htm">pharisaical</a> scandal, which may follow an action we perform; but we must avoid scandalizing the weak if we can do so easily. The application of these principles depends on concrete circumstances, which vary with each case; however, the following general rules may be given:</p> <div class="bulletlist"><ul><li>To prevent scandalizing another we must never transgress the negative <a href="../cathen/12372b.htm">precepts</a> of the <a href="../cathen/09076a.htm">natural law</a>, nor its positive <a href="../cathen/12372b.htm">precepts</a> in cases where they truly bind; thus it is not permitted to lie to prevent a mortal <a href="../cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, neither can one neglect receiving <a href="../cathen/02258b.htm">baptism</a> to avoid the <a href="../cathen/02595a.htm">blasphemies</a> of one's <a href="../cathen/11478c.htm">parents</a>.</li><li>It is not permitted to pass over any precept whatever in order to prevent <a href="../cathen/11789b.htm">pharisaical</a> scandal, but we may and even should, in special cases and for one or two occasions, pass over a precept whether Divine or human, to avoid scandalizing the weak.</li><li>We should, to avoid scandal, forego good or indifferent works which are not of precept, if we can do so without great inconvenience.</li><li>Finally, to prevent the scandal of the weak we are sometimes <a href="../cathen/11189a.htm">obliged</a> to sacrifice some temporal good of less importance, but we are not bound to do this when the goods are of greater importance. </li></ul></div> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-bottom' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <div class="cenotes"><h2>Sources</h2><p class="cenotes">BERARDI, Theologia moralis, theorico-practica (Faenza, 1904); BULOT, Compend. theol. mor. ad mentem P. Gury (Paris, 1908): D'ANNIBALE, Summula theol. Mor. (Rome, 1908); GENICOT-SALSMANS, Theol. mor. instit. (Brussels, 1909); LEHMKUHL, Theol. mor. (Freiburg, 1910; NOLDIN, Summa theolgiae moralis: De praeceptis et ecclesia (Innsbruck, 1908); ST. THOMAS, Summa theol. II-II, Q. Xliii, with Cajetan's commentary, S. ALPHONSUS, Theol. mor. II, tr. III (Rome, 1905); BOUQUILLON, De virtutibus theologicis (Bruges, 1890) with annotations by WAFFELAERT (Bruges, 1900); WAFFELAERT, Quelle espece de peche commet celui qui donne le scandale? in Nouvelle revue theologique, XV (Tournai, 1883); Collationes brugenses (Bruges, 1896), especially VIII (1903) and XIV (1909).</p></div> <div class="pub"><h2>About this page</h2><p id="apa"><strong>APA citation.</strong> <span id="apaauthor">Vander Heeren, A.</span> <span id="apayear">(1912).</span> <span id="apaarticle">Scandal.</span> In <span id="apawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="apapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company.</span> <span id="apaurl">http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13506d.htm</span></p><p id="mla"><strong>MLA citation.</strong> <span id="mlaauthor">Vander Heeren, Achille.</span> <span id="mlaarticle">"Scandal."</span> <span id="mlawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="mlavolume">Vol. 13.</span> <span id="mlapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company,</span> <span id="mlayear">1912.</span> <span id="mlaurl"><http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13506d.htm>.</span></p><p id="transcription"><strong>Transcription.</strong> <span id="transcriber">This article was transcribed for New Advent by Joseph E. O'Connor.</span> <span id="dedication"></span></p><p id="approbation"><strong>Ecclesiastical approbation.</strong> <span id="nihil"><em>Nihil Obstat.</em> February 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, D.D., Censor.</span> <span id="imprimatur"><em>Imprimatur.</em> +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.</span></p><p id="contactus"><strong>Contact information.</strong> The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster <em>at</em> newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.</p></div> </div> <div id="ogdenville"><table summary="Bottom bar" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"><center><strong>Copyright © 2023 by <a href="../utility/contactus.htm">New Advent LLC</a>. 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