508. What is forbidden by the seventh commandment? (part 2 continuation)
(Comp 508 repetition) Above all, the seventh commandment forbids theft, which is the taking or
using of another’s property against the reasonable will of the owner. This can
be done also by paying unjust wages; by speculation on the value of goods in
order to gain an advantage to the detriment of others; or by the forgery of
checks or invoices. Also forbidden is tax evasion or business fraud; willfully
damaging private or public property ; usury; corruption; the private abuse of
common goods; work deliberately done poorly; and waste.
“In brief”
(CCC 2454) Every manner of taking and using another's
property unjustly is contrary to the seventh commandment. The injustice
committed requires reparation. Commutative justice requires the restitution of
stolen goods.
To deepen and
explain
(CCC 2410) Promises
must be kept and contracts strictly
observed to the extent that the commitments made in them are morally just. A
significant part of economic and social life depends on the honoring of
contracts between physical or moral persons - commercial contracts of purchase
or sale, rental or labor contracts. All contracts must be agreed to and
executed in good faith.
Reflection
(CCC 2411) Contracts are subject to commutative justice which regulates
exchanges between persons in accordance with a strict respect for their rights.
Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property rights,
paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted. Without commutative
justice, no other form of justice is possible. One distinguishes commutative justice from legal justice which concerns what the
citizen owes in fairness to the community, and from distributive justice which regulates what the community owes its
citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs [IT
CONTINUES].
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