422. 真正的義, 就是在所從事的職業或工作的任何場合都要行事公正誠懇, 因為用這樣的方式行事, 對社群有用; 有用的便是善的, 在不考慮人的情況下, 善就是鄰舍。正如這前所述(412-414), 鄰舍不僅包括個人, 還包括大大小小的社群, 還有國家。
舉例說明, 如果一個君王為百姓樹立行善的榜樣, 如果他想讓百姓按照公正的法律生活, 如果他獎勵如此守法生活的人們, 如果他讓所有百姓得到應受的關懷, 如果他令百姓安全,免受傷害與侵犯, 如果他像父親那樣對他的國, 並關注百姓的興旺, 便有義在他裡面, 他的行為便是善工。
如果祭司由聖言教導真理, 並利用真理帶人過良善的生活, 得以進入天國, 他便是實踐義行的好榜樣, 因為他為教會中人們的靈魂操心。
法官以公正與法律為基準來施行判決, 而不受賄賂,親友的影響, 便是關懷社群和個人。對於社群, 這些判決能使社群服從法律, 不敢破壞法律; 對於個人, 這些判決使得公義獲勝,不公義落敗。
倘若商人誠實經營, 不行欺詐, 就是為(與其交易的)鄰舍著想。工人或工匠也是這樣, 如果他做事正直誠實, 而不是裝假或欺騙。其它職業, 例如船長與水手, 或者農民與家僕, 也是如此。
422. Goodwill Itself Is Acting Justly and Faithfully in Our Position and Our Work and with the People with Whom We Interact
Goodwill itself is acting justly and faithfully in our position and our work, because all the things we do in this way are useful to the community; and usefulness is goodness, and goodness in an impersonal sense is our neighbor. As I have shown above [412-414], our neighbor is not only individual people but also our community and the country as a whole.
For example, if monarchs lead the way for their subjects by setting an example of doing good, if they want their people to live by the laws of justice, if they reward people who live that way, if they give all people the consideration they deserve, if they keep their people safe from harm and invasion, if they act like parents to their countries, and take care for the general prosperity of their people - these monarchs have goodwill in their hearts. The things they do are good actions.
Priests who teach truths from the Word and use truths to lead to a goodness of life, and therefore to heaven, are practicing goodwill in very important ways, because they are caring for the souls of the people in their church.
Judges who make decisions on the basis of justice and the law, and not because of bribery or because someone is their friend or relative, are caring for the community and for the individual - for the community, because their decisions influence it to stay obedient to the law and fearful of breaking it, and for the individual, because their decisions allow justice to triumph over injustice.
Business people who act with honesty and without fraudulence are caring for the neighbor they do business with. So are workers and craftspeople when they do their work uprightly and honestly rather than falsely or deceptively. The same goes for everyone else - for ship captains and sailors, for farm workers and servants.
422. VIII. Real charity is dealing fairly and faithfully in whatever position, business or work one is engaged in, and with those with whom one comes into contact.
Real charity is dealing fairly and faithfully in whatever position, business or work one is engaged in, because everything a person so does is of use to the community; and use is good; and good, leaving persons out of account, is the neighbour. (It was shown above that not only the individual but also the community, [great or] 1 small, and one's country is the neighbour.) For example, if a king sets his subjects an example by his good deeds, if he desires them to live in accordance with the laws of justice, rewarding those who do so, treating all according to their deserts, if he protects them from injury and invasion, acts as father to his kingdom and in general takes thought for the prosperity of his people, he has charity in his heart and his acts are good deeds. If a priest teaches truths from the Word, and uses them to lead people to live a good life, and so to reach heaven, he is a prime example of the exercise of charity, because he takes thought for the souls of the people in his church. If a judge bases his decisions on justice and the law, and is not influenced by bribes, friendship or nepotism, he takes thought for the community in general and the individual in particular; for the community, because this keeps it obedient to the law and afraid of breaking it; for the individual, by the fact that justice triumphs over injustice. If a business man acts honestly and not fraudulently, he takes thought for the neighbour with whom he has dealings. The same is true of a workman or craftsman, if he does his work properly and honestly, without pretence or deceit. The same is true of other occupations, such as ship-captains and sailors, or farmers and servants.
Footnotes:
1. For the insertion, cf. 412, 1.
422. VIII. CHARITY ITSELF IS ACTING JUSTLY AND FAITHFULLY IN THE OFFICE, BUSINESS, AND EMPLOYMENT IN WHICH A MAN IS ENGAGED, AND WITH THOSE WITH WHOM HE HAS ANY DEALINGS.
Charity itself is acting justly and faithfully in the office, business, and employment in which a man is engaged, because all that such a man does is of use to society, and use is good; and good in a sense abstracted from person is the neighbor. (That not a single man only, but also a lesser community, and even a man's country, is the neighbor, has been shown above.) Take, for example, a king who sets his subjects an example of well-doing, who wishes them to live according to the laws of justice, rewards those who so live, regards everyone according to his merits, protects his subjects against injury and invasion, acts the part of a father to his kingdom, and consults the general prosperity of his people; in his heart there is charity, and his deeds are good works. The priest who teaches truth from the Word, and thereby leads to good of life, and so to heaven, because he consults the good of the souls of those of his church, is eminently in the exercise of charity. The judge who judges according to law and justice, and not for reward, friendship and relationship, consults the good of society and of each individual; of society because it is thereby kept in obedience to law and in the fear of transgressing it; and of the individual because justice thereby triumphs over injustice. The merchant who acts from honesty and not from deceit, consults the good of his neighbor with whom he has business. It is the same with a common or skilled workman, if he does his work rightly and honestly, and not fraudulently and deceitfully. It is the same with all others, as with captains and sailors, with farmers and servants.
422. VIII. CHARITY ITSELF IS TO ACT JUSTLY AND FAITHFULLY IN THE OFFICE, BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT IN WHICH ONE IS ENGAGED, AND TOWARDS THOSE WITH WHOM ONE HAS ANY DEALINGS.
Charity itself is to act justly and faithfully in the office, business and employment in which one is engaged, for then everything that a man does is of use to society, and use is good; and good in the abstract, considered apart from persons, is the neighbor. It was shown above that man not only individually, but also as a society of men, and one's country itself, are the neighbor. A king, for instance, who sets his subjects an example in well-doing, who desires that they should live according to the laws of justice, rewards those who so live, regards each according to his merit, defends them against injury and invasion, acts as the father of his kingdom, and consults the general prosperity of his people, is at heart an embodiment of charity, and his deeds are good works. A priest who teaches truths from the Word and thereby leads to the good of life, and so to heaven, because he consults the welfare of the souls of those who belong to his Church, is pre-eminently in the exercise of charity. A judge who judges according to justice and the law, and not for reward, friendship, or kinship, consults the good of society and of men individually; of society, because it is thus kept in obedience to law and in the fear of transgressing it, and of men individually, because justice triumphs over injustice. A merchant, if he acts from sincerity and not from deceit, consults the good of the neighbor with whom he has business. The same is true of a workman or craftsman, if he does his work uprightly and sincerely, and not fraudulently and deceitfully. The case is the same with all others, as captains and sailors, farmers and servants.
422. Quod ipsa Charitas sit, juste et fideliter 1 agere in officio, negotio et opere, in quo quisque est, et cum quibus in aliquo commercio est.
Quod ipsa Charitas sit juste et fideliter agere in officio, negotio et opere, in quo quisque est, est quia omnia quae homo ita facit, Societati usui sunt, ac usus est bonum, et bonum in sensu a personis abstracto, est proximus; quod non modo singularis homo, sed etiam societas minor, et ipsa patria sit proximus, supra ostensum est. Ut pro exemplo, Rex qui praeit subditos exemplo in bene agendo, velit ut illi vivant secundum leges justitiae, remunerat illos qui ita vivunt, spectat quemlibet ex merito, tutatur illos contra injurias et invasiones, agit Patrem Regni, et consulit in communi prosperitati populi sui, in corde ejus est Charitas, et facta ejus sunt bona opera. Sacerdos, qui docet vera ex Verbo, et per illa ducit ad bonum vitae, et sic ad Coelum, is quia consulit animabus hominum Ecclesiae suae, eminenter Charitatem exercet. Judex, qui ex justitia et lege judicat, et non ex munere, amicitia et affinitate, is consulit societati et homini in singulari, Societati, quia haec per id tenetur in obedientia legis, et in timore transgressionis ejus, et homini in singulari per id quod justitia triumphet super injustitiam. Negotiator, si ex sinceritate agit, et non ex fraude, consulit proximo cum quo negotium habet; similiter operarius et artifex, si recte et sincere, et non subdole et fallaciter suas operas facit; simile est cum reliquis, ut cum naviarchis et nautis, cumque colonis et famulis.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: fiaeliter.