my new booklet of Roman Catholic moral theology is available now:
Is Lying Always Wrong?

This brief booklet of Roman Catholic moral theology examines a controversial topic: the morality of lying. The controversy stems mainly from the teaching of the Church that certain types of acts are intrinsically evil and therefore always immoral. Some intrinsically evil acts are grave sins; others are merely venial sins. But every intrinsically evil act is necessarily immoral.

This single point of Catholic ethical teaching is commonly rejected and just as commonly distorted by various Catholic authors and commentators. The discussion sometimes centers around grave sins that are intrinsically evil, such as contraception or abortion. But perhaps just as often, the sin of lying is the focus of discussion. Lying is often a venial sin, and yet it is always immoral. This raises great controversy when a good intention and dire circumstances accompany the choice to lie.

Should you tell a lie that is only a venial sin in order to avoid gravely harmful consequences? When is a misleading assertion a case of mental reservation, rather than lying? What do Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas say about this subject? This booklet answers these questions and more, based on Roman Catholic teaching, in 12 brief chapters.