Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on Divine Mercy Sunday.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are fourteen (14) “In Brief” articles in the Catechism of the Catholic Church addressing the Seventh Commandment of the Decalogue, ‘You shall not steal.’ The following is a reflection on CCC 2453.
The Seventh Commandment, ‘You shall not steal’ obviously prohibits stealing. The Hebrew word ganabh translates ‘to thieve’ or ‘to deceive’, ‘to carry away’, ‘to secretly bring’, ‘to steal away’ and is strictly forbidden in Sacred Scripture (cf. Genesis 31:20, 26; 44:8; Exodus 20:15; 21:16; 22:1; Proverbs 6:30; 9:17; Zechariah 5:3; 2 Samuel 15:6; 19:3; Job 27:20; Romans 7:7). Sacrilegious theft is when something is stolen from God, His house (the Temple, the Church…) and is more sinful than ‘ordinary’ theft because it not only disobeys God’s Commandments but is an affront to God Himself. The Hebrew word gazal is often translated as meaning ‘to pluck off’, ‘to strip’, ‘to rob’, ‘to take away by force or violence’ and is strictly forbidden in Sacred Scripture (cf. Leviticus 19:13; 26:22; 1 Samuel 23:1; Proverbs 22:22; Isaiah 10:2, 13; 17:14; Ezekiel 33:15; 29:10; Malachi 3:8–9). The withholding of wages is a form of theft. Defrauding widows and orphans similarly is forbidden by this Commandment. Crimes against this commandment call for restitution, that is, the return of whatever was stolen to the rightful owner. Without restitution of stolen property eternal life with God is jeopardized. The Greek word klepto translates ‘to filch’, ‘to steal’ and likewise is forbidden in Sacred Scripture (cf. Matthew 6:19–20; 19:18l John 10:10; Romans 2:21; 13:9; Ephesians 4:28).
Stealing is the usurpation of the goods of another against the reasonable will of the owner. Force is not always involved, as in the case of “opportunity theft” when something left unattended is just taken by another. Robbery involves the use of force. Burglary is a specific sort of theft, including the breaking and entering in order to steal, and is similarly prohibited by the Seventh Commandment of God, even calling for specific forms of retribution (cf. Exodus 22:2; Joshua 7:25). Kidnaping or taking captive an innocent human being, not respecting personal liberty or integrity, whether for slavery or other purposes, is sinful, akin to theft of the person and is prohibited by the Seventh Commandment (cf. Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 23:7; 1 Timothy 1:10).
Urgent necessity requiring the provision of immediate essential necessities such as food, clothing and shelter, can impact the right to private property. The reasonable will of the owner to safeguard private property, is mitigated in such cases. Because of the Golden Rule “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (cf. Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31), the consent of the owner may be presumed in such cases of true necessity, not as a cloak or cover for vice.
When the Lord extends His love and mercy to us, these are His gifts. We do not steal them. We can not earn them. May we be generous and respectful of God and neighbor.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr