緊隨上週談過「四樞德」的智德，讓我們今週談談「義德」。

瑪竇福音（22:21）記載耶穌說：「凱撒的歸凱撒，天主的歸天主。」—— 言簡意深：（公義內）給予所應得的。基本上，「公義」可釐定為「共享的公義distributive justice」和「人際的公義commutative justice」。

共享和人際

現代天主教字典把「共享的公義」闡釋為一種德行，國家有三個基本的本份去保障公民的權利：要公平地分配責任與權益、要讓每個人自由地行使自己應有的權利、要促進人民之間的相互關係，好能和諧共處。

「人際的公義」惠及每一個人相互的關係；但這種公義會被不良言、行、或交易破壞。

不良之言包括詛咒、毀謗、侮辱、流言蜚語等。

不良之行包括傷害、偷竊、搶掠，更甚者是謀殺。

不良交易包括不公平定價、欺騙、隱瞞、膺品、劣貨、高利貸，不合理拒絕付款。

應該歸還不義之財物、退還別人應得的，並盡力彌補「人際的公義」所受到的傷害。

聖方濟.沙雷建議：「交易時，嘗試以買或賣的身份，易地而處地考慮，則公義可期矣。」

欽崇和孝愛

「欽崇」和「孝愛」與公義攸關 —— 雖然，我們永不能完全報答天主、父母和國家，至少，設法欽崇和孝愛，亦稍有回報之效。

「欽崇」是指對天主無可比擬的全然美善，致以最高的尊崇和敬禮；我們把自己完全奉獻給天主，以心志恭敬，以心智祈禱，以身體力行去敬拜。

我們也把自己身外的「善」奉獻給天主。我們實在地以犧牲和奉獻來欽崇天主；我們也藉發願將許諾獻於天主。

在「欽崇」中，我們甚致把天主的恩賜回贈天主。天主要我們接受聖事，用以聖化我們；我們遵從而去接受聖事，等於表達我們內心的虔誠。我們作出誓言，也尊敬地用天主自己的至聖聖名。

萬善源於天主，天主卻很多時藉他人惠賜我們 —— 特別是我們的父母和國家。因此，我們應該以孝愛之心致敬，回報父母對我們生養育訓之恩，國家對我們管理扶植之恩。

換言之，兒女該當愛父母，尊敬、服從和幫助父母。國民應該尊重盡忠國家，守法和履行國民義務。

聖安博說：「公義的規條簡單直接，只需切勿偏離真理，莫教他人無辜受損，絕不欺詐或為非作歹！」

Last week we looked at the cardinal virtue prudence. This week we are looking at the virtue of justice.

Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God, the things that are God’s” (Mt 22:21). With this simple statement, Jesus gave us a clear description of the virtue of justice: to give to everyone what is his due. The principle kinds of justice are distributive justice and commutative justice.

Distributive and commutative

According to the Modern Catholic Dictionary, distributive justice is “the virtue that regulates those actions which involve the rights that an individual may claim from society. According to distribute justice, the state has three basic duties: to distribute the common burdens and privileges equitably, to make it possible for each citizen to exercise natural and acquired rights without undue hindrance, and to foster mutual relations among the citizens for living together peacefully.”

“Commutative justice is the virtue that regulates those actions which involve the rights between one individual and another individual.” Sins opposed to commutative justice can be committed by deeds, for example in business dealings, or by words.

The most serious sin against commutative justice is the murder of another person. Other deeds against justice are: inflicting bodily harm, theft, and robbery.

Sins against justice by words include: insulting, injuring the good name of another (gossip and slander), and cursing.

Fraud and usury are unjust business dealings. Fraud is any act which violates justice in buying and selling. Examples are: violation of just price, concealing substantial defects in merchandise, the substitution of inferior goods, the delivery of damaged goods, and unreasonable denial of payment. Usury is charging excessive interest for money loaned.

St. Francis de Sales said, “Act like a seller when you’re buying, and a buyer when you’re selling, and then you’ll sell and buy justly.”

Sins against commutative justice demand restitution. Restitution is the making of reparation for the wrong done by restoring to the right owner something unjustly taken or by repairing damage unjustly caused.

Religion and piety

Religion and piety are related to justice: though we can never fully repay God, our parents, and our country, we repay them as much as possible by exercising the virtues of religion and piety.

The virtue of religion inclines us to render to God the reverence and homage that is due to His surpassing excellence.

In our worship of God, we offer ourselves, body and soul. We offer our will by devotion, our intellect by prayer, and our body by adoration.

We offer to God our external goods in fact and in promise: in fact by sacrifice and offering; in promise by making vows.

In worship we also offer to God what are His own. The sacraments are things commanded by God to sanctify us. When we take oaths, we use the divine name of God in our worship.

All the good things we have come from God. However God usually gives us His gifts through other human beings. We are debtors to our benefactors, and the virtue of piety inclines us to render to parents and country the reverence and service that are their rights as the sources of life, education, and governance.

Children have the obligation to love, honour, obey, and assist their parents. Citizens have the obligation to render to their country the reverence, honour, and subjection that are its due.

“The rule of justice is plain: namely, that a good man ought not to swerve from the truth, nor inflict any unjust loss on anyone, nor act in any way deceitfully or fraudulently” (St. Ambrose)