II. La loi — Le 30e dimanche
The Eighth Commandment: Integrity in Possession
The eighth commandment forbids not only outward theft but also the inward desire and schemes to enrich oneself at the expense of a neighbor.
The Eighth Commandment, 204. Minister: Let's move on to the eighth. Student: "You shall not steal." Theft.1 205. Master: Does he only mean to forbid the thefts that civil law punishes, or does it go further?2 Student: He means any dishonest dealing and any unfair way of taking our neighbor's goods for ourselves—whether by violence, by cunning, or by any other means God hasn't approved.3 Interior theft M: Is it enough just to avoid the act, or does it include the will as well? E: We must always come back to this: since the Lawgiver is spiritual, he doesn't speak merely of outward thefts, but just as much of the schemes, wills, and deliberate plans by which we mean to enrich ourselves at our neighbor's expense. 207. M: So, what is required? E: To do our duty of keeping for each person what belongs to them.
The Ninth Commandment: Integrity in Speech and Thought
The ninth commandment calls us to guard our neighbor's reputation by avoiding slander and unfair judgment, both in our speech and in our hearts.
The ninth commandment 208. M: What is the ninth? "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. " General teaching on judgment 209. M: Does it forbid us from committing perjury in court, or from lying about our neighbor at all? E: By naming one specific example, he provides a general teaching: we must not speak falsely against our neighbor, and we must not harm his property or his reputation through our slanders and lies.45 210. Minister: Why does it specifically mention public perjury? Educator: To make us even more repulsed by the vice of speaking evil and detraction, showing that anyone who gets used to falsely slandering and defaming their neighbor will soon enough end up committing perjury in court. 211. M: Does it only forbid speaking ill, or does it also include thinking ill? E: Both, according to the reason given above. For what is wrong to do before people is wrong to will before God. 212. Master: So, sum up what this means in short. S: It teaches us not to be inclined to judge others unfairly or to speak ill of them, but rather to think well of our neighbors, as far as the truth allows, and to keep their good name safe in our words.6
Read the original Latin
Le huitième commandement 204. M : Venons au huitième. E : « Tu ne déroberas point. » Larcin
205. M : Veut-il seulement défendre les larcins qu'on punit par justice, ou s'il s'étend plus loin? E : Il entend tous mauvais trafics et moyens déraisonnables d'attirer à nous le bien de notre prochain, soit par violence, ou cautèle, ou en quelque autre sorte que Dieu n'ait point approuvée.
Larcin intérieur 206. M : Est-ce assez de s'abstenir du fait, ou si le vouloir y est aussi compris? E : Il faut toujours là revenir : d'autant que le Législateur est spirituel, qu'il ne parle pas simplement des larcins extérieurs, mais aussi bien des entreprises, volontés et délibérations de nous enrichir au détriment de notre prochain.
207. M : Que faut-il donc? E : Faire notre devoir de conserver à un chacun le sien.
Le neuvième commandement 208. M : Quel est le neuvième? E : « Tu ne diras point faux témoignage contre ton prochain. »
Doctrine générale du jugement 209. M : Nous défend-il de nous parjurer en jugement, ou du tout de mentir contre notre prochain? E : En nommant une espèce, il baille une doctrine générale, que nous ne médisions pas faussement contre notre prochain et que, par nos détractions et mensonges, nous ne le blessions point en ses biens, ni en sa renommée.
210. M : Pourquoi notamment parte-t-il des parjures publiques? E : Pour nous faire avoir en plus grande horreur ce vice de médire et détracter, dénotant que quiconque s'accoutume à faussement calomnier et diffamer son prochain, viendra bien puis après à se parjurer en jugement.
211. M : Ne défend-il sinon de mal parler, ou s'il comprend aussi mal penser? E : L'un et l'autre, selon la raison dessus alléguée. Car ce qui est mauvais de faire devant les hommes, est mauvais de vouloir devant Dieu.
212. M : Récite donc qu'il veut dire en somme. E : Il nous enseigne de n'être pas enclins à mal juger ni détracter, mais plutôt à bien estimer de nos prochains, tant que la vérité le porte, et conserver leur bonne renommée en nos paroles.
Notes
- 1 ↩French Larcin is the traditional one-word label for this commandment (theft/stealing). Rendered as 'Theft' to match catechetical headword style rather than a full sentence.
- 2 ↩French «défendre» here means forbid/prohibit, not defend; «par justice» points to punishment under human law/courts.
- 3 ↩«cautèle» = craft/guile/cunning (not caution). «trafics» covers unfair trade and crooked dealings more broadly than street theft alone.
- 4 ↩« espèce » = a particular species/kind of the offense (here, public perjury in court), used to teach the broader rule against false speech.
- 5 ↩« baille » (bailler) is older French for « gives / delivers »; rendered as « gives ».
- 6 ↩«détracter» is the technical sin of detraction—injuring a neighbor’s reputation by speech; rendered here as “speak ill of them” for natural modern cadence.
Catechism of the Church of Geneva (Le catéchisme de l'Église de Genève) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit