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Question

Dear Father Angelo,

First and foremost, I want to thank you for all the times you straightened my faith and corrected my thoughts.

I now have an additional question on a very peculiar matter.

Reading from the Summa Teologica, I learnt that, according to St. Thomas, disobedience to a superior should always be considered as a mortal sin, with the exceptions of those directives that are impossible to fulfill.

As you know, I am still a high school pupil. My grades are generally very good; yet, I must admit I am not extremely rigorous in my studies. I often neglect home assignments if I know that the teacher will not control them. On some occasions, I copied the answers from other pupils/ from the internet.

We are now at the end of the summer break, the result of my behavior is that I have completed only very few assignments. Indeed, I know that I can always copy the answers, or that the teachers will not check them at all.

I could still dedicate the (very few) leftover days to complete as many assignments as possible; as you can imagine, I am not exactly thrilled by the idea.

Perhaps, if I had to face real academic challenges, I would be much more rigorous…

Father, am I currently disobeying my superiors, therefore, committing a grave sin if I do not complete these assignments? If yes, could you please help me understand how to improve my behavior?

Thank you for dedicating your time explaining to me an apparently unintelligible statement (the one from St. Thomas Aquinas).

I will remember you in my prayers,

Matteo

Answer from the priest

Dear Matteo,

1. Saint Thomas’ reasoning stems from the following principle: whoever loves the Lord, will also love His will. In fact, friends have among themselves the same will and contempt.

This means that obedience is intimately linked to charity, and therefore obedience is also linked to the state of grace, of which it is the life-giving principle.

This explains therefore that disobedience is linked to sin.

2. You can read in the text: “A mortal sin is one that is contrary to charity which is the cause of spiritual life. Now by charity we love God and our neighbor. The charity of God requires that we obey His commandments. Therefore to be disobedient to the commandments of God is a mortal sin, because it is contrary to the love of God.

Again, the commandments of God contain the precept of obedience to superiors. Wherefore also disobedience to the commands of a superior is a mortal sin, as being contrary to the love of God, according to Rom. 13:2, “He that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.” It is also contrary to the love of our neighbor, as it withdraws from the superior who is our neighbor the obedience that is his due.” (Summa Theologica, II-II, 105.1).

3. However, Saint Thomas then specifies: “Not every disobedience is equally a sin: for one disobedience may be greater than another, in two ways.

First, on the part of the superior commanding, since, although a man should take every care to obey each superior, yet it is a greater duty to obey a higher than a lower authority, in sign of which the command of a lower authority is set aside if it be contrary to the command of a higher authority. Consequently the higher the person who commands, the more grievous is it to disobey him: so that it is more grievous to disobey God than man.

Secondly, on the part of the things commanded. For the person commanding does not equally desire the fulfillment of all his commands (…).

Wherefore disobedience is the more grievous, as the unfulfilled commandment is more in the intention of the person commanding.” (Ib., II-II, 105.1).

4. Therefore, to address the problem you have presented to me, we should shift our focus to the authority of the person who gives the command and to the severity of the things that were commanded.

Now, are teachers authentic superiors?

Within the classroom, yes, they are. Therefore, when you are at school you must obey the rules they establish.

Are they still your superiors when you are back home?

5. Furthermore, from a moral point of view, is the act of studying a grave matter, meaning, if you do not study, are you committing a grave sin?

6. I believe that your teachers are not your superiors anymore when you are at home.

In your own home, your parents are in charge; you are as well in charge.

Your teachers’ job is limited to their classroom. There, it’s their duty to check whether or not you are studying, whether or not you are learning.

7. Summer assignments cannot be strictly considered as mandatory. They are, instead, recommendations for your own interest, so that you may remain proficient in the various subjects.

Of course, teachers should check whether you completed the assignments. But, ultimately, what matters is what you have actually learned. And they must assign you a grade solely based on that.

8. Even assuming you copied-pasted your homework, but you still mastered the subject (meaning, you would answer properly if questioned) then you did not commit any mortal sin.

Yes, you might not be an exemplary student. But ultimately, the teachers’ judgment should focus on the result. Only in case the result is weak, or insufficient, you could be held responsible for it before God.

9. Beware: even if the results are good, if you are sloppy and you waste your time, you are not completely righteous before God, even if not in mortal sin. Yet, strictly speaking, you do not disobey your teachers, who are your superiors only under a certain aspect and in a limited field.

Therefore, one cannot speak of grave matter when it comes to school assignments.

With the hope that you will be, from now on, an exemplary student who pleases God both with your results and with your personal commitment, I bless you and I remember you in my prayers.

Father Angelo