Picture Rome, circa 1545 AD. A woman kneels at the Confessional box as she has done many times before. She prepared her usual list of sins and is just waiting for the priest to open the little shutter that indicates he’s ready, so she can receive absolution and be on her way. But, this time things don’t go as usual. There’s a new priest in the box, and when she finishes her confession with “I gossip,” he tells her: “Here is what I want you to do for your penance. Take a down pillow to St. Peter’s square on a windy day. Rip the pillow open and let the wind blow all the feathers away.” She thought: “That’s an easy one!” Then the priest continues: “I want you to go back the next day and pick up every single one of those feathers.” The poor woman protests: “But Father, how can I possibly do that? There won’t be a single feather left, it’s impossible.” To which the priest answered: “I know. And just as it is impossible to gather up feathers carried away by the wind, so it is impossible for you to retract the words that you scattered by your gossip.” Today, we know that wise priest as St. Philip Neri.

And if St. Philip were around today he’d pull his hair out. Not only does the vice of gossip flourish today, but it has graduated into slander. What is the difference between the two?

Gossip = “Mischievous or idle talk, usually about the affairs [a/k/a business] of others” (Webster dictionary). It seems that today we can’t escape gossip unless we go around with our ears plugged and our eyes covered. Not easy. Take the magazine rack at the exit of the supermarket, for example: the latest, often unfounded rumors about celebrities scream at us. Just pulling up the main page of the internet search engines, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, is like entering a minefield of silly, useless gossip. Turn on the radio, and we hear about the latest “scandals,” which seem more and more vicious as time goes by. And how about “tell all” books about former bosses, friends or lovers? It’s hard to find significant facts in all the noise.

Then there’s the rest of us. Often, to be thought well-informed, we spread rumors about friends and acquaintances. What’s wrong with gossip? Is it harming anyone? Most likely. Not too many folks go around speaking well of others. It’s a lot more fun, and juicier, if we reveal some less-than-edifying tidbits of information about someone we know. What we are doing may not be a mortal sin (although as we’ll see later, it tends to deteriorate into one), but it is not charitable nor it is just. Everyone has a right to a good reputation! As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) tells us in paragraph 2477, “Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury.”

Slander (or Calumny) = the same paragraph tells us that it is a “remark contrary to the truth [that] harms the reputation of others and gives occasion to false judgment concerning them.”

In other words, when we falsely accuse someone of doing something bad. This goes directly against the 8th Commandment Thou shall not lie. In fact, paragraph 2484, the CCC tells us that this may deteriorate into mortal sin: “The gravity of the lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intention of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by others.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve stopped reading newspapers or watching TV because I can’t stand the willful damage inflicted on others by the slanderous reporting that seems to be all the rage today; it almost looks like a pack of rabid dogs looking for the next person to bite. I read my news on the Internet and I’m very, very careful to go to websites that I found to be factual. Do I always succeed? No, but I sure give it my best shot. Back to the Catechism.

Rash Judgment = “He becomes guilty of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor. Paragraph 2478 continues: “To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way… Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it, and if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love.”

How do we avoid getting caught in the web of gossip, slander and rash judgment that is all around us? For one, we can stop reading material that’s based on Gossip: People Magazine anyone? National Enquirer? Here’s a revealing question to ask ourselves: “Have I read more about Tiger Woods, [or any other personality of choice] lately than I have about Jesus?” If the answer is “yes,” we better head for the nearest Catholic bookstore and stock up on anti-gossip literature! And then, every time we’re tempted to talk about (or listen about, or judge) others, let’s ask St. Philip Neri to give us a hand!