So, Senator David Vitter used escort services. Larry Flynt, in a fit of shameless glee, rushes to expose him. This “gotcha” culture has become far too commonplace. As Catholics, we should always be aware that detraction may well be a mortal sin. Detraction is defined as “the unjust damaging of another’s good name by the revelation of some fault or crime of which that other is really guilty or at any rate is seriously believed to be guilty by the defamer.”
Releasing such information about a public figure serves no purpose other than to relish in the sins of one’s political enemies. We often hear anecdotes of John F. Kennedy’s affairs that, although well known in journalistic circles, stayed far out of the limelight. And this is the way it should be. A public figure’s private sins are no concern of ours. I am perfectly happy to to argue endlessly about why Sen. Vitter’s (or anybody else’s) positions and temperament make him a poor officeholder. If there is a betrayal of public trust (as in corruption, for example), I want to hear about it. But it is not my business (or anybody else’s) whether a politician has committed adultery, and private failings should not be placed under the journalistic microscope.
Sadly, in a world where gossip and news are increasingly intermingled, the temptation to detract from somebody’s good name looms large. But that still doesn’t make it right. Today, many Catholics remain obsessed the the (typically sexual) sins of others, while not realizing that calumny and detraction are some of the more serious sins, especially in comfortable middle-class circles. For now, let’s pray for Sen. Vitter and his family.
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