Saint Alphonsus on Usury
Saint Alphonsus teaches in his Catechism: Usury is also theft. The man who lends money on the condition of interest being paid to him annually, or even every month, commits a true theft. “But he pays the interest willingly.” He pays willingly, but he must pay. What do you lose by lending that sum to your neighbor? If you do lose anything, if you could be sure of gaining something by using the money yourself, then you can make the borrower pay for your loss; this is fair interest; but then you must explain all this to him if you do exact interest. But if you lose nothing by it, what right do you have to charge anything? This is a real theft. “Lend, hoping for nothing thereby” says the Gospel. Hoping for nothing thereby; that is, you ought to lend for kindness and charity, not for gain. I will say no more, for I cannot discuss the many questions connected with usury; for I am giving an instruction, not a lesson on moral theology. I only admonish each of you, whenever doubt arises, not to receive them by yourself-for passion will make you see things with a jaundiced eye,-but to commit a confessor or other learned man, and to act according to the advice received. Let public usurers remember that by a decree of the Council of the Lateran they are excommunicated, for bidden to receive the Body of Christ, and after death are to be denied Christian burial. Let it also be remembered that sometimes usury is not open, but is palliated by being taken under some other pretext; all gain received must be restored. Alas! How many poor souls go to hell because of usury!
Michael Fighting
