The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Day 322 – Respect for Truth (2025)

Date: November 18, 2025
Reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 2488–2499
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)

Overview:

Main Theme:
This episode explores what it means to respect truth according to the Catechism. Fr. Mike discusses the ethical boundaries of truth-telling, underlining how love, charity, privacy, and the common good inform our communication. He examines the inviolability of the confessional seal, the importance of professional secrecy, and the responsibilities of both media professionals and consumers, bringing a practical and pastoral lens to difficult questions about truthfulness, discretion, and modern media.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Truth and the Demands of Love (00:50–02:15)

• The right to communicate truth “is not unconditional.”
• Every sharing of truth should be balanced with fraternal love and charity.
• Sometimes, it is both moral and necessary not to reveal a truth.

Quote:
“The right to the communication of the truth is not unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the gospel precept of fraternal love.”
– Fr. Mike reading the Catechism [01:12]

Practical Application:

• Judge appropriateness before revealing truth in specific situations.
• Consider others’ safety, privacy, and the common good.

2. Who Has a Right to the Truth? (02:15–03:45)

• Not everyone is entitled to all information.
• “[N]o one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it.” [02:45]
• Example referenced: In times of persecution (e.g., hiding Jews from the Gestapo), the moral demand is not to disclose truth that would harm.

Quote:
“You don’t always have to say what you think. You don’t always have to say the truth.”
– Fr. Mike [03:10]

3. Sacramental and Professional Secrecy (03:45–06:00)

• The seal of confession is absolute; a priest may never betray a penitent under any circumstance.
• Professional secrets (political, legal, medical) must be kept unless serious grave harm would otherwise result.
• Discretion isn’t just clerical—everyone must respect personal and professional confidences.

Quote:
“It is a crime for [a confessor] in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner, or for any reason.”
– Fr. Mike, citing the Catechism [04:05]

• Confidentiality is about dignity, trust, and the possibility of spiritual healing.

4. Respect for Privacy, Especially for Public Figures (06:00–08:30)

• Media and public curiosity don’t trump individual rights to privacy.
• Public figures deserve respect for their private lives except in the service of the genuine common good.
• Critique of “gossip journalism” and the hunger for personal details unrelated to public responsibilities.

Quote:
“Just because someone is in the public eye doesn’t mean that everything about their life ought to be made public.”
– Fr. Mike [07:18]

• Prudence needed—knowing what information is genuinely necessary or just voyeuristic.

5. The Role and Responsibilities of Social Communications Media (08:30–13:10)

• Modern media have immense power to influence, inform, or mislead.
• Society is entitled to information that is true, just, and supportive of solidarity.
• Journalists and media workers are obligated to serve the truth without offending charity.
• Caution against “defamation, manipulation, and disinformation.”

Quote:
“Users should practice moderation and discipline in their approach to the mass media… to resist unwholesome influences.”
– Fr. Mike, reading the Catechism [10:42]

Challenges for Listeners:

• Don’t be passive or uncritical consumers of news or entertainment.
• Reflect on personal habits: Are you drawn to gossip? Do you let news dominate your environment or thoughts?
• “Form enlightened and correct consciences.”

6. Dangers of Misinformation and Abuse of Media Power (13:10–16:10)

• Totalitarian regimes are condemned for systematically falsifying truth and controlling information.
• Manipulation of public opinion and suppression of free thought are serious moral wrongs.
• The path to truth is open discussion—not repression or manipulation.

Quote:
“The best way to arrive at the truth is to bring whatever statement it is to the light.”
– Fr. Mike [15:35]

Personal and Societal Application:

• Freedom demands risking discomfort and disagreement for the sake of truth.
• Temptations to seek power, control, or comfort over truth must be examined and resisted both in public and personal life.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You don’t always have to say what you think. You don’t always have to say the truth…There are some conditions here.”
  – Fr. Mike [03:10]

• “No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it.”
  – Fr. Mike, citing the Catechism [02:45]

• “It is essential for the sake of the confidence that people have to have when they come before the Lord with their worst that it stays here, right? It’s laid at the foot of the cross and it stays there.”
  – Fr. Mike [05:00]

• “Just because someone is in the public eye doesn’t mean that everything about their life ought to be made public. And this is where we have to examine ourselves once again… Do I need to know this?”
  – Fr. Mike [07:18]

• “The means of social communications…can give rise to a certain passivity among users, making them less than vigilant consumers of what is said or shown.”
  – Fr. Mike, reading the Catechism [10:40]

• “Freedom requires that we risk being wrong, risk offending, even in pursuit of truth. But some people want power more than truth.”
  – Fr. Mike [15:45]

Key Timestamps

• Intro & Theme Overview – [00:05–01:12]
• On When to Reveal Truth – [02:15–03:45]
• The Seal of Confession/Professional Secrets – [03:45–06:00]
• Privacy & Media Ethics – [06:00–08:30]
• Truth, Media, and Responsible Consumption – [08:30–13:10]
• Condemnation of Disinformation/Abuse of Media – [13:10–16:10]
• Concluding Reflections and Prayer – [16:10–End]

Conclusion & Takeaways

Fr. Mike calls listeners to self-examination:

• Are you practicing charity in your communication of truth?
• Do you respect others’ need and right to privacy, or are you drawn to gossip under the guise of curiosity?
• As media consumers, are you vigilant, moderate, and forming your conscience—or often passive and easily influenced?
• Are you seeking truth, or falling for the snare of comfort, popularity, or power?

“Lord, help me to not only grasp the truth but also to live the truth… and walk in freedom.”
– Fr. Mike [End]

He ends with encouragement and prayer, reminding listeners the journey toward living, speaking, and defending the truth always calls for grace.