Whether It Is Lawful to Curse Anyone?
Objection 1: It would seem unlawful to curse anyone. For it is
unlawful to disregard the command of the Apostle in whom Christ
spoke, according to 2 Cor. 13:3. Now he commanded (Rom. 12:14),
"Bless and curse not." Therefore it is not lawful to curse anyone.
Obj. 2: Further, all are bound to bless God, according to Dan. 3:82,
"O ye sons of men, bless the Lord." Now the same mouth cannot both
bless God and curse man, as proved in the third chapter of James.
Therefore no man may lawfully curse another man.
Obj. 3: Further, he that curses another would seem to wish him some
evil either of fault or of punishment, since a curse appears to be a
kind of imprecation. But it is not lawful to wish ill to anyone,
indeed we are bound to pray that all may be delivered from evil.
Therefore it is unlawful for any man to curse.
Obj. 4: Further, the devil exceeds all in malice on account of his
obstinacy. But it is not lawful to curse the devil, as neither is it
lawful to curse oneself; for it is written (Ecclus. 21:30): "While
the ungodly curseth the devil, he curseth his own soul." Much less
therefore is it lawful to curse a man.
Obj. 5: Further, a gloss on Num. 23:8, "How shall I curse whom God
hath not cursed?" says: "There cannot be a just cause for cursing a
sinner if one be ignorant of his sentiments." Now one man cannot know
another man's sentiments, nor whether he is cursed by God. Therefore
no man may lawfully curse another.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Deut. 27:26): "Cursed be he that
abideth not in the words of this law." Moreover Eliseus cursed the
little boys who mocked him (4 Kings 2:24).
_I answer that,_ To curse (_maledicere_) is the same as to speak ill
(_malum dicere_). Now "speaking" has a threefold relation to the
thing spoken. First, by way of assertion, as when a thing is
expressed in the indicative mood: in this way _maledicere_ signifies
simply to tell someone of another's evil, and this pertains to
backbiting, wherefore tellers of evil (_maledici_) are sometimes
called backbiters. Secondly, speaking is related to the thing spoken,
by way of cause, and this belongs to God first and foremost, since He
made all things by His word, according to Ps. 32:9, "He spoke and
they were made"; while secondarily it belongs to man, who, by his
word, commands others and thus moves them to do something: it is for
this purpose that we employ verbs in the imperative mood. Thirdly,
"speaking" is related to the thing spoken by expressing the
sentiments of one who desires that which is expressed in words; and
for this purpose we employ the verb in the optative mood.
Accordingly we may omit the first kind of evil speaking which is by
way of simple assertion of evil, and consider the other two kinds.
And here we must observe that to do something and to will it are
consequent on one another in the matter of goodness and wickedness,
as shown above (I-II, Q. 20, A. 3). Hence in these two ways of evil
speaking, by way of command and by way of desire, there is the same
aspect of lawfulness and unlawfulness, for if a man commands or
desires another's evil, as evil, being intent on the evil itself,
then evil speaking will be unlawful in both ways, and this is what is
meant by cursing. On the other hand if a man commands or desires
another's evil under the aspect of good, it is lawful; and it may be
called cursing, not strictly speaking, but accidentally, because the
chief intention of the speaker is directed not to evil but to good.
Now evil may be spoken, by commanding or desiring it, under the
aspect of a twofold good. Sometimes under the aspect of just, and
thus a judge lawfully curses a man whom he condemns to a just
penalty: thus too the Church curses by pronouncing anathema. In the
same way the prophets in the Scriptures sometimes call down evils on
sinners, as though conforming their will to Divine justice, although
such like imprecation may be taken by way of foretelling. Sometimes
evil is spoken under the aspect of useful, as when one wishes a
sinner to suffer sickness or hindrance of some kind, either that he
may himself reform, or at least that he may cease from harming others.
Reply Obj. 1: The Apostle forbids cursing strictly so called with an
evil intent: and the same answer applies to the Second Objection.
Reply Obj. 3: To wish another man evil under the aspect of good, is
not opposed to the sentiment whereby one wishes him good simply, in
fact rather is it in conformity therewith.
Reply Obj. 4: In the devil both nature and guilt must be considered.
His nature indeed is good and is from God nor is it lawful to curse
it. On the other hand his guilt is deserving of being cursed,
according to Job 3:8, "Let them curse it who curse the day." Yet when
a sinner curses the devil on account of his guilt, for the same
reason he judges himself worthy of being cursed; and in this sense he
is said to curse his own soul.
Reply Obj. 5: Although the sinner's sentiments cannot be perceived in
themselves, they can be perceived through some manifest sin, which
has to be punished. Likewise although it is not possible to know whom
God curses in respect of final reprobation, it is possible to know
who is accursed of God in respect of being guilty of present sin.
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