Police Lies and the Catechism on Lying

Abstract

This article examines the absolute proscription of lying in present-day Catholic teaching, as set out in the definitive edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This absolutism presents a particular problem for those whose occupations may require the use of lying. It illustrates the acute and common version of this problem for practising Roman Catholic members of the police service. It will explore the reasons for the change in the Catechism’s definition of lying between its provisional and definitive editions. Analysis is made of Kenneth W. Kemp and Thomas Sullivan’s distinction between speech acts contra mentem and assertions contra mentem. A solution is offered to the problematic nature of police lying by developing the distinction between speech acts and assertions, and this distinction is applied to various stages of police work.