The Loosing of the Leash: Card. Burke appointed to Knights of Malta

http://wdtprs.com ^ | November 8 2014 | Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

[SumProVita]

Cardinal Burke has called on Catholics to “speak up and act.”

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He is NOT referring to speaking about the Pope in a negative manner outside of the process available to us in the Church.

“One day Padre Pio said to a penitent: “When you gossip about a person it means that you have removed the person from your heart. But be aware, when you remove a man from your heart, Jesus also goes away from your heart with that man.””

[BlatherNaut]

That is incorrect. St Thomas Aquinas includes such gossip in his treatise on justice (II, IIae 72-76) in the Summa since, by it, we unjustly harm the reputation of others, through either lies or truths shared inappropriately.

Gossip: idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others

Since I am engaging in neither idle talk nor rumor, and since the information being shared is part of the PUBLIC record, and since, although it may be your personal opinion that the subjects under discussion are "truths shared inappropriately", such a determination falls within the realm of prudential judgement, so your accusation that I am "gossiping" is extremely off-base.

“One day Padre Pio said to a penitent: “When you gossip about a person...

Once again, it comes down to what constitutes "gossip". The communications to which you are objecting fail to meet the criteria.