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	'Concept' Allows Clergy to Mislead without Lying By John Cooney Irish Independent November 30, 2009 http://www.independent.ie/national-news/concept-allows-clergy-to-mislead-without-lying-1958633.html THE theological term "mental reservation" permits a churchman knowingly to convey a misleading impression to another person without being guilty of lying. This definition was thus defined by the Commission of Investigation into the Archdiocese of Dublin after it quizzed Cardinal Desmond Connell on his usage of the term. In the course of his controversial evidence, Cardinal Connell said it was a concept "developed and much discussed (by and in the Catholic Church) over the centuries". An example of mental reservation was given as follows by the commission: "John calls to the parish priest to make a complaint about the behaviour of one of his curates. "The parish priest sees him coming but does not want to see him because he considers John to be a troublemaker. He sends another of his curates to answer the door. "John asks the curate if the parish priest is in. The curate replies that he is not." The commission concluded that "this (answer) is clearly untrue but in the Church's view it is not a lie because, when the curate told John that the parish priest was not in, he mentally reserved the words. . . to you".
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