SECOND
673
SECRET
zeiger" (first with the restriction "zunachst fur den
kath. Klerus der Kirchenprovinz Salzburg"; since
1902, with the additional title "Katholisches Litera-
turblatt") pubhshed since 1886, and conducted since
1902 by Gutjalu- and Haring. Great zeal for the
spread of Catholic literature is shown by the "Kath-
oUscher Pressverein", to which is also due the founda-
tion of the Catholic printing press and pubhshing
house, "Styria". The cathedral at Graz is a rare
monument of Gothic architecture. No less remark-
able as ecclesiastical architecture are the churches of
the ancient monasteries. In recent times the " Christ-
licher Kunstverein fiir die Diozese Seckau" has fos-
tered the study of Christian art in general and dis-
played rare practical interest in new ecclesiastical
edifices and for the restoration of some older ones
(Sacred Heart Church, Graz; Romanesque Cathedral,
Seckau). The ancient pilgrimage of Mariazell (an-
nually 80,000 to 100,000 pilgrims from all parts of
Europe) is in the Diocese of Seckau.
PusCH, Diplomataria sacra ducatus Styriae, ed. Frohlich, (2 vols., Vienna, 17.56); Aquilinus Cmsar, Annales ducatus Styrice (Graz, 1768-77); Idem, Staals-und Kirchengeschichte des Herzogthums Steyermark (Graz, 1786-88); Klein, Geschichte des Christenthums in Oesterreich und Steiermark (1840-42) ; Die katholische Kirche unserer Zeit und ihre Diener in Wort und Bild, II (2nd ed., Munich, 1907), 302-08; Schuster, FUrst- bischof Martin Brenner, ein Charakterbild aus der steirischen Refor- mationsgeschichte (Graz and Leipzig, 1898) ; Sentzer, Roman Sebastian Zdngerle, Fiirstbischof von Seckau und Administrator der Leobener DiScese, 1771-1848 (Graz, 1901); von Oer. Furstbischof Johann Baptist Zwerger von Seckau (Graz, 1897) ; Zschokke, Die theologischen Sludien und Anstalten der kath. Kirche in Oester- reich (Vienna and Leipzig, 1894), 220-35, 744-74, 11.52-54, 1218-22, 1223 sq.
Friedrich Lauchert.
Second Advent. See Judgment, Divixe; Mil- lennium AND MiLLENARIANlSM.
Secret (Lat. secemere, "to set apart"), in Moral Theology, something not commonly known, and which it is one's duty to keep concealed. Theolo- gians are wont to enumerate three kinds : the natural secret, the secret by promise , and the secret of trust, There is also the self-accusation made in sacramental confession (see Seal of Confe.ssion). The natural secret is that upon which one happens and which can- not be divulged without inflicting hurt or causing sor- row to its owner. The secret by jiromise, as its name implies, is that whose obligation grows out of a promise made either of one's own accord after having accidentally become acquainted with the fact, or given in response to the request of him who has com- municated the matter in question without any pre- vious agreement as to secrecy. Lastly, the secret of trust is one which is confided to a person under an ex- press or implied contract not to use the information so obtained without the consent and according to the good pleasure of the giver. The engagement is said to be explicit when the secret is plainly accepted on the condition laid down, or at any rate no protest is made. It is said to be tacit when the circumstances and the office of him in whom confidence is reposed make it clear that this has been done only with the rigorous understanding above indicated. This is pre-emi- nently true of things told to physicians, lawyers, priests, and others in their professional capacity.
The natural secret derives its binding force from the virtues of justice and charity, either or both of which may be infringed by its violation. Speaking gener- ally, therefore, and apart from inadvertence in the act or the trivial nature of the thing involved, its betrayal without sufficient cause will be a serious misdeed. The occasions when it may lawfully be revealed are covered by the general rule governing the manifesta- tion of secrets. Moralists say that this may justly be done whenever it is necessary to prevent serious harm either to oneself, or to a third party, or to the com- munity. Sometimes a valid justification is found in the reasonably presumed consent of him whose secret it is. In any case, whenever it appears that only charity, XIII.— 43
and not justice, dictates its concealment, one will not
be bound to undergo a great inconvenience in order to
keep the secret. It is an acknowledged principle that
charity does not ordinarily bind at such a cost. The
secret by promise, if it be that only and not — as may
often happen — a natural secret as well, does not for
the most part oblige under pain of mortal sin. The
failure to keep one's word, while reprehensible, does
not involve the heinousness of a grievous offence. It
would be otherwise if the promiser meant specifically
to take upon himself an obligation of justice. The in-
fraction of this virtue may more easily be a serious
transgression. Of course, a promise, no matter how
solemn, can never hold one to a line of action dis-
cerned to be wrong. Hence one is bound to reveal
secrets, whether promised or natural, when ordered to
do so by a superior acting within the legitimate exer-
cise of his authority. Thus a witness in a court of
law, being lawfully interrogated about such a secret,
cannot take refuge in the confidential nature of his
information, but must answer truthfully. Moralists
are not at one as to whether a man who had promised
to hold a secret at the cost of his life would be obliged
to make good his promise when actually confronted
with so distressing an alternative : the more probable
teaching seems to be that he would have to stand by
his pledge. When there has been no such special
guarantee furnished, then the general principle ap-
plies that one cannot be constrained to keep faith at
the expense of serious harm to himself. It ought to
be noted that when the publishing of a promised
secret carries with it damage of some consequence for
the person to whom it belonged, than not merely
fidelity, but justice has been grievously outraged.
The same is to be said if the parties to the secret have
bound themselves by mutual declarations.
The secret of trust outranks the others as to strin- gency of obligation. The exceptions in which it may lawfully be disclosed are much fewer. This is be- cause its contractual nature as well as the demand of the natural law for the sanctity of confidences given for purposes of consultation requires an inviolability to be departed from only for reasons of the gravest import. Hence the guilt of surrendering a secret of trust would ordinarily be grievous. However, all are agreed that it may be given up if it threaten consider- able evil to the commonwealth, civil or ecclesiastical. Likewise it may be revealed if its keeping would seri- ously jeopardize some unoffending third party, and if at the same time the owner of the secret is the cause of the impending mischief and refuses to desist. Lastly, it may be delivered up even when holding it sacred would result in notable harm to the one with whom it has been deposited. St. Alphonsus Liguori qualifies this last assertion by saying that it would not hold true if the breach of faith were to work grave injury to the common weal. The thing to put stress on is that this class of secrets is privileged. Even the pre- cept of a superior commanding their manifestation avails nothing against the natural law which confers on them a peculiarly sacrosanct character.
Slater, Manual of Moral Theology (New York, 190S) ; Rick- ABY, Ethics and Natural Law (London, 1908); Ballbrini, Op. theol. morale (Prato, 1899) ; D' Annibale, Summula theol. moral. (Rome, 1908) ; St. Alphonsus Liguori, Theol. moral. (Turin, 1888).
Joseph F. Delany.
Secret. — The Secret (Lat. Secreta, sc. oratio secreta) is the prayer said in a low voice by the cele- brant at the end of the Offertory in the Roman Liturgy. It is the original and for a long time was the only offertory prayer. It is said in a low voice merely because at the same time the choir sings the Offertory, and it has inherited the special name of Secret as being the only prayer said in that way at the beginning. The silent recital of the Canon (which is sometimes called "Secreta", as by Durandus,
