, "The spoil of the
poor is in your house," says that "ecclesiastical goods belong to the
poor." Now whoever keeps for himself or gives to others that which
belongs to another, sins mortally and is bound to restitution.
Therefore if bishops keep for themselves, or give to their relations
or friends, their surplus of ecclesiastical goods, it would seem that
they are bound to restitution.

Obj. 3: Further, much more may one take what is necessary for oneself
from the goods of the Church, than accumulate a surplus therefrom.
Yet Jerome says in a letter to Pope Damasus [*Cf. Can. Clericos,
cause. i, qu. 2; Can. Quoniam; cause. xvi, qu. 1; Regul. Monach. iv,
among the supposititious works of St. Jerome]: "It is right that
those clerics who receive no goods from their parents and relations
should be supported from the funds of the Church. But those who have
sufficient income from their parents and their own possessions, if
they take what belongs to the poor, they commit and incur the guilt
of sacrilege." Wherefore the Apostle says (1 Tim. 5:16): "If any of
the faithful have widows, let him minister to them, and let not the
Church be charged, that there may be sufficient for them that are
widows indeed." Much more therefore do bishops sin mortally if they
give not to the poor the surplus of their ecclesiastical goods.

_On the contrary,_ Many bishops do not give their surplus to the
poor, but would seem commendably to lay it out so as to increase the
revenue of the Church.

_I answer that,_ The same is not to be said of their own goods which
bishops may possess, and of ecclesiastical goods. For they have real
dominion over their own goods; wherefore from the very nature of the
case they are not bound to give these things to others, and may
either keep them for themselves or bestow them on others at will.
Nevertheless they may sin in this disposal by inordinate affection,
which leads them either to accumulate more than they should, or not
to assist others, in accordance with the demands of charity; yet they
are not bound to restitution, because such things are entrusted to
their ownership.

On the other hand, they hold ecclesiastical goods as dispensers or
trustees. For Augustine says (Ep. clxxxv ad Bonif.): "If we possess
privately what is enough for us, other things belong not to us but to
the poor, and we have the dispensing of them; but we can claim
ownership of them only by wicked theft." Now dispensing requires good