Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik and false pretense

In his excellent book entitled, "The Hidden Power of Kindness," in a chapter entitled "Dedicate yourself to truth," Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik explains that:

"False pretense is a form of lying. You are guilty of this fault if you make yourself out to be something you are not in order to impress others, to appear important, and to be admired. This is a form of vanity. You either exaggerate your standing or accomplishments or make up facts about yourself that will impress others....You practice religious hypocrisy when you pretend to be a very pious and sincere Catholic, yet privately embrace some form of moral evil like adultery, birth control, or corruption in business or politics...

You practice social hypocrisy when you worm your way into the confidence of another, act as if you are solely concerned with giving sympathy and advice, draw out secrets of a personal nature, and then use the information to hurt the one whose confidence you have gained; or when you petend to be unselfishly interested in advancing some good cause - charity, religion, or public welfare - but you have the intention of using the cause, and others who are working for it, to your own advantage....

You practice professional hypocrisy when, in public office or business, you speak against some evil and in reality practice it yourself, or when you complain of losing money while you yourself are making an unjust profit..." (The Hidden Power of Kindness, pp. 138-139).

Paul.