On Judging Others

Summary

On the feast of James the brother of God, Dimitrios Panagopoulos addresses katakrisis, the judging of others, as a common sin rarely confessed. Matthew 7:1-2 is treated as an absolute command whose measure returns upon the one who judges at the final judgment. Monastic and historical examples, including a lax monk, Augustine of Hippo’s dining-room inscription, Basil the Great’s judgment of listeners to gossip, Napoleon’s practice in hearing complaints, and Saint Theodora’s false condemnation, illustrate the harm of judging absent persons. The remedy is self-examination: attention to one’s own sins leaves no room for cataloguing another’s faults.