Today marks two years since Father René McGraw OSB, a Benedictine monk, who was my teacher, friend and mentor at St John’s University, a Catholic university in Minnesota, USA, where I had the privilege of obtaining my diploma, has passed away.

Father René easily lists the people who have had a positive influence in my life. He was deeply rooted in his Catholic faith, but was generous and ecumenical in sharing his blessings. Always sporting a bright smile, he was a tough but caring teacher and caring mentor. Dressed in a black Benedictine monk’s habit (robe), he had a holy demeanor in his actions and interactions. Father René has remembered the important birthdays and anniversaries of his former and current students, and you will be sure to receive a very thoughtful note from him on your important day.

Father René taught me philosophy, introduced me to Heidegger and Levinas (masters of phenomenology – his favorite study), Nietzsche, Camus, Hannah Arendt and many other greats. He also taught me a very important lesson that I try to carry forward to this day: the moral imperative to judge by evidence.

It started with a class discussion in moral philosophy, where we debated what underlies moral behaviors and values. Part of my argument in class stemmed from the central thesis of one of the books he gave us: morality begins with our relationship with those who are different from us – in culture, religion, gender, political beliefs, etc. I have argued that every day, every moment, consciously or unconsciously, we judge others – always accordingly, if not for them, for the peace in our hearts. And this judgment is colored by our moral/ethical posture. And I have argued that there must be an ethic that clarifies that hue that guides that judgment to direct its ark toward truth and justice. We then discussed the importance of whether this ethic was universal or contextual, religious or secular, and how it was applied, as this has often been a source of conflict.

About a week after our class discussion, Father René wrote and shared with me an unpublished article roughly titled “Towards Justice, Via Truth, Aided by Evidence.” This was a thoughtful and beautifully written article: theological, philosophical and jurisprudential. He drew lessons from several key figures, notably St. Thomas Aquinas. I read it several times to fully understand the lessons. Then we had a discussion about it.

The main themes of his article were: first, the ideal society is a just society, justice is brought about by truth, truth is discerned through evidence; second, we destroy the moral righteousness of society when we judge others without following the path of truth and evidence; third, moral rot is inevitable if we ignore evidence when we judge. This is a simplification. The paper was much deeper.

Evidence is so crucial to judgment that even God, omniscience as He is, on the Day of Judgment, will bring the Book of Acts, essentially a body of evidence, as He dispenses justice, tempered, of course, by His mercy infinite. .

Evidence is so crucial to justice that there is a whole body of case law on evidence. And the sensitivity and importance of the evidence is such that even poor management of their chain of custody can destroy their credibility. Judicial errors are most often caused by faulty or non-existent evidence.

Father René taught me that you can be forgiven for believing anyone, for example, about the right time to plant corn, but affection for your father is not enough to believe him when he tells you that your neighbor is wicked if his word is evil. it’s only what you have.

According to Father René, borrowing heavily from the Canons, a judgment requires moral certainty, and this certainty must come from proofs, which derive from evidence, which must be weighed conscientiously. What he means here is that when we judge others, we must have moral certainty about the matter – not a hunch, not a suspicion, not a word from a friend. This is a very high standard, deliberately so because the corrosive impact of stillborn justice demands it. The second point is that the evidence does not require casual, but conscientious examination.

What about those who believe they have been misjudged? An instinctive response is to harbor resentment and/or seek justification. But history is full of examples showing how patience has been the salvation of the persecuted. Patience does not mean inaction to improve the world, right a wrong, or advance the truth. Patience is faith in eternal judgment, which is unchangeably righteous. In this ephemeral place, a tragedy is not the imperfection of its justice. The tragedy would be to not use the inevitable wounds of this place for spiritual growth and character building.

Today, two years after his death, I remember with emotion Father René as a teacher who gave me confidence and confidence to be free from worries, who elevated my intellectual curiosity, who made me read texts that I would not otherwise encounter. He introduced me to the Summa Theologica, the greatest work of Thomas Aquinas. In it, he elevates proof not only as an instrument in the service of human judgment, but also as a “reflection of the divine order.” It’s not small. Since then, I have always asked for evidence and data in decision making. And I’ve always expected the same from others. He made me read Totality and Infinity: Essays on Exteriority by Emmanuel Levinas, the most difficult book I have ever encountered. I found inspiration there for public service.

I pray that he continues to rest in eternal peace.