This project exists to build tools that serve the Catholic intellectual and spiritual tradition, contributing to the work of the New Evangelisation and making the riches of that tradition more accessible. It is a work ordered toward a genuine good, and the community that builds it should reflect that.
This project is rooted in Catholic tradition and classical virtue ethics. Our community is built on the conviction that every person possesses inherent dignity — not because of achievement, identity, or agreement with us, but because every human being is made in the image and likeness of God (imago Dei).
Participation here is an exercise in charity: the love of neighbor that seeks genuine good, not merely comfort or approval. We hold ourselves to the classical virtues that this project is built to teach: prudence in judgment, fortitude in facing difficulty, justice in our treatment of one another, and temperance in how we speak and respond.
Contributors are not required to be Catholic. All people of goodwill (homines bonae voluntatis) are welcome. Contributors are required to treat others as people who matter.
Behavior that builds the community:
- Speaking truthfully and charitably — honesty without cruelty, kindness without flattery
- Receiving criticism and correction with humility
- Seeking the good of the project above personal recognition
- Engaging disagreement with reason and respect rather than contempt
- Taking responsibility for mistakes and making repair where possible
Behavior that harms the community:
- Harassment, mockery, or deliberate cruelty toward any person
- Sexual language, imagery, or unwanted advances of any kind
- Publishing another person's private information without their consent
- Personal attacks, calumny (false statements damaging to another's reputation), or detraction (unnecessarily exposing another's faults)
- Conduct that a reasonable person would recognize as contrary to basic human decency
Those who maintain this project are responsible for clarifying and upholding these standards. They will act with fairness toward everyone involved — including those whose behavior must be addressed. Corrective action is ordered toward the good of the community, not toward punishment as an end in itself.
This Code of Conduct applies within all community spaces connected to this project — including the GitHub repository, any associated discussion forums, and any context in which someone is officially representing the project publicly.
Instances of harmful behavior may be reported privately by email to the project maintainer at [MAINTAINER-EMAIL@DOMAIN.COM]. Do not open a public GitHub issue for conduct reports.
All reports will be reviewed and responded to within 7 days. Reports will be treated with confidentiality. The privacy and safety of the person reporting will be respected throughout the process.
Any person subject to corrective action may appeal that decision by contacting the maintainer directly at the address above within 14 days of the decision. Appeals will be reviewed fairly and a response provided within 7 days.
Responses are proportionate to the severity of the violation and consider the possibility of repair.
Impact: Language or behavior that is inappropriate or unwelcome, without serious harm.
Response: A private, charitable correction explaining what was problematic and why. An opportunity to make it right before any further action is taken.
Impact: A pattern of inappropriate behavior, or a single incident that caused clear harm.
Response: A formal warning with clear expectations going forward. A period of limited engagement with those involved. Continued violations may lead to removal.
Impact: Serious or sustained violation of community standards.
Response: Temporary removal from participation for a defined period. No public or private interaction with those involved during this time.
Impact: A demonstrated pattern of harm, aggression, or contempt for other community members that shows no sign of repair.
Response: Permanent removal from public participation in this community.
Adapted in part from the Contributor Covenant, version 2.0, with substantial revision to reflect the Catholic anthropological and moral framework this project is built on. Where the two conflict, this document governs.
Rooted in: Catechism of the Catholic Church §1700–1706 (imago Dei); §2477 (calumny and detraction). Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II Q.23 (charity); Q.47–56 (cardinal virtues). Gaudium et Spes §12.