THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. In ancient times, when a porcelain vase was broken, dishonest vendors would put the broken pieces together and applied wax (cera in Latin) to cover the cracks. A vendor who had not resorted to deception to sell a broken piece would describe his product as "without wax" (sine cera). These words assured the buyer of the honesty of the vendor and the integrity of the vase. The Latin phrase sine cera is the origin of the word "sincerity." A sincere person is honest. He is true to his word. Billy Joel sings: "Honesty is such a lonely word, everyone is so untrue." Indeed, our minds have been so marinated in lies, fake news, and half-truths that we no longer know what to believe in. If this were an advice column, the Q & A portion might look like this: Q. I am a young politician, and I have developed this habit of lying, especially when I find myself in a difficult situation. I tell lies to malign my enemies, to keep my reputation immaculate, and assure myself of the votes of my constituents. In politics, I don't think I can be absolutely honest. Am I wrong? A. Oscar Wilde once said that many politicians think that lying is simply the art of concealing what is not worth finding (by others). But he gives this fine advice: “If a politician cannot produce evidence to support a lie, he might just as well speak the truth at once.” Some politicians do the opposite. They weave elaborate details to prove they are not lying, but they unwittingly expose themselves because their lies become “too good to be true." As a young politician, you seem to have surrendered too quickly to the smothering embrace of conformity. I just hope that you will not, one day, be categorized as among our politicians who are “so young, so bright, and yet, so corrupt.” Q. I love my boyfriend very much, but he lies constantly about his affairs. A cousin of mine said my boyfriend had an affair with her. He denied this, but when I caught them together in an uncompromising situation, he explained that having flings with other women strengthens his love for me because it is constantly "tested." Does he really love me? A. Remember this: "Truth told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent." Your boyfriend justifies his repeated lies by saying his flings strengthens his love for you. I advise you to dump him at once. The real question for you is: Will you remain in a relationship with someone you fundamentally cannot trust? The issue is not his lying, but your self-respect.Don't allow yourself to be treated like a doormat. Q. I am a priest, and I am embarrassed to say that to increase my viewership in my social media account, I post many pictures, videos, stories, and messages about me — how I fought off a temptation, how I overcame a vice, etc. I even invent fantastic stories about my youth, so my young audience can relate with me. Am I doing what is right? A. I hope you are not one of those priests who invent fantastic stories and imaginary conquests in order to appear good in the eyes of others.You might think they are not outright lies because there is an element of truth in them. Let me remind you: "A half-truth is a whole lie." Lying can become obsessive if your self-image as a priest depends on the valuation of others. Perhaps you should take seriously what Mother Teresa once said about pleasing people: “My vocation is not to be successful, but to be faithful.”