Detraction is defined, primarily in Roman Catholic theology, as the act of revealing previously unknown faults or sins of another person to a third person. This differs from the act of calumny, which is lying about faults or sins that a person doesn't really have. While defamation is illegal in many modern systems of law, detraction is not. A society that operated totally under Catholic principles, for example, would not have nearly the same content in news reporting as is shown in most modern societies. The exception to this rule is when telling someone about the previously unknown faults of another can prevent greater harm, such as when a person is about to be chosen for a leadership position.