04-10-2022
“You
Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT:
HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER
455. What does the
fourth commandment require? 2196-2200, 2247-2248
It commands us to honor
and respect our parents and those whom God, for our good, has vested with his
authority.
456. What is the nature
of the family in the plan of God? 2201-2205, 2249
A man and a woman united
in marriage form a family together with their children. God instituted the
family and endowed it with its fundamental constitution. Marriage and the
family are ordered to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and
education of children. Members of the same family establish among themselves
personal relationships and primary responsibilities. In Christ the family
becomes the domestic church because it is a community of
faith, of hope, and of charity.
457. What place does the
family occupy in society? 2207-2208
The family is the
original cell of human society and is, therefore, prior to any recognition by
public authority. Family values and principles constitute the foundation of
social life. Family life is an initiation into the life of society.
458. What are the duties
that society has toward the family? 2209-2213, 2250
Society, while
respecting the principle of subsidiarity, has the duty to support and
strengthen marriage and the family. Public authority must respect, protect and
foster the true nature of marriage and the family, public morality, the rights
of parents, and domestic prosperity.
459. What are the duties
of children toward their parents? 2214-2220, 2251
Children owe respect
(filial piety), gratitude, docility and obedience to their parents. In paying
them respect and in fostering good relationships with their brothers and
sisters, children contribute to the growth in harmony and holiness in family
life in general. Adult children should give their parents material and moral
support whenever they find themselves in situations of distress, sickness,
loneliness, or old age.
460. What are the duties
of parents toward their children? 2221-2231
Parents, in virtue of
their participation in the fatherhood of God, have the first responsibility for
the education of their children and they are the first heralds of the faith for
them. They have the duty to love and respect their children as persons and
as children of God and to provide, as far as is possible, for
their physical and spiritual needs. They should select for them a suitable
school and help them with prudent counsel in the choice of their profession and
their state of life. In particular they have the mission of educating their
children in the Christian faith.
461. How are parents to
educate their children in the Christian faith? 2252-2253
Parents do this mainly
by example, prayer, family catechesis and participation in the life of the
Church.
462. Are family bonds an
absolute good? 2232-2233
Family ties are
important but not absolute, because the first vocation of a Christian is to
follow Jesus and love him: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me; whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).
Parents must support with joy their children's choice to follow Jesus in
whatever state of life, even in the consecrated life or the priestly ministry.
463. How should authority
be exercised in the various spheres of civil society? 2234-2237, 2254
Authority should
always be exercised as a service, respecting fundamental human rights, a just
hierarchy of values, laws, distributive justice, and the principle of
subsidiarity. All those who exercise authority should seek the interests of the
community before their own interest and allow their decisions to be inspired by
the truth about God, about man and about the world.
464. What are the duties
of citizens in regard to civil authorities? 2238-2241,
2255
Those subject to
authority should regard those in authority as representatives of God and offer
their loyal collaboration for the right functioning of public and social life.
This collaboration includes love and service of one's homeland, the right and
duty to vote, payment of taxes, the defense of one's country, and the right to
exercise constructive criticism.
465. When is a citizen
forbidden to obey civil authorities? 2242-2243, 2256
A citizen is obliged in
conscience not to obey the laws of civil authorities when they are contrary to
the demands of the moral order: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts of
the Apostles 5:29).
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT:
YOU SHALL NOT KILL
466. Why must human life
be respected? 2258-2262, 2318-2320
Human life must be
respected because it is sacred. From its beginning human life
involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special
relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. It is not lawful for anyone
directly to destroy an innocent human being. This is gravely contrary to the
dignity of the person and the holiness of the Creator. “Do not slay the
innocent and the righteous” (Exodus 23:7).
467. Why is the
legitimate defense of persons and of society not opposed to this norm? 2263-2265
Because in choosing to
legitimately defend oneself one is respecting the right to life (either one’s
own right to life or that of another) and not choosing to kill. Indeed, for
someone responsible for the life of another, legitimate defense can be not only
a right but a grave duty, provided only that disproportionate force is not
used.
468. What is the purpose
of punishment? 2266
A punishment imposed by
legitimate public authority has the aim of redressing the disorder introduced
by the offense, of defending public order and people’s safety, and contributing
to the correction of the guilty party.
469. What kind of
punishment may be imposed? 2267
The punishment imposed
must be proportionate to the gravity of the offense. Given the possibilities
which the State now has for effectively preventing crime by rendering one who
has committed an offense incapable of doing harm, the cases in which the
execution of the offender is an absolute necessity “are very rare, if not practically
non-existent.” (Evangelium Vitae). When non-lethal means are sufficient,
authority should limit itself to such means because they better correspond to
the concrete conditions of the common good, are more in conformity with the
dignity of the human person, and do not remove definitively from the guilty
party the possibility of reforming himself.
470. What is forbidden
by the fifth commandment? 2268-2283, 2321-2326
The fifth commandment
forbids as gravely contrary to the moral law:
- direct and intentional murder and
cooperation in it;
- direct abortion,
willed as an end or as means, as well as cooperation in it. Attached to
this sin is the penalty of excommunication because, from the moment of his
or her conception, the human being must be absolutely respected and
protected in his integrity;
- direct euthanasia which
consists in putting an end to the life of the handicapped, the sick, or
those near death by an act or by the omission of a required action;
- suicide and
voluntary cooperation in it, insofar as it is a grave offense against the
just love of God, of self, and of neighbor. One’s responsibility may be
aggravated by the scandal given; one who is psychologically disturbed or
is experiencing grave fear may have diminished responsibility.
471. What medical
procedures are permitted when death is considered imminent? 2278-2279
When death is considered
imminent the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately
interrupted. However, it is legitimate to use pain-killers which do not aim at
in death and to refuse “over-zealous treatment”, that is the utilization of
disproportionate medical procedures without reasonable hope of a positive
outcome.
472. Why must society
protect every embryo? 2273-2274
The inalienable right to
life of every human individual from the first moment of conception is a constitutive
element of civil society and its legislation. When the State does not place its
power at the service of the rights of all and in particular of the more
vulnerable, including unborn children, the very foundations of a State based on
law are undermined.
473. How does one avoid
scandal? 2284-2287
Scandal, which consists
in inducing others to do evil, is avoided when we respect the soul and body of
the person. Anyone who deliberately leads others to commit serious sins himself
commits a grave offense.
474. What duty do we
have toward our body? 2288-2291
We must take
reasonable care of our own physical health and that of others
but avoid the cult of the body and every kind of excess. Also
to be avoided are the use of drugs which cause very serious damage to human
health and life, as well as the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco and medicine.
475. When are
scientific, medical, or psychological experiments on human individuals or
groups morally legitimate? 2292-2295
They are morally
legitimate when they are at the service of the integral good of the person and
of society, without disproportionate risks to the life and physical and
psychological integrity of the subjects who must be properly informed and
consenting.
476. Are the transplant
and donation of organs allowed before and after death? 2296
The transplant of organs
is morally acceptable with the consent of the donor and without excessive risks
to him or her. Before allowing the noble act of organ donation after death, one
must verify that the donor is truly dead.
477. What practices are
contrary to respect for the bodily integrity of the human person? 2297-2298
They are: kidnapping and
hostage taking, terrorism, torture, violence, and direct sterilization.
Amputations and mutilations of a person are morally permissible only for
strictly therapeutic medical reasons.
478. What care must be
given to the dying? 2299
The dying have a right
to live the last moments of their earthly lives with dignity and, above all, to
be sustained with prayer and the sacraments that prepare them to meet the
living God.
479. How are the bodies
of the deceased to be treated? 2300-2301
The bodies of the
departed must be treated with love and respect. Their cremation is permitted
provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of
the body.
480. What does the Lord
ask of every person in regard to peace? 2302-2303
The Lord proclaimed “Blessed are
the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). He called for peace of heart and
denounced the immorality of anger which is a desire for revenge for some evil
suffered. He also denounced hatred which leads one to wish evil on one’s
neighbor. These attitudes, if voluntary and consented to in matters of great
importance, are mortal sins against charity.
481. What is peace in
this world? 2304-2305
Peace in this world,
which is required for the respect and development of human life, is not simply
the absence of war or a balance of power between adversaries. It is “the
tranquility of order” (Saint Augustine), “the work of justice” (Isaiah 32:17)
and the effect of charity. Earthly peace is the image and fruit of the peace of
Christ.
482. What is required
for earthly peace? 2304, 2307-2308
Earthly peace requires
the equal distribution and safeguarding of the goods of persons, free communication
among human beings, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the
assiduous practice of justice and fraternity.
483. When is it morally
permitted to use military force? 2307-2310
The use of military
force is morally justified when the following conditions are simultaneously
present:
- the suffering inflicted by the aggressor must be
lasting, grave and certain;
- all other peaceful means must have been shown to be
ineffective;
- there are well founded prospects of success;
- the use of arms, especially given the power of modern
weapons of mass destruction, must not produce evils graver than the evil
to be eliminated.
484. In danger of
war, who has the responsibility for the rigorous evaluation of these
conditions? 2309
This responsibility belongs
to the prudential judgment of government officials who also have the right to
impose on citizens the obligation of national defense. The personal right to
conscientious objection makes an exception to this obligation which should then
be carried out by another form of service to the human community.
485. In case of
war, what does the moral law require? 2312-2314, 2328
Even during a war the
moral law always remains valid. It requires the humane treatment of
noncombatants, wounded soldiers and prisoners of war. Deliberate actions
contrary to the law of nations, and the orders that command such actions are
crimes, which blind obedience does not excuse. Acts of mass destruction must be
condemned and likewise the extermination of peoples or ethnic minorities, which
are most grievous sins. One is morally bound to resist the orders that command
such acts.
486. What must be done
to avoid war? 2315-2317, 2327-2330
Because of the evils and
injustices that all war brings with it, we must do everything reasonably
possible to avoid it. To this end it is particularly important to avoid: the
accumulation and sale of arms which are not regulated by the legitimate
authorities; all forms of economic and social injustice; ethnic and religious
discrimination; envy, mistrust, pride and the spirit of revenge. Everything
done to overcome these and other disorders contributes to building up peace and
avoiding war.
THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT:
YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY
487. What responsibility
do human persons have in regard to their own sexual identity? 2331-2336, 2392-2393
God has created human
beings as male and female, equal in personal dignity, and has called them to a
vocation of love and of communion. Everyone should accept his or her identity
as male or female, recognizing its importance for the whole of the person, its
specificity and complementarity.
488. What is chastity? 2337-2338
Chastity means the
positive integration of sexuality within the person. Sexuality becomes truly
human when it is integrated in a correct way into the relationship of one
person to another. Chastity is a moral virtue, a gift of God, a grace, and a
fruit of the Holy Spirit.
489. What is involved in
the virtue of chastity? 2339-2341
The virtue of chastity
involves an apprenticeship in self-mastery as an expression of human freedom
directed towards self-giving. An integral and continuing formation, which is
brought about in stages, is necessary to achieve this goal.
490. What are the means
that aid the living of chastity? 2340-2347
There are many means at
one's disposal: the grace of God, the help of the sacraments, prayer,
self-knowledge, the practice of an asceticism adapted to various situations,
the exercise of the moral virtues, especially the virtue of temperance which
seeks to have the passions guided by reason.
491. In what way is
everyone called to live chastity? 2348-2350, 2394
As followers of Christ,
the model of all chastity, all the baptized are called to live chastely in
keeping with their particular states of life. Some profess virginity or
consecrated celibacy which enables them to give themselves to God alone with an
undivided heart in a remarkable manner. Others, if they are married live in
conjugal chastity, or if unmarried practice chastity in continence.
492. What are the
principal sins against chastity? 2351-2359, 2396
Grave sins against
chastity differ according to their object: adultery, masturbation, fornication,
pornography, prostitution, rape, and homosexual acts. These sins are
expressions of the vice of lust. These kinds of acts committed against the
physical and moral integrity of minors become even more grave.
493. Although it says
only “you shall not commit adultery” why does the sixth commandment forbid all
sins against chastity? 2336
Although the biblical
text of the Decalogue reads “you shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14),
the Tradition of the Church comprehensively follows the moral teachings of the
Old and New Testaments and considers the sixth commandment as encompassing all
sins against chastity.
494. What is the
responsibility of civil authority in regard to chastity? 2354
Insofar as it is bound
to promote respect for the dignity of the person, civil authority should seek
to create an environment conducive to the practice of chastity. It should also
enact suitable legislation to prevent the spread of the grave offenses against
chastity mentioned above, especially in order to protect minors and those who
are the weakest members of society.
495. What are the goods
of conjugal love to which sexuality is ordered? 2360-2361,
2397-2398
The goods of conjugal
love, which for those who are baptized is sanctified by the sacrament of
Matrimony, are unity, fidelity, indissolubility, and an openness to the
procreation of life.
496. What is the meaning
of the conjugal act? 2362-2367
The conjugal act has a
twofold meaning: unitive (the mutual self-giving of the spouses) and
procreative (an openness to the transmission of life). No one may break the
inseparable connection which God has established between these two meanings of
the conjugal act by excluding one or the other of them.
497. When is it moral to
regulate births? 2368-2369
2399
The regulation of
births, which is an aspect of responsible fatherhood and motherhood, is
objectively morally acceptable when it is pursued by the spouses without
external pressure; when it is practiced not out of selfishness but for serious
reasons; and with methods that conform to the objective criteria of morality,
that is, periodic continence and use of the infertile periods.
498. What are immoral
means of birth control? 2370-2372
Every action - for
example, direct sterilization or contraception - is intrinsically immoral which
(either in anticipation of the conjugal act, in its accomplishment or in the
development of its natural consequences) proposes, as an end or as a means, to
hinder procreation.
499. Why are artificial
insemination and artificial fertilization immoral? 2373-2377
They are immoral because
they dissociate procreation from the act with which the spouses give themselves
to each other and so introduce the domination of technology over the origin and
destiny of the human person. Furthermore, heterologous insemination and
fertilization with the use of techniques that involve a person other than the
married couple infringe upon the right of a child to be born of a father and
mother known to him, bound to each other by marriage and having the exclusive
right to become parents only through each another.
500. How should children
be considered? 2378
A child is a gift
of God, the supreme gift of marriage. There is no such thing as a right to
have children (e.g. “a child at any cost”). But a child does have the right to
be the fruit of the conjugal act of its parents as well as the right to be
respected as a person from the moment of conception.
501. What can spouses do
when they do not have children? 2379
Should the gift of a
child not be given to them, after exhausting all legitimate medical options,
spouses can show their generosity by way of foster care or adoption or by
performing meaningful services for others. In this way they realize a precious
spiritual fruitfulness.
502. What are the offenses
against the dignity of marriage? 2380-2391, 2400
These are: adultery,
divorce, polygamy, incest, free unions (cohabitation, concubinage), and sexual
acts before or outside of marriage.
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT:
YOU SHALL NOT STEAL
503. What is set forth by
the seventh commandment? 2401-2402
The seventh commandment
requires respect for the universal destination and distribution of goods and
the private ownership of them, as well as respect for persons, their property,
and the integrity of creation. The Church also finds in this Commandment the
basis for her social doctrine which involves the correct way of acting in
economic, social and political life, the right and the duty of human labor,
justice and solidarity among nations, and love for the poor.
504. Under what
conditions does the right to private property exist? 2403
The right to private
property exists provided the property is acquired or received in a just way and
that the universal destination of goods for the satisfaction of the basic needs
of all takes precedence.
505. What is the purpose
of private property? 2404-2406
The purpose of private
property is to guarantee the freedom and dignity of individual persons by
helping them to meet the basic needs of those in their charge and also of
others who are in need.
506. What does the
seventh commandment require? 2407, 2450-2451
The seventh commandment
requires respect for the goods of others through the practice of justice and
charity, temperance and solidarity. In particular it requires respect
for promises made and contracts agreed to, reparation for injustice committed
and restitution of stolen goods, and respect for the integrity of
creation by the prudent and moderate use of the mineral, vegetable,
and animal resources of the universe with special attention to those species
which are in danger of extinction.
507. What attitude
should people have toward animals? 2416-2418, 2457
People must treat
animals with kindness as creatures of God and avoid both excessive love for
them and an indiscriminate use of them especially by scientific experiments
that go beyond reasonable limits and entail needless suffering for the animals.
508. What is forbidden
by the seventh commandment? 2408-2413, 2453-2455
Above all, the seventh
commandment forbids theft, which is the taking or using of another’s property
against the reasonable will of the owner. This can be done also by paying
unjust wages; by speculation on the value of goods in order to gain an
advantage to the detriment of others; or by the forgery of checks or invoices.
Also forbidden is tax evasion or business fraud; willfully damaging private or
public property ; usury; corruption; the private abuse of common goods; work
deliberately done poorly; and waste.
509. What is the content
of the social doctrine of the Church? 2419-2423
The social doctrine of
the Church is an organic development of the truth of the Gospel about the
dignity of the human person and his social dimension offering principles for
reflection, criteria for judgment, and norms and guidelines for action.
510. When does the
Church intervene in social areas? 2420, 2458
The Church intervenes by
making a moral judgment about economic and social matters when the fundamental
rights of the person, the common good, or the salvation of souls requires it.
511. How should social
and economic life be pursued? 2459
It should be pursued
according to its own proper methods within the sphere of the moral order, at
the service of the whole human being and of the entire human community in
keeping with social justice. Social and economic life should have the human
person as its author, center, and goal.
512. What would be
opposed to the social doctrine of the Church? 2424-2425
Opposed to the social
doctrine of the Church are economic and social systems that sacrifice the basic
rights of persons or that make profit their exclusive norm or ultimate end. For
this reason the Church rejects the ideologies associated in modern times with
Communism or with atheistic and totalitarian forms of socialism. But in the
practice of capitalism the Church also rejects self centered individualism and
an absolute primacy of the laws of the marketplace over human labor.
513. What is the meaning
of work? 2426-2428
2460-2461
Work is both a duty and
a right through which human beings collaborate with God the Creator. Indeed, by
working with commitment and competence we fulfil the potential inscribed in our
nature, honor the Creator’s gifts and the talents received from him, provide
for ourselves and for our families, and serve the human community. Furthermore,
by the grace of God, work can be a means of sanctification and collaboration
with Christ for the salvation of others.
514. To what type of
work does every person have a right? 2429, 2433-2434
Access to secure and
honest employment must be open to all without unjust discrimination and with
respect for free economic initiative and fair compensation.
515. What responsibility
does the State have in regard to labor? 2431
It is the role of the
State to guarantee individual freedom and private property, as well as a stable
currency and efficient public services. It is also the State’s responsibility
to oversee and direct the exercise of human rights in the economic sector.
According to circumstances, society must help citizens to find work.
516. What is the task of
business management? 2432
Business managers are
responsible for the economic and ecological effects of their operations. They
must consider the good of persons and not only the increase of profits, even
though profits are necessary to assure investments, the future of the business,
employment, and the good progress of economic life.
517. What are the duties
of workers? 2435
They must carry out
their work in a conscientious way with competence and dedication, seeking to
resolve any controversies with dialogue. Recourse to a non-violent strike is
morally legitimate when it appears to be the necessary way to obtain a
proportionate benefit and it takes into account the common good.
518. How is justice and
solidarity among nations brought about? 2437-2441
On the international
level, all nations and institutions must carry out their work in solidarity and
subsidiarity for the purpose of eliminating or at least reducing poverty, the
inequality of resources and economic potential, economic and social injustices,
the exploitation of persons, the accumulation of debts by poor countries, and
the perverse mechanisms that impede the development of the less advanced
countries.
519. In what way do
Christians participate in political and social life? 2442
The lay faithful take
part directly in political and social life by animating temporal realities with
a Christian spirit and collaborating with all as authentic witnesses of the
Gospel and agents of peace and justice.
520. By what is love for
the poor inspired? 2443-2449, 2462-2463
Love for the poor is
inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes and by the example of Jesus in his
constant concern for the poor. Jesus said, “Whatever you have done to the least
of my brethren, you have done to me” (Matthew 25:40). Love for the
poor shows itself through the struggle against material poverty and also
against the many forms of cultural, moral, and religious poverty. The spiritual
and corporal works of mercy and the many charitable institutions formed
throughout the centuries are a concrete witness to the preferential love for
the poor which characterizes the disciples of Jesus.
THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT:
YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR
521. What is one’s duty
toward the truth? 2464-2470, 2504
Every person is called
to sincerity and truthfulness in acting and speaking. Everyone has the duty to
seek the truth, to adhere to it and to order one’s whole life in accordance
with its demands. In Jesus Christ the whole of God’s truth has been made
manifest. He is “the truth”. Those who follow him live in the Spirit of
truth and guard against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
522. How does one bear
witness to the truth? 2471-2474, 2505-2506
A Christian must bear
witness to the truth of the Gospel in every field of his activity, both public
and private, and also if necessary, with the sacrifice of his very life.
Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith.
523. What is forbidden
by the eighth commandment? 2475-2487, 2507-2509
The eighth commandment
forbids:
- false witness, perjury,
and lying, the gravity of which is measured by the truth it
deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the
harm suffered by its victims;
- rash judgment, slander, defamation and calumny which
diminish or destroy the good reputation and honor to which every person
has a right;
- flattery, adulation,
or complaisance, especially if directed to serious sins or
toward the achievement of illicit advantages.
A sin committed against
truth demands reparation if it has caused harm to others.
524. What is required by
the eighth commandment? 2488-2492, 2510-2511
The eighth commandment
requires respect for the truth accompanied by the discretion of charity in the
field of communication and the imparting of
information, where the personal and common good, the protection of privacy
and the danger of scandal must all be taken into account; in respecting professional
secrets which must be kept, save in exceptional cases for grave and
proportionate reasons; and also in respecting confidences given
under the seal of secrecy.
525. How is one to use
the means of social communication? 2493-2499, 2512
The information provided
by the media must be at the service of the common good. Its content must be
true and – within the limits of justice and charity – also complete.
Furthermore, information must be communicated honestly and properly with
scrupulous respect for moral laws and the legitimate rights and dignity of the
person.
526. What relationship
exists between truth, beauty and sacred art? 2500-2503,
2513
The truth is beautiful,
carrying in itself the splendour of spiritual beauty. In addition to the
expression of the truth in words there are other complementary expressions of
the truth, most specifically in the beauty of artistic works. These are
the fruit both of talents given by God and of human effort. Sacred art by
being true and beautiful should evoke and glorify the mystery of God made
visible in Christ, and lead to the adoration and love of God, the Creator and
Savior, who is the surpassing, invisible Beauty of Truth and Love.
THE NINTH COMMANDMENT:
YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR'S WIFE
527. What is required by
the ninth commandment? 2514-2516, 2528-2530
The ninth commandment
requires that one overcome carnal concupiscence in thought and in desire. The
struggle against such concupiscence entails purifying the heart and practicing
the virtue of temperance.
528. What is forbidden
by the ninth commandment? 2517-2519, 2531-2532
The ninth commandment
forbids cultivating thoughts and desires connected to actions forbidden by the
sixth commandment.
529. How does one reach
purity of heart? 2520
In the battle against
disordered desires the baptised person is able, by the grace of God, to achieve
purity of heart through the virtue and gift of chastity, through purity of
intention, purity of vision (both exterior and interior), discipline of the
imagination and of feelings and by prayer.
530. What are the other
requirements for purity? 2521-2527, 2533
Purity requires modesty which,
while protecting the intimate center of the person, expresses the sensitivity
of chastity. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in
conformity with the dignity of persons and their communion. Purity frees one
from wide-spread eroticism and avoids those things which foster morbid
curiosity. Purity also requires a purification of the social climate by
means of a constant struggle against moral permissiveness which is founded on
an erroneous conception of human freedom.
THE TENTH COMMANDMENT:
YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR’S POSSESSIONS
531. What is required
and what is forbidden by the tenth commandment? 2534-2540,
2551-2554
This commandment, which
completes the preceding commandment, requires an interior attitude of respect
for the property of others and forbids greed, unbridled
covetousness for the goods of others, and envy which
is the sadness one experiences at the sight of another’s goods and the
immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself.
532. What does Jesus
call for in poverty of spirit? 2544-2547, 2556
Jesus calls his
disciples to prefer him to everything and everyone. Detachment from riches – in
the spirit of evangelical poverty – and self-abandonment to divine providence
free us from anxiety about the future and prepare us for the blessedness of the
“poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mathew 5:3).
533. What is the
greatest human desire? 2548-2550, 2557
The greatest desire of
the human person is to see God. “I want to see God” is the cry of our whole
being. We realize our true and full happiness in the vision and beatitude of
the One who created us out of love and draws us to himself with infinite love.
“Whoever sees God has
obtained all the goods of which he can conceive.” (Saint Gregory of Nyssa)
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