Ten Commandments in Catholic theology

The Ten Commandments, a series of religious and moral imperatives that feature prominently in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are among the cornerstones of theology of the Roman Catholic Church. The commandments are described in the Bible as a covenant between "God and his chosen people". The New Testament used by Christians depicts Jesus teaching that following the commandments are among the bare minimum required; he summarized them into two "great commandments" that taught love of God (the first three commandments) and love of neighbor (the last seven).

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Jesus freed people from Jewish law and most of its 613 regulations, but did not exempt his followers from abiding by the Ten Commandments. Church beliefs are detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) which devotes a separate section to explain each of these commandments. According to the Catechism, they "have occupied a predominant place" in teaching the faith ever since the fifth century and are considered essential for spiritual good health and growth. A review of the Ten Commandments is a part of the most common type of examination of conscience used by Catholics before receiving the sacrament of Penance.

The first three commandments instruct mankind in their relationship with God including respect for his name, observation of the Lord's Day and the prohibition against worship of any other god. The following seven commandments instruct people in their relationships with each other and include prohibitions against lying, stealing, murdering, adultery, and covetousness; they also address proper care in familial relationships between parents and children.

Background

Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai: a 10th century bible illustration.

The Ten Commandments are recognized as a moral foundation by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They first appear in the Bible in the Book of Exodus. According to the Bible, Moses, acting under the orders of God, freed the Israelites from physical slavery in Egypt. The narrative follows the people on their journey to Canaan; en route, God revealed himself and offered a covenant to free them from the spiritual slavery of sin. Similar to a legal or political treaty, the "covenant" offered a permanent bond between God and man. In Western Civilization, Thomas Noble describes the covenant as "the central event in the history of ancient Israel". As part of the covenant, the Bible lists several commands that the people were instructed to follow; these are now known as the Ten Commandments. According to A Catholic Dictionary, the commandments formed the "center and kernel of the Jewish religion".

According to professor Peter Kreeft, "The Commandments are to the moral order what the creation story in Genesis 1 is to the natural order. They are God's order conquering chaos. They are not mans's ideas about God, but God's ideas about man." The Roman Catholic Church believes that the Israelites were chosen to, in the words of Kreeft, "show the true God to the world".

The commandments are again referenced in the New Testament, through the words and actions of Jesus. Stories in the New Testament demonstrate Jesus's acknowledgement of the commandments and show that he often exceeded them in his teachings. The Church teaches that Jesus absolved his followers from complying with the majority of the 613 regulations proscribed by Jewish law. This freedom did not apply to the commandements, which were believed to have been directly written by God. This teaching was reaffirmed by the Church both at the Council of Trent as well as the Second Vatican Council. The Church has placed the Commandments in a place of "predominant" importance in its teaching since the fifth century and regards them as "a path of life", and a "path to freedom" just as a schoolyard fence protects the children playing there from "life-threatening dangers".

Numbering

Throughout history, there has not been a uniform numbering system for the commandments. The form traditionally used by both the Catholic Church and Lutheranism "is based on the Hebrew text" and was first adopted by the Latin Church father Augustine of Hippo (354–430) in his book Questions on Exodus. Other Christian groups such as the Eastern Orthodox and some Protestant churches use a form established by the Greek fathers. The two forms are "slightly different" in numbering the Commandments but maintain the same substance.

First commandment

	I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
One translation of the first amendment

According to Catholic numbering, the first commandment instructs people to accept that God is their spiritual ruler, that there are no other gods, and that people should not make idols. Augustine of Hippo interpreted this commandment as "Love God and then do what you will". Kreeft echoes this sentiment, explaining that all sin "serves some other god, obeys another commander: the world or the flesh or the devil."

File:ChristPantocratorStCatherines.jpg

The oldest icon of Christ Pantocrator, painted c. 6th century

The Catechism of the Catholic Church asociates this commandment with the three theological virtues. The first virtue, faith, instructs Catholics to believe in God and avoid heresy, apostasy, and schism. The second, hope, cautions Catholics against despair and presumption. The last virtue, love of God, can only be met if Catholics refrain from indifference or ingratitude toward God, as well as avoiding spiritual laziness and a hatred of God stemming from pride. The Catechism further enumerates specific violations of this commandment, including superstition, polytheism, sacrilege, atheism, and all practices of magic or sorcery. It further prohibits astrology, palm reading, and consulting horoscopes or mediums. The Catechism attributes the latter actions to a "desire for power over time, history, and in the last analysis, other human beings as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers."

While Catholics are often accused of worshipping images in violation of the first commandment, the Church says this is a misunderstanding. In the Church's opinion, "the honor paid to sacred images is a 'respectful veneration', not the adoration due to God alone". In the early centuries of the Church, heated arguments arose over whether religious icons were prohibited by the first amendment. The dispute between the iconoclasts, who wished to prohibit icons, and the iconodules, who supported the veneration of icons, was finally resolved in 787 at the Second Council of Nicea. This ecumenical council determined that veneration of icons and statues was not a violation of the commandment and stated "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it". The Catechism posits that God gave permission for images which symbolize Christian salvation by leaving symbols such as the bronze serpent, the ark of the covenant, and the cherubim. It states further that "By becoming incarnate, the Son of God introduced a new economy of images"

Second commandment

	You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
–A translation of the second commandment

The second commandment prohibits people from using the name of God in vain. Many ancient cultures believed that names were sacred, and there were sometimes prohibitions on when a person's name could be spoken. Under Jewish law, a person who pronounced the name of God was essentially claiming to be God. The Gospel of John relates an incident where a group of Jewish people threw stones at Jesus after Jesus spoke the name of God; the crowd considered his action blasphemy. Kreeft writes that all of the names by which God is known are holy, and thus all of those names are protected by the second commandment. The Catechism states, "Respect for God's name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God himself and to the whole sacred reality." The Catechism also requires respect for the names of people out of respect for the dignity of that person.

The sentiment behind this commandment is further codified in the Lord's Prayer, which begins, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name". According to Pope Benedict XVI, when God revealed his name to Moses he established a relationship with mankind and states that the Incarnation was the culmination of a process that "had begun with the giving of the divine name." Benedict elaborates that this also means that the divine name could now be misused and that Jesus' inclusion of "hallowed be thy name" is a plea for the sanctification of his name, to "protect the wonderful mystery of his accessibility to us, and constantly assert his true identity as opposed to our distortion of it ..."

According to Roman Catholic teaching, this commandment does not preclude the use of God's name in taking solemn oaths administered by legitimate authority. However, lying under oath, invoking God's name for magical purposes, or voicing words of hatred of or defiance against God are considered sins of blasphemy.

Third commandment

	Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates, for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
A translation of the third commandment

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the Eucharist, a sacrament celebrated at every Catholic mass; attendance at Sunday Mass is part of the Catholic obligation to keep the third commandment.

The third commandmant asks man to set aside a day of rest each week. Pope Benedict XVI, quoting Jewish rabbi Jacob Neusner, compared the day of rest to the Bible's assertion that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. Observing this commandment was more than a ritual, but also a core piece of Jewish social order. For Catholics, Jesus' statement, "the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath" (Mk 2:27) meant that good works "when the needs of others demanded it" could be part of the day of rest as well.

Although Jews traditionally observed the sabbath on Saturday, Christians instead chose Sunday, believed to be the day of the week that Jesus rose from the dead. The Catechism instructs Catholics to attend mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. On these days they may not work or do activities that "hinder the worship due to God," but "performance of the works of mercy, and appropriate relaxation in a spirit of joy" are permitted. The papal encyclical Dies Domini offers additional guidance to Catholics on keeping this commandment.

Fourth commandment

	Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
A translation of the fourth commandment

According to Benedict, the fourth commandment, "honor your father and mother", strengthens generational relationships, reveals that the family is "both willed and protected by God", and reveals a connection between family order and societal stability. Citing Nesuner, Benedict refers to "this commandment as anchoring the heart of the social order". According to the Catechism, parents' unconditional love for their children mirrors God's love for man. Because Catholic parents have a duty to pass their faith on to their children, the Catechism calls the family "a domestic church" and "a privileged community".

The Catechism says this commandment requires duties of children to parents that include respect, gratitude, obediance, and support. Respect should further be extended to the individual's siblings. Obediance is expected as long as the child lives with his parents, although can be disregarded if following a parent's wishes would involve an act the child considers morally wrong. Grown children are encouraged to offer material and moral support for their parents in times of "illness, loneliness, or distress".

St. Theresa School in Coral Gables, FL is one of over 125,000 worldwide Catholic grade schools that offer Catholic religious education classes to both private and public school students.

Parents are also expected to perform certain actions, according to the Catechism. Parents should respect their children as children of God and humans, and should make all efforts to guide their children properly. This includes setting a good example, providing for moral education and evangelization of their children, and acknowleding their own shortcomings to their children. Furthermore, parents should provide appropriate discipline and should not pressure their children to choose a certain profession or spouse, although they are encouraged to give good advice.

Catholics believe that Jesus expanded this commandment to encompass respect for all people rather than immediate family members; in one Biblical verse Jesus is quoted as saying "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and my sister, and mother". Thus, the fourth commandment's responsibilities extend to the greater society and requires respect for "legitimate social authorities". The Catechism specifies duties of citizens and nations which include obeying and honoring authority figures, paying taxes, voting, and defending one's country. Citizens should also be vigilant and critical of actions that harm human dignity and the community, and they have a duty to disobey directives that are contrary to the moral order. Furthermore, in the "greatest social commandment", people should practice charity and help each other; they should also welcome and assist foreigners. Nations likewise have an obligation to help nations less wealthy, especially in time of "immediate need".

Fifth commandment

	You shall not kill
A translation of the fifth commandment

This commandment demands respect for human life. In the New Testament, Jesus expanded it to prohibit unjust anger, hatred and vengeance, as well as requiring Christians to love their enemies. The commandment upholds the sanctity of life. According to Kreeft, this ethical standard is "the basis for Western civilization from its Judeo-Christian roots, is presupposed in our laws, and is the basis of all Catholic teaching about the fifth commandment."

The Catechism details that "human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. ... no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being."(CCC 2261) The Catholic Church defines the "beginning" of human life as the moment of conception and stresses that the child in the womb must be "defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being". Because of this belief, the Church has specificlaly and persistently condemned abortion. "Formal cooperation" in abortion–including acts of the mother, doctor, nurses, and anyone who directly aids in the act–incurs the penalty of excommunication "by the very commission of the offense" Official Church teaching allows for medical procedures and treatments intended to protect or restore the mother's health if she would be in mortal danger without them, even though such procedures may carry some risk of death to the fetus. Examples of this scenario are the removal of a fallopian tube in the case of an ectopic pregnancy, removal of a pregnant cancerous uterus or an appendectomy. The Church has been criticized for many of these teachings on the grounds that it places the rights of a fetus over those of the woman.

The Church also inteprets the fifth commandment as a prohibition against suicide and euthanasia. Although Catholics are not required to submit to "extraordinary care", such as respirators, feeding tubes and chemotherapy, "ordinary care", including food, water, and pain relief, may not morally be withheld, even for those facing an imminent death.

According to Kreeft, "self-defense is legitimate for the same reason suicide is not: because one's own life is a gift from God, a treasure we are responsible for preserving and defending." Although the Bible quotes Jesus as instructing his followers to "turn the other cheek even to the point of martyrdom" when our own lives are threatened, the Church teaches that a legitimate defense of oneself and societies is allowed and even considered a grave duty for those who are responsible for the lives of others. "The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm.(CCC2265)"

The Church requires all to pray and work to prevent unjust wars but allows for just wars (fpr example, the Church classified World War II as a just war) if certain conditions are met. Wars should be entered as a last resort only after all peaceful means have been exhausted, and the ultimate aim should be peace. Even then, the reasons for going to was should include only defensive purposes, to counter "'lasting, grave, and certain'" damage "'inflicted by the aggressor'". The defenders should not produce any graver evils and should have respect and care for non-combatants, including wounded soldiers and prisoners. Soldiers are required to disobey commands to commit genocide or others that violate universal principles. Weapons designed to eliminate whole cities and areas with their inhabitants are likewise forbidden.ref>Kreeft, p. 238</ref>

The fifth commandment can also be violated by abusing food, alcohol, or drugs. At the opposite extreme, "excessive preoccupation with the health and welfare of the body that 'idolizes' physical perfection, fitness, and success at sports" is forbidden. This includes sterilizations, amputations, mutilations, modifications of the body that are not for therapeutic medical reasons. Furthermore, out of respect for the body, kidnapping, terrorism and torture are forbidden, and the dead are expected to be given a proper burial.

Lastly, the Catechism states that the fifth commandment can be violated if one has "an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil"(CCC2284). The Gospel of Matthew quotes Jesus: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea". The Church considers it a serious crime to cause another's faith, hope and love to be weakened, especially if it is done to young people and the perpetrator is a person of authority such as a parent, teacher or priest.(CCC2285)

Sixth commandment

	You shall not commit adultery
A translation of the sixth commandment

According to the Church, humans are sexual beings whose sexual identity extends beyond the body to the mind and soul. The sexes are meant, by divine design, to be different and complimentary, each having equal dignity and made in the image of God. The sexual act is sacred within the context of the marital relationship that reflects a "complete" and "life-long" "mutual" "gift" "of a man and a woman (CCC2337)" Sexual sins thus violate not just the body but the person's whole being. Like orthodox Judaism and Islam, the Catholic Church considers all sexual acts outside of marriage to be grave sins. The gravity of the sin " 'excludes one from sacramental communion (CCC2390)' until repented of and forgiven in sacramental confession."

Addressed in paragraphs 2331-2400, different levels of sin are identified by the Catechism from the least to greatest. These are:

1)Lust - The Church teaches that sexual pleasure is good and created by God who meant for spouses to "experience pleasure and enjoyment of body and spirit." "Lust does not mean sexual pleasure as such, nor the delight in it, nor the desire for it in its right context. Lust is the desire for sex that seeks the pleasure of it apart from its intended purpose of procreation and the uniting of man and woman, body and soul, in mutual self-donation.

2)Masturbation is considered sinful for the same reasons as lust but is a step above lust in that it now involves a physical act instead of just a mental one.

3)Fornication The sexual union of an unmarried man and an unmarried woman.

4)Adultery is the sexual union of a man and woman where at least one is married to someone else. This is considered a greater sin than fornication. because the adulterer sins against "his spouse, his society, and his children as well as his own body and soul."

5)Pornography ranks yet higher on the scale in gravity of sinfulness because it is considered a perversion of the sexual act which is intended for distribution to third parties for viewing.

6)Prostitution is sinful for both the prostitute and the customer; it reduces a person to an instrument of sexual pleasure, violating human dignity and harming society as well. The gravity of the sinfulness is less for prostitutes who are forced into the act by destitution, blackmail or social pressure.

7)Rape is an intrinsically evil act that can cause grave damage to the victim for life.

8)Incest, or "rape of children by parents or other adult relatives" or "those responsible for the education of the children entrusted to them" is considered the most hienous of sexual sins.

Homosexuality

The Church distinguishes between homosexual attractions, which are not considered sinful, and homosexual acts, which are considered sinful. Like all heterosexual acts outside of marriage, homosexual acts are considered sins against the sixth commandment. The Catechism states that they "violate natural law, cannot bring forth life, and 'do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved'(CCC2357)" The Church teaches that a homosexual inclination is "objectively disordered" and can be a great trial for the person for whom the Church teaches must be "accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity... unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided."(CCC2358)

Professor Kreeft notes that within the Church community, there exists two different lay movements that represent opposing philosophies. The first group called "DignityUSA", seeks to change the Churches teachings to justify homosexual acts. The second, "Courage International" is an organization of homosexuals who "support each other in the sincere effort to live in chastity and in fidelity to Christ and his Church."

Birth control, artificial insemination and fertilization

Church teaching on sexual activity can be summarized as: "sexual activity belongs only in marriage as an expression of total self-giving and union, and always open to the possibility of new life." The Church encourages large families and sees this as a blessing. It also recognizes that responsible parenthood sometimes calls for reasonable spacing or limiting of births and thus allows for natural family planning as morally acceptable but all methods of artificial contraception are not.

Because it divorces the sexual act from the creation of a child, the Church rejects all forms of artificial insemination and fertilization. The Catechism states, "A child is not something owed to one, but is a gift ... 'the supreme gift of marriage'...(CCC2378)".

Rejecting Church support for natural family planning as a viable form of birth control, some Church members and non-members criticize Church teachings that oppose artificial birth control as contributing to overpopulation, and poverty. The Church's rejection of the use of condoms is especially criticized with respect to countries where the incidence of AIDS and HIV has reached epidemic proportions. The Church maintains that in countries like Kenya and Uganda, where behavioral changes are encouraged alongside condom use, greater progress in controlling the disease has been made than in those countries solely promoting condoms.

Divorce

Jesus taught that "anyone who divorces his or her spouse and marries another commits adultery" and that divorce was an accommodation that had slipped into the Jewish law. The Church teaches that marriage was created by God and meant to be indissoluble, like the new creation of a child that can not be "un-created", neither can the "one flesh" of the marriage bond. The Catechism states, "Divorce is a grave offense against the natural law. It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death" (CCC2384) By marrying another, the divorced person adds to the gravity of the offense as the remarried spouse is considered to be in a state of "public and permanent adultery"(CCC2384) There are the situations that do not equate to divorce according to the Church:

1)In extreme situations like domestic violence, separation is allowed. This is not considered a divorce and may be justified.

2)Annulment is not a divorce, it is a ruling by the Church that there was never a valid marriage to start. The criteria of marriage is deemed to have been lacking one of the five integral ingredients of either "complete", "lifelong", "mutual", "free gift" of a "man and woman".

3)Civil divorce is not recognized as valid, is not considered a moral offense and is accepted by the Church if it is deemed to be the only way of ensuring legal rights, care of children, or protection of inheritance.

Seventh commandment

	You shall not steal
A translation of the seventh commandment

Addressed in paragraphs 2401-2463, the Catechism explains that this commandment regulates worldly goods and forbids unjustly taking, using or damaging those that belong to someone else. It also places requirements upon those who possess worldly goods to use them responsibly taking into consideration the good of the environment and society, Hence, business owners are required to pay their workers a reasonable wage, honor contracts, and abstain from dishonest activity including bribery of government officials. Workers in turn are required to do their jobs conscientiously as they have been hired to do them, and to avoid dishonesty in the workplace such as using office goods for personal use without permission. Wealthier nations, like wealthier individuals, have a moral obligation to help poorer nations and individuals and work to reform financial institutions and economic factors to benefit all. Because it considers humans to be stewards of God's creation, the Church forbids abuse of animals and the environment as well as slavery which it deems the stealing of a person's human rights.

The Church teaches that business owners should balance a desire for profits that will ensure the future of the business with a responsibility toward the "good of persons". It also teaches that a balance should exist between government regulation and the laws of the marketplace. It deems that sole reliance on the marketplace (pure capitalism) insufficiently addresses many human needs, while sole reliance on government regulation (pure socialism) "perverts the basis of social bonds".(CCC2425) However, the Church does not reject either capitalism or socialism but warns against excessive extremes of each system that result in injustice to persons.

According to the Church, private property "is a natural need and a natural right" that compels the owner use it for more than private enjoyment - for the common good while first taking care of his family. Like man and woman, private property and the common good are complementary and exist to strengthen the whole of society. The taking of another's private property "in obvious and urgent necessity ... to provide for immediate, essential needs (food, shelter, clothing ...)" is not considered by the Church to be stealing. (CCC2435)

Eighth commandment

	You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
A translation of the eighth commandment

Addressed in paragraphs 2464-2513, the Catechism explains that bearing false witness or "speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving" encompasses all violations of truth. These can take various forms, with various degrees of gravity depending on the "intentions of the one who lies and the harms suffered by its victims." These include:

1)False witness and perjury: statements made publicly in court. They obstruct justice by either condemning the innocent or exonerating the guilty or may increase the punishment of the accused.

2)Rash judgement: believing, without sufficient evidence, statements that accuse another of moral faults.

3)Detraction: disclosure of another's faults without a valid reason.

4)Calumny: lying about a person in order to harm his reputation and providing opportunity to others to make false judgements concerning him.

5)Flattery: "speech to deceive others for our benefit".

6)Bragging, boasting, or mocking, which either only honors oneself or dishonors others.

The Church requires those who have damaged the reputation of another to "make reparation for the untruth they have communicated". However, it does not require a person to reveal a truth to someone who does not have a right to know, and teaches respect for a right to privacy. Priests are prohibited from violating the seal of confession no matter how grave the sin or its impact on society.

Included in the Church teachings of this commandment are the requirement for Christians to bear witness to their faith "without equivocation" in situations that require it. The use of modern media in spreading untruths, by either individuals, businesses or governments, is condemned.

Ninth commandment

	You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
A translation of the ninth commandment

Both the ninth and tenth commandments deal with coveting, which is an interior disposition, not an actual act. Jesus emphasized the need to be pure in our thoughts as well as our actions and stated "Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:28) Addressed in paragraphs 2514-2533, the Catechism states that, with the help of God's grace, both men and women are required to overcome lust and the desires of our body "for sinful relationships with another person's spouse." The virtue of purity of heart is suggested as the necessary quality needed to accomplish this task and common Catholic prayers and hymns include a request for this virtue. The Church identifies some gifts of God that help a person maintain purity and these are:

1)"Chastity, which enables people to love others with upright and undivided hearts";

2)purity of intention, which seeks to fulfill God's will in everything, knowing that it alone will lead to the true end of man.

3)purity of vision, "external and internal", disciplining the thoughts and imagination to reject those that are impure.

4)modesty, of the feelings as well as the body is discreet in choice of words and clothing.

Jesus stated "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God" (Mt 5:8). This purity of heart, which the ninth commandment introduces, is the "precondition of the vision of God" and allows the person to see situations and people as God sees.(CCC2519) The Catechism teaches that "there is a connection between purity of heart, of body and of faith".

Tenth commandment

	You shall not covet your neighbor's goods
A translation of the tenth commandment

Addressed in paragraphs 2534-2557, the Catechism explains that detachment from riches is the goal of both the Tenth Commandment and the first Beatitude (blessed are the poor in spirit) because this precept is necessary for entrance into the Kingdom of heaven Covetousness is considered to be the first step toward commission of theft, robbery, and fraud which can lead to violence and injustice; it is defined as a "disordered desire" and can take different forms:

1)greed is the desire for too much, for what one does not really need,

2)envy is the desire for what belongs to another.

In explaining Church teaching on this commandment, Professor Kreeft points to Saint Thomas Aquinas who wrote that "An evil desire can only be overcome by a stronger good desire". He further explains that St Paul the Apostle illustrated this concept in his letter to the Philippians when he listed his worldly credentials as a respected Jew and then stated, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."(Phil 3:4-9). As Jesus stated, "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"(Mk 8:36), Church teaching on the tenth commandment is directed toward this same attitude toward worldly goods.

See Also

• Roman Catholic theology
• Criticism of the Catholic Church
• Pro-life
• Abortion Debate
• Homosexuality and Roman Catholicism

References

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