Life in Christ Part Three
ARTICLE 5
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
You shall not kill.54 . . . . . . . (Continuation)
2295 Research or experimentation on the human being cannot legitimate acts that are in themselves contrary to the dignity of persons and to the moral law. 1753 The subjects' potential consent does not justify such acts. Experimentation on human beings is not morally legitimate if it exposes the subject's life or physical and psychological integrity to disproportionate or avoidable risks. Experimentation on human beings does not conform to the dignity of the person if it takes place without the informed consent of the subject or those who legitimately speak for him.
2296 Organ transplants are not morally acceptable if the donor or those who legitimately speak for him have not given their informed consent. Organ transplants conform with the moral law and can be meritorious if the physical and psychological dangers and risks incurred by the donor are proportionate to the good sought for the recipient. It is morally inadmissible directly to bring about the disabling mutilation or death of a human being, even in order to delay the death of other persons.
Respect for bodily integrity
2297 Kidnapping and hostage taking bring on a reign of terror; by means of threats they subject their victims to intolerable pressures. They are morally wrong. Terrorism which threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately is gravely against justice and charity. Torture which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions, punish the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred is contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity. Except when performed for strictly therapeutic medical reasons, directly intended amputations, mutilations, and sterilizations performed on innocent persons are against the moral law.90 [The qualification as to innocent persons seems out of place at this point.]
2298 In times past, cruel practices were commonly used by legitimate governments to maintain law and order, often without protest from the Pastors of the Church, who themselves adopted in their own tribunals the prescriptions of Roman law concerning torture. Regrettable as these facts are, the Church always taught the duty of clemency and mercy. She forbade clerics to shed blood [pertinence?]. In recent times it has become evident that these cruel practices were neither necessary for public order, nor in conformity with the legitimate rights of the human person. 2267 On the contrary, these practices led to ones even more degrading. It is necessary to work for their abolition. We must pray for the victims and their tormentors.
Respect for the dead
2299 The dying should be given attention and care to help them live their last moments in dignity and peace. They will be helped by the prayer of their relatives, who must see to it that the sick receive at the proper time the sacraments that prepare them to meet the living God. 1525
2300 The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy;91 it honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit. 1681-1690
2301 Autopsies can be morally permitted for legal inquests or scientific research. The free gift of organs after death is legitimate and can be meritorious.
___ The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body.92
III. SAFEGUARDING PEACE
Peace
2302 By recalling the commandment, "You shall not kill," 93 our Lord asked for peace of heart and denounced murderous anger and hatred as immoral. 1765
___ Anger is a desire for revenge. [?] "To desire vengeance in order to do evil to someone who should be punished is illicit [?]," but it is praiseworthy to impose restitution "to correct vices and maintain justice."94 If anger reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor, it is gravely against charity; it is a mortal sin. The Lord says, "Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment."95
2303 Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. 2094 Hatred of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm. 1933 "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."96
2304 Respect for and development of human life require peace. [An explanation of Jesus' statement, "not peace but the sword" (Mt. 10:34; Lk. 12:51) should here be developed.] 1909 Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity. 1807 Peace is "the tranquillity of order."97 Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity.98
2305 Earthly peace is the image and fruit of the peace of Christ, the messianic "Prince of Peace."99 By the blood of his Cross, "in his 1468 own person he killed the hostility,"100 he reconciled men with God and made his Church the sacrament of the unity of the human race and of its union with God. "He is our peace."101 He has declared: "Blessed are the peacemakers."102 [Peacemaker as herein used refers to one who, by word or example, assists another to repent from or avoid sin and thereby be at peace with God. The "Beatitudes" should be understood from a spiritual perspective. The principal purpose of life is to build a positive relationship with God so that we may benefit from the suffering and death of Jesus and thereby be made worthy to be with Him in eternal life. Human peace is sometimes an added benefit to being at peace with God.]
2306 Those who renounce violence and bloodshed and, in order to safeguard human rights, make use of those means of defense available to the weakest, bear witness to evangelical charity, provided 2267 they do so without harming the rights and obligations of other men and societies. They bear legitimate witness to the gravity of the physical and moral risks of recourse to violence, with all its destruction and death.103
Avoiding war
2307 The fifth commandment forbids the intentional destruction of [innocent] human life. Because of the evils and injustices that accompany all war, the Church insistently urges everyone to prayer and to action so that the divine Goodness may free us from the ancient bondage of war.104
2308 All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war.
___ However, "as long as the danger of war persists and there is no international authority with the necessary competence and power, governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, 2266 once all [reasonable] peace efforts have failed."105
2309 The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. 2243 The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:
-- the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain; [concept needs further developing for proper understanding.]
-- all other [reasonable] means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
-- there must be serious [reasonable] prospects of success;
-- the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition. [It would seem necessary to take into consideration future effects for failure to act.]
___ These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the "just war" doctrine.
___ The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good. 1897
2310 Public authorities, in this case, have the right and duty to impose on citizens the obligations necessary for national defense.
___ Those who are sworn to serve their [righteous] country in the armed forces are servants of the security and freedom of nations. 2239, 1909 If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of peace.106
2311 Public authorities should make equitable provision for those who for reasons of conscience refuse to bear arms; these are nonetheless obliged to serve the human community in some other way.107 1782, 1790
2312 The Church and human reason both assert the permanent validity of the moral law during armed conflict. "The mere fact that war has regrettably broken out does not mean that everything becomes licit between the warring parties."108
2313 Non-combatants, wounded soldiers, and prisoners must be respected and treated humanely.
___ Actions deliberately contrary to the law of nations and to its universal principles are crimes, as are the orders that command such actions. Blind obedience does not suffice to excuse those who carry them out. Thus the extermination of a people, nation, or ethnic minority must be condemned as a mortal sin. 2242 One is morally bound to resist orders that command genocide.
2314 "Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation."109 A danger of modern warfare is that it provides the opportunity to those who possess modern scientific weapons --especially atomic, biological, or chemical weapons-- to commit such crimes.
2315 The accumulation of arms strikes many as a paradoxically suitable way of deterring potential adversaries from war. They see it as the most effective means of ensuring peace among nations. This method of deterrence gives rise to strong moral reservations. The arms race does not ensure peace. Far from eliminating the causes of war, it risks aggravating them. Spending enormous sums to produce ever new types of weapons impedes efforts to aid needy populations;110 it thwarts the development of peoples. [The aforementioned of this paragraph needs substantial development to be both reasonable and effective.] Over-armament multiplies reasons for conflict and increases the danger of escalation.
2316 The production and the sale of arms affect the common good 1906 of nations and of the international community. Hence public authorities have the right and duty to regulate them. The short-term pursuit of private or collective interests cannot legitimate undertakings that promote violence and conflict among nations and compromise the international juridical order.
2317 Injustice, excessive economic or social inequalities, envy, distrust, and pride raging among men and nations constantly threaten peace and cause wars. Everything done to overcome these disorders contributes to building up peace and avoiding war: 1938, 2538, 1947
___ Insofar as men are sinners, the threat of war hangs over them and will so
___ continue until Christ comes again; but insofar as they can vanquish sin by
___ coming together in charity, violence itself will be vanquished and these words
___ will be fulfilled: "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears
___ into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall
___ they learn war any more."111
[Human peace can best be obtained by developing men so that they sincerely seek peace with God on God's terms. Effective evangelization of peoples requires sound leadership, as historically proven, that is willing to discipline when necessary.]
IN BRIEF
2318 "In [God's] hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12:10).
2319 Every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred because the human person has been willed for its own sake in the image and likeness of the living and holy God.
2320 The murder of a human being is gravely contrary to the dignity of the person and the holiness of the Creator.
2321 The prohibition of murder does not abrogate the right to render an unjust aggressor unable to inflict harm. Legitimate defense is a grave duty for who ever is responsible for the lives of others or the common good.
2322 From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice (GS 27 § 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life.
2323 Because it should be treated as a person from conception, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed like every other human being.
2324 Intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator.
2325 Suicide is seriously contrary to justice, hope, and charity. It is forbidden by the fifth commandment.
2326 Scandal is a grave offense when by deed or omission it deliberately leads others to sin.
2327 Because of the evils and injustices that all war brings with it, we must do everything reasonably possible to avoid it. The Church prays: "From famine, pestilence, and war, 0 Lord, deliver us.
2328 The Church and human reason assert the permanent validity of the moral law during armed conflicts. Practices deliberately contrary to the law of nations and to its universal principles are crimes.
2329 "The arms race is one of the greatest curses on the human race and the harm it inflicts on the poor is more than can be endured" (GS 81 § 3). [Perhaps the greatest curse on the human race is religious leaders who fail to understand, accept and be responsive to the "Word of God." The ordination ceremony for priests, found in "The Roman Pontifical," ICEL English translation, 1976, includes the following instructions to be given by the ordaining bishop to candidates for the priesthood:
___ "My sons, you are now to be advanced to the order of the presbyterate. You must apply your energies to the duty of teaching in the name of Christ, the chief teacher. Share with all mankind the word of God you have received with joy. Meditate on the law of God, believe what you read, teach what you believe, and put into practice what you teach.
___ Let the doctrine you teach be true nourishment for the people of God. Let the example of your lives attract the followers of Christ, so that by word and action you may build up the house which is God's Church."]
2330 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Mt 5:9). [See commentary at the end of paragraph 2305.]
54 Ex 20:13; cf. Deut 5:17.
55 Mt 5.21-22.
56 CDF, instruction, Donum vitae, intro. 5.
57 Cf. Gen 4:8-12.
58 Gen 4:10-11.
59 Gen 9:5-6.
60 Cf. Lev 17:14.
61 Ex 23:7.
62 Mt 5:21..
63 Cf. Mt 5:22-39; 5:44.
64 Cf. Mt 26:52.
65 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II, 64, 7, corp. art.
66 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II, 64, 7, corp. art.
67 Cf. Lk 23:40-43.
68 Cf. Gen 4:10.
69 Cf. GS 51 § 3.
70 Cf. Am 8:4-10.
71 Cf. CDF, Donum vitae I, 1.
72 Jer 1:5; cf. Job 10:8-12; Ps 22:10-11.
73 Ps 139:15.
74 Didache 2, 2: SCh 248, 148; cf. Ep. Barnabae 19, 5: PG 2, 777; Ad Diognetum 5, 6: PG 2, 1173; Tertullian, Apol. 9: PL 1, 319-320.
75 GS 51 § 3.
76 CIC, can. 1398.
77 CIC, can. 1314.
78 Cf. CIC, cann. 1323-1324.
79 CDF, Donum vitae III.
80 CDF, Donum vitae III.
81 CDF, Donum vitae I, 2.
82 CDF, Donum vitae I, 3.
83 CDF, Donum vitae I, 5.
84 CDF, Donum vitae I, 6.
85 Mt 18:6; cf. I Cor 8:10-13.
86 Cf. Mt 7:15.
87 Pius XII, Discourse, June 1, 1941.
88 Cf. Eph 6:4; Col 3:21.
89 Lk 17:1.
90 Cf. DS 3722.
91 Cf. Tob 1:16-18.
92 Cf. CIC, can. 1176 § 3.
93 Mt 5:21.
94 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II, 158, 1 ad 3.
95 Mt 5:22.
96 Mt 5:44-45.
97 St. Augustine, De civ. Dei, 19, 13, 1: PL 41, 640.
98 Cf. Isa 32:17; cf. GS 78 §§ 1-2.
99 Isa 9:5.
100 Eph 2:16 J.B.; cf. Col 1:20-22.
101 Eph 2:14.
102 Mt 5:9.
103 Cf. GS 78 § 5.
104 Cf. GS 81 § 4.
105 GS 79 § 4.
106 Cf. GS 79 § 5.
107 Cf. GS 79 § 3.
108 GS 79 § 4.
109 GS 80 § 3.
110 Cf. Paul VI, PP 53.
111 GS 78 § 6; cf. Isa 2:4.
EXTRA ENDNOTE: (Extracted from Vol. 1-2, Jan 1995, of LEU - News & Notes)
___ Commentary taken from article, In Defense of Others, published in Life Advocate magazine, Oct. 1993: "The word "kill" (ratsach) in the 5th/6th Commandment is one of seven Hebrew words in the Old Testament (OT) used to describe the taking of life in one way or another. It is important to define the specific meaning of this word to determine if this Law was actually violated by Paul Hill, Shelley Shannon, and Michael Griffin.
___ Ratsach appears 47 times in the OT. It is never used in the context of legitimate war, or in the case of self-defense (Ex 22:2), accidental killing (Dt 19:5), or in the execution of a person who has forfeited his life by "shedding man's blood" (Gn 9:6). It is also not used in the text describing how Moses slayed the Egyptian taskmaster (Ex 2:12). All of these Scriptures use a different word not found in the Sixth Commandment [Protestant version of Bible, it is the 5th in the Catholic version]. And clearly Scripture supports certain kinds of killing as viscerally regrettable but righteous nevertheless.
___ The word, ratsach, does refer to killing for revenge (Nm 35:27, 30), and the premeditated killing of an innocent person (2 Kings 6:32). Therefore, when the Word says, "It is mine to avenge, I will repay, says the Lord" (Rom 12:19) there is a direct connection and precaution against usurping the role of God that relates directly to this Sixth Commandment. Only two lines later there is a designation as to whom God has delegated authority to in order to avenge wrongs done (Rom 13:1). The government then, and not the individual, has the right to punish for past offenses. Likewise, there is a similar pattern in Scripture that condemns those like abortionists who "lie in wait for some one's blood" (Prov 1:11), and it is specified that "The Lord hates... hands that shed innocent blood" (Prov 6:17)."
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