Chapter 13: Living as Disciples of Christ

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

715. What is moral life for the Christian? Christian moral life is the following of Christ: in all our daily free actions, values and attitudes, empowered by Christs liberating and transforming presence, through the grace of his Spirit, within the Christian community. It is simply responding to the Gospel call to become loving persons, in the fullness of life-withothersin-community before God, in imitation of Jesus Christ. 716. What problems does moral life commonly raise? We all experience numerous pressures and temptations both from inside ourselves and from without, against exercising our freedom responsibly. Strangely enough, we find it difficult to consistently do good and avoid evil. 717. How does Christian Faith help us understand this situation? Scripture and Church teaching help us recognize this situation as the universal human condition resulting from the Fall at the origins of our race. Hence our personal moral problems have a foundation that goes deeper than anything we can handle by ourselves, without the redeeming power of Christ. 718. What is the key to Christian moral life? The key to Christian moral life is our dignity as human persons, created by God, redeemed by Christ, sanctified by the Spirit, and destined for eternal life with God. 719. How do we experience ourselves as persons? We experience ourselves as embodied spirits, conscious of our historical process of growing up and developing, in constant relation with others with whom we are fundamentally equal, yet unique in ourselves. 720. What is authentic human freedom? Authentic human freedom is a shared capacity with others in the community for choosing __ not anything at all __ but what is the good, in order to become our true selves. It involves both: freedom from whatever opposes our true self-becoming with others in community, and freedom for growing as full persons before God and our fellow human persons, in authentic love. 721. How is human freedom experienced? We experience freedom most naturally in our free choices to act or not to act, to do or not to do something. We accept responsibility for these acts. Beside our individual free acts there is the freedom of our very self formed gradually by our free acts. Often called fundamental freedom or option, it is not primarily a psychological term, but rather refers to our moral being as a human person. 722. What is meant by freedom of the children of God? It means the freedom we share by the power of Christs Spirit within us, that liberates us from the enslavement of sin, the law, and death, for a life of loving service of our fellowmen.

This does not mean that we have no sin, no laws to obey, and we will never die; but that the grace of God offers us the real possibility of: breaking out and overcoming the slavery of sin, living in true freedom as guided by law, and transcending our physical death by sharing in Christs eternal life. 723. What is Conscience? Conscience is the proximate norm of personal morality, our ultimate subjective norm for discerning moral good and evil, with the feeling of being bound to follow its directive. It is the inner voice: summoning us to love the good and avoid evil, by applying objective moral norms to our particular acts, and thus commanding: do this, do not do that! 724. If we are morally obliged by our conscience to do good, are we any longer free? We are exercising authentic freedom in obeying moral laws and our consciences. The objection is based on the common erroneous idea of freedom as doing what I want. 725. How are our consciences formed? Our consciences are formed gradually through the natural educational agents of our family upbringing, our school training, parish catechesis, and the influence of friends and social contacts. 726. How do we form a Christian conscience? A Christian conscience is formed gradually in faith and through personal and ecclesial prayerlife: by attending to the Word of God and the teachings of the Church, by responsiveness to the indwelling Holy Spirit, and by critical reflection on our concrete moral choices and experiences of daily life. Heart factors include reading and prayerful reflection on Jesus teaching and actions, and our own prayer and sacramental life. Mind factors refer to a deepening in understanding of Sacred Scripture and Church teaching, especially Catholic moral principles, and sound moral guidance. 727. What types of conscience are there? Many different categories are used to describe the exercise of conscience, but the most functional is: correct conscience corresponds to objective moral values and precepts; erroneous conscience, one which mistakenly judges something as morally good which is objectively evil. Our moral responsibility is to develop a properly informed conscience, and to correct any erroneous conscience we may have had. 728. What must our consciences decide on? To judge the good or evil of an act, our consciences must decide on its three essential aspects: the nature or object of the act, our intention as agents or doers of the act, and the circumstances which affect the morality of the act.

Chapter 14: The Challenge of Following Christ 779. What is the social context of Christian moral life? The social context of Christian moral life today is a world-in-change, marked by the Church scrutinizing the signs of the times and interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. 780. What is the role of Faith in morality? Christian Faith influences moral life primarily by: offering a new distinctive Christian vision of moral good and developing Christ-like attitudes and values; teaching moral precepts that foster this vision; and strengthening moral motivation by giving reasons for acting in a Christian way and inspiring Christ-like affections. 781. How does the Kingdom of God summarize Christian moral living? The Kingdom of God is characterized by its: condition for entry: conversion and repentance; membership: becoming a disciple of Christ; life: loving service grounded on Gods Love for us; basic law: new life in the Spirit; charter: the Beatitudes. 782. What response from us does the Kingdom call for? The Kingdom of God calls for: respect for one another; solidarity with all; and fidelity to God and to one another. 783. What role does the Catholic Church play in moral life? The Catholic Church serves as the context and communal support for the moral life of its members by: actively forming Christian moral character; carrying on and witnessing to the Christian moral tradition; and serving as the community of moral deliberation. 784. What is sin? Sin is basically a refusal of Gods love. It entails: refusing to follow our own conscience; rejecting our true selves, others, and God by turning away from God, our true end; breaking Gods covenant of love with us. 785. How is sin presented in Sacred Scripture? Sin is presented in the inspired Word of God in the Old Testament as: missing the mark by failing to meet ones obligations to God and neighbor; a defect or disorder of character weighing down the sinner; and a conscious choice of rebelling against God and transgressing His commandments. 786. What images are used to picture sin? The Old Testament moves from the image of sin as a stain (unclean before the all-holy God), to that of crime (willful violation of the covenant), and finally, to personal rejection (of love relationship).

787. How did Christ speak of sin? Christ called for a radical conversion of heart __ a turning away __ from sin to service in the Kingdom of his Father. One sign of this Kingdom was Christs own forgiving sins by the power of the Spirit. 788. What new models of sin are proposed? One insightful new model of sin looks more to its social effects on the sinner as a spiral of evil that ensnares; a sickness that weakens; and a compulsive and obsessive addiction that enslaves. 789. What is meant by social sin? Social sin today refers to situations and structures that attack basic human rights and dignity, and infect social relationships between communities. Chapter 15: The Christian Law of Life Living Love 845. How can Christian moral life be viewed? Christian moral life can be viewed as our free response to Gods call involving three essential levels: a basic moral vision; expressed in moral norms and precepts; and exercised in personal moral acts guided by conscience. 846. What is the major problem in Christian moral living? Motivation is the major problem in Christian moral living how we can inspire ourselves and others to act consistently according to the Christian moral norms. 847. What is the basic Christian norm for moral living? The basic standard by which Christians judge all their thoughts, words and deeds is the person of Jesus Christ who reveals God as our Father, and who we truly are. Christ is the most significant other in forming: our moral vision (values, attitudes, and affections), our moral norms, and the actual decision-making process of our conscience. 848. What is a norm or law? A norm or law is a decree of reason, promulgated by competent authority, for the common good. Moral norms, based on a moral vision comprising basic moral values, express the objective standard for judging moral good and evil. 849. What are moral norms supposed to do? Moral norms are indispensable for moral life. They provide the objective criteria for our conscience to judge what is morally good or evil; help our moral development, especially in the formation of our conscience; offer the needed moral stability in our lives; challenge us to stretch for an ideal beyond our limited experience, and correct our personal moral misconceptions in the process. 850. What was Gods Law in the Old Testament? Gods Law in the Old Testament was His great gift to His chosen people, Israel, creating with

them a Covenant which called for obedience to His Law as their response to His gratuitous love. The danger inherent in all laws is to so focus on the letter of the law and its external observance as to ignore the basic human values and interior dispositions which the law was made to preserve. 851. How did Christ in the New Testament relate to the Law? Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law by: inaugurating the New Law of the Kingdom which perfected the Old Law by subordinating all its precepts to love of God and of neighbor. 852. What is Christs own Law of love? In his own life Christ taught and perfectly exemplified the Old Testaments two great Commandments of Love: love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. 853. What was new about Christs Commandments of love? In his New commandment of love Christ: stressed the inner bond between love of God and love of neighbor; exemplified heart, soul, and strength in his example and teaching, especially his response to the triple temptations experienced in the desert and on the Cross; gave a radically new interpretation of neighbor as meaning everyone, especially those in need, and summarized and subordinated the whole law and the prophets to these two Commandments alone. 854. How is Christs law of love liberating? Christs law of love is liberating because it not only shows us what makes us authentically free, but through the Spirit of love offers us the power to fulfill it. 855. What pictures for us Christs law of love? Christs Spirit of love liberates us a) from mere external observance of the law, b) for a life transformed by radically new values, sketched in the Beatitudes: detachment from worldly possessions, meekness and compassion, thirsting for justice and merciful forgiveness, purity of heart, and single-mindedness in working for peace. 856. What is meant by the Natural Law? Christian moral tradition has developed another type of law called the natural law that is grounded in our very nature as human persons created by God, supporting universal objective moral values and precepts, and knowable by all persons using their critical reason, independent of their religious affiliation. 857. Has not natural law at times led to certain abuses? To avoid the danger of a rationalistic, legalistic interpretation of the natural law, stress should be put on certain characteristics: its basis in reality; its experiential and historical dimensions;

 its dealing with the consequences of our free acts, and its being based on the human persons nature. 858. How is Christ related to the natural law? The natural law and Gods law are united in Christ since: everything is created in Christ; he is the final destiny built into the nature of every person, and through the Incarnation, Christ has become the concrete model for every human person, in their daily thoughts and actions. 859. What is the process of moral decision-making? The process of making moral decisions involves: we ourselves as the moral agent or doer; using evaluative knowledge, i.e. personal knowledge of the heart, including affections and imagination, according to our basic moral character and the virtues we have freely developed. 860. What are the stages in moral decision-making? Among the many proposed patterns for moral decision making, three stages are essential: discerning (STOP: Search, Think, [consult] Others, Pray), relevant obligating moral norms, and consciences decision in applying the objective norm to the concrete act/situation. 861. How does the Church help Catholics in moral decisions? The teaching office of the Church (Magisterium) offers Catholics moral guidance and leadership based on the Holy Spirits unfailing presence, and the Churchs long tradition and worldwide experience. It thus supports and strengthens the essentially relational and communitarian dimensions of our personal consciences in their effort to achieve moral goodness. Chapter 16: Love the Lord Your God 924. What are some common difficulties concerning Ten Commandments today? With todays unique stress on personal freedom: some wish to do away with Commandments since they do not focus on love, personal character, and values; others reduce commandments to Bible stories for children; others claim the commandments are no longer relevant in present-day liberation-thrust Philippines. Common to all these objections is a startling ignorance of the Commandments themselves, and their function in human society. 925. What is the basic function of the Ten Commandments? The Ten Commandments set out systematically what the love of God and love of neighbor demand of us. The first three Commandments concern our duties towards God, the last seven our duties toward our neighbor. 926. What is the value of the Ten Commandments for today? The Ten Commandments provide credible and durable moral norms for daily life, since they constitute the basic moral imperatives flowing from our common Human Rights; the pattern for living according to Yahwehs covenant and Christs double love

Commandment; and an accepted basis for discussing moral matters with non-Christians. The Ten Commandments are signposts toward authentic freedom. 927. What do the Preamble and the First Commandment proclaim? The Commandments are introduced with: I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. This sounds the proper note for all the Commandments: they are truly liberating! I am the Lord your God. . . You shall not have other gods besides me. Thus, this First Commandment, grounded in Yahwehs Exodus liberation of His Chosen People, commands that only the One, True God be worshipped, and that no created thing be adored. 928. What is the importance of the First Commandment? This Commandment is the first not only in its position but because to know and love the One True God is the source and foundation for all the other Commandments and our whole moral life. Its function is: to liberate us from worshipping false gods (idolatry) and superstitious practices; to reconcile us with one another under the one God, our loving Father, and to manifest our duty of worship. 929. Are statues and images used in prayer contrary to the First Commandment? Statues and images of Christ, Mary and the Saints are helps for authentic Christian prayer of worship of God, Christ himself, and of veneration of Gods Blessed. Religious statues and images have no power in themselves, but only help us to relate to Christ, Mary and the Saints. Fundamentalists are fond of quoting Old Testament prescriptions against graven images, apparently forgetting that Gods own Son became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14). 930. What does the Second Commandment order? You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain commands reverence for God. This is shown primarily by: enjoining reverence for Gods NAME which reveals who God is. Jesus revealed God as Father by being and acting as the Only Son, who sends us the Holy Spirit; rejecting all speech against God Himself __ blasphemy, cursing, false oaths, and refusing all use of Gods name to harm others (sorcery). The basic rationale behind this Commandment is that all such use of speech destroys our covenant relationship with God and with one another. Positively, the Commandment fosters joy-filled praise and admiration for the incredible love of God. Spontaneously we think of the Blessed Virgin Mary: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. . . (Lk 1:46) 931. What is commanded by the Third Commandment? Remember to keep holy the Lords Day enjoins worship of the Lord and rest in imitation of the Creators rest on the 7th day. 932. What are the Old Testament sources of this Third Commandment? There are two primary sources of the Sabbath rest: Gods creative rest in Genesis (cf. Ex 20:11) which was not the absence of work, but the essential goal of creating communing with God; commemorating the Exodus liberation from slavery, and the need for social rest and recreation. These two sources, which ground the two different emphases on worship and human social rest, must be balanced.

933. What are the New Testament sources for this Commandment? The Church law reminds the faithful of their duty to worship together as a community on Sunday, the day of Christs Resurrection, by actively participating in the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the New Law instituted by him. 934. What does the Sunday rest mean? Sunday rest means a rest in Gods presence, involving a freeing of the self from heightened anxiety, from hyperactivism, and from preoccupation with competition for success Chapter 17: Love one another 988. How do people misrepresent the link between love of God and love of neighbor? People misunderstand the relationship between love of God and love of neighbor when they: think prayers and devotions are enough, without any deeds of service; or claim they love God by helping their neighbor, without any need for formal prayer or worship; or place their love for a particular person above the love of God. Authentic Christian love understands how both loves are essential to each other: to claim to love God without loving ones neighbor makes one a liar; to try to love ones neighbor without any love of God is to reduce an adopted son/daughter of God to a mere passing, transient worldly figure without destiny. 989. How are the two loves intertwined in our loving action? Our love of God and love of neighbor are intertwined: our both loves actually share in the same divine love, Gods own love, the Holy Spirit; in loving our neighbor we love someone in whom God is present, through the Risen Christ and the Holy Spirit; and in loving God we activate the deepest reason for loving our neighbors, namely, that God loves and is present in them. 990. What does love as Christs command teach us? Love as a command of Christ shows that it is: not based on any natural capacity of ours; it is not primarily an affective feeling but an act of the will to do good to others; not one principle of action among many, but the central norm for all action; the means to reveal Gods love already present among us in grace; aimed at creating a community of persons acting in responsible loving service, and constitutes Christs summons to us to repent, and his offer of divine forgiveness. 991. How do we Filipino Christians see Jesus Christ as source and norm of our morality? Naturally focused on personal relationships, Filipino Christians see the source and norm of their morality in: Jesus own example: he went about doing good; Jesus teaching: his own commandment of love; the disciples intense desire to be united with Jesus and spread his Good News even at the cost of their lives; the creation of the early Christian community in Jesus name and Spirit; 992. How do these elements effect the process of our Christian conversion? Three elements seem crucial in Christian conversion: the example and teaching of Jesus, the personal desire to be totally united to Christ and to draw others to him, and the incorporation into a supporting community of disciples of Christ, the Church.

993. What basic Christian truths motivate love of others? Our fellow human persons are: created in the image and likeness of God; loved by the Father so much that He sent His only begotten Son to redeem them, and the Holy Spirit to dwell within and sanctify them. Thus the Triune God shares His divine love with us so as to ground our loving them. 994. How do we love our neighbor? Love is shown in deeds, and the deeds of love of neighbor are traditionally: the corporal works of mercy: feed; give drink, clothe, shelter, visit, bury; the spiritual works of mercy: instruct, admonish, counsel, comfort, forgive, bear patiently. . . the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. A contemporary approach focuses on nurturing Christian character and virtues, according to the natural development cycle toward human maturity. Chapter 18: Respect Gods Gift: Life 1048. What is the most basic way we love one another? We love one another by respecting the gift of each others God-given life, and truly caring for one another by working toward improving the quality of human life. 1049. How do parents respect human life? Parents are procreators of human life, acting as Gods free loving agents through responsible transmission of human life and promotion of the quality of life. 1050. How does the Fourth Commandment foster human life? Honor your father and your mother enjoins that basic filial respect for parents which is necessary for the good of both family and community. 1051. How are parents to be given such respect? Filial respect for parents is to be given: not because of their actual competence, productivity, or natural virtues, but simply on their status as parents; not just for the good of the individual family, but as necessary for the community itself; equally to both father and mother. 1052. What are common obstacles to keeping this Commandment? Some common obstacles are: parents who neglect or abuse their children; the childrens and youths growing up periods that challenge parental patience and understanding; the generation gap between parents and offspring that is intensified by the increased speed and extent of modern cultural and technological changes. Yet these obstacles can also be a positive force for going beyond mere customary ways of acting, to bring out the full Christian meaning and values fostered by the Commandment. 1053. How do parents themselves foster life within their families? The Fourth Commandment enjoins parents to care for and respect their children as persons in their own right. They have the duty to provide for the needs of their children as far as they can, especially for their proper education as Christians.

1054. How does the Christian Faith view the family? The family as the originating context of human life can be viewed as: a Covenant relationship, established by God in creation, bringing out the more of family love; the domestic Church, which through Baptism shares in Gods own Trinitarian Communion of Love, and serves as the school of Christian discipleship and virtue; the first and vital cell of society, grounding and nourishing the social virtues necessary for society itself. 1055. What is meant by the family as covenant? As covenant, the family is a community of love: of parents and children, of brothers and sisters with one another, of relatives and other members of the household. All are rooted in the natural bonds of flesh and blood and the grace of the Holy Spirit. 1056. How is the family both the domestic Church and first cell of society? As the domestic Church the family both reveals and realizes the communion in Christ and the Spirit that is proper to the Church. As the first and vital cell of society the family is the place of origin and most effective means for humanizing and personalizing the members of society. 1057. How does the Fifth Commandment foster human life? You shall not kill, by prohibiting direct attacks on human life and physical integrity, protects its intrinsic dignity and quality. God alone is the ultimate Lord and Master of life. 1058. How are human life, integrity and dignity attacked? Direct attacks on life include murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, physical torture, hostage-taking, drugs, and willful suicide. Attacks against integrity include mutilation, physical and mental torture, and undue psychological pressures, while human dignity is attacked by sub-human living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation and prostitution. The questions of capital punishment and just war are topics of ongoing moral reflection within and without the Church. 1059. What are the most common abuses against physical well-being? The most common abuses against physical well-being are alcoholism, drug addiction and, to a lesser degree, smoking. 1060. How did Jesus perfect the Fifth Commandment? Jesus perfected respect for human life by: linking it directly with its ideal, love, even with love for our enemies; interiorizing and intensifying it by forbidding even anger of the heart, which is the inner source of violence against ones neighbor. Chapter 19: Respecting Human Sexuality 1118. What is the value of our sexuality? Human sexuality is Gods gift to us: male and female God created us in His own image and likeness. We share in the divine life of love and creativity not in lonely solitude, but precisely in relating to one another through our sexual natures. 1119. How does the Sixth Commandment protect our sexuality? You shall not commit adultery prohibits married persons from entering into sexual union with

someone other than their spouse. In thus protecting the family and marriage, with their two ends of procreation and human completeness, the Sixth Commandment touches on the very nature of human sexuality and the full range of man-woman relationships. 1120. How successful has this Commandment been in protecting the true value of our sexuality? This Commandment has proven to be a great protection from: the so-called double-standard of morality whereby what is allowed for men is denied for women; and rigid taboos and restrictive customs which view sexuality with fear and hostility. [The value of our sexuality is protected by the Sixth Commandment when, along with a strong sense of the grave matter that is involved, we grow in our consciousness of the dignity and beauty of human sexuality through which Gods creative work continues in time.] 1121. What is the Christian view of sexuality? Our sexuality is viewed as a fundamental component of personality, a good thing created by God, restored by the power of Jesus Christ and enriched by the saving activity of the Church, and by which the whole person enters into communication with others. Therefore sexuality is not the same as the sex act. All human persons must develop their Godgiven gift of sexuality. But some freely choose, for the sake of the Kingdom, not to enter into the sex act. 1122. What are the consequences of this view of sexuality? From this view of sexuality four consequences follow. Men and women are: of equal personal dignity and human rights; different but complementary; called to mutual gift of self and reciprocity; created through love and for love. 1123. What are the different states of life expressing love? The different states of life for men and women are: conjugal union of the married; consecrated celibacy chosen freely for the sake of the Kingdom; Christian youths before entering into a definite state of life; and the single blessedness chosen by lay faithful. 1124. What is the Biblical view of sexuality? The Bible describes how, from the simple innocence of original creation, sin entered to bring disorder and division into sexual relationships, and the temptation to self-centered hedonism. Nevertheless, Yahwehs own love for His Chosen People is sur-prisingly portrayed in marriage imagery. Christ in the Gospels bypassed all the detailed prescriptions of the Law and focused on the essential dignity and value of marriage and sexuality as created by God. Finally, St.Paul stressed the new meaning of Christian marriage by comparing the love of husband and wife to Christs love for his Church. 1125. How is the Sixth Commandment liberating? When viewed through faith in the redemptive force of the Risen Christs grace, the Sixth Commandment liberates from the two tyrannies of: self-righteous decency consisting of hypocritical moralizing and misguided taboos regarding sexuality; and indecency, exalting casual, spontaneous sex without commitment or love.

1126. How does the Sixth Commandment affect the married? For the married, the Commandment enjoins a free, responsible fidelity to life-long conjugal union that is: a complete union of love at all levels in the fullness of their personal lives, and an enduring and permanent bond. Both these elements act against adultery and divorce which entail such high human costs. 1127. How does the Ninth Commandment protect human sexuality? You shall not covet your neighbors wife goes to the interior root and source of the disorders of the flesh by prohibiting cov-etousness, or evil desires of the heart. It also rejects the many effects of this covetousness common in modern sexist consumerist society. 1128. How do we positively fulfill the Ninth Commandment? Positively, the Ninth Commandment enjoins purity of heart or the virtue of chastity which signifies the spiritual energy capable of defending love from the perils of selfishness and aggressiveness. 1129. What does the virtue of chastity do? Chastity puts order into our use of sexuality; channels our sexual energies toward the positive service of love; seeks the proper limits within which our passions can be reasonably directed toward authentic joy and peace; and demands that we develop the needed self-control for married as well as single persons. 1130. What does growing up to maturity mean? Growing up toward authentic integration of our sexuality entails: freeing ourselves from our own natural self- centeredness, to realize our intrinsic need for others; learning to respect and nourish positive attitudes towards others, and discerning when to say No, and the difference between true authentic love and its many counterfeit imitations. 1131. What does education for chastity involve? Education for chastity involves: developing a strong motivation through positive focus on the authentic values of our sexuality; the importance of our imagination, and the family context, and the integration of the biological, affective, social and spiritual elements of sexuality. 1132. What is the Churchs position on population control? The Church encourages natural family planning, but holds that the key to the population problem is not in external means of control, such as mechanical and chemical contraceptives, but in inner mastery over ones sexual behavior through chastity and self-control. 1133. What is the Churchs position on masturbation, homosexuality, pornography and prostitution? Chastity for married and single alike fosters integral sexual growth of the person. Both masturbation and homosexuality hinder achieving such sexual maturity by turning away from the self-giving love and service to life that is the nature of human sexuality from the Christian view. Likewise, pornography and prostitution dehumanize and exploit human persons, robbing them

of their true dignity by reducing them to sex-objects. Neither offers any authentic commitment, love, or service of life. Chapter 20: Building Justice 1198. What is an essential dimension of preaching the Gospel today? Action on behalf of justice, and participation in the transformation of the world and the promotion of human rights, appear as an essential dimension of preaching the Gospel today (JW). 1199. What are some major problems throughout the Philippines today? The question of justice, and the problems of stealing on all levels, due primarily to the widespread poverty, violation of human rights, and the exploitation of both persons and natural resources, are major problems of our country. PCP II calls for a real social transformation that responds to the challenges of building a new society of justice and peace. 1200. How does the Seventh Commandment foster social justice? You shall not steal fosters social justice as it prohibits all ways of robbing others freedom by stealing what is rightfully theirs. In todays economic world, this prohibition includes both private possessions and public properties, and actions such as corporation manipulations, unjust trade agreements and the like. PCP II urges a passionate care of our earth and our environment. 1201. How does the Tenth Commandment foster social justice? You shall not covet your neighbors house, or anything else that belongs to him fosters social justice by prohibiting the distorted desires of the heart from which stealing and exploitation of our neighbor arise. It forbids not only unjust craving but also envy at anothers success, such as seen in Cains envy-hatred-murder pattern. 1202. What is the real problem raised by the Tenth Commandment? The Tenth Commandment lays bare our powerlessness to check all our disordered desires, and thus reform our lives not only exteriorly but especially interiorly. Christs encounter with the rich young man brings out the almost diabolical hold which riches have on us. We thus come to realize our basic need to be saved by Gods merciful love and power. 1203. What is the Gospel picture of social responsibility? The Gospels sketch social responsibility in terms of: reform of life, as in John the Baptists preaching; conversion of heart, as sketched in Jesus parables; restitution, as praised by Jesus in Zacchaeus. Basic to all three stages is a fundamental trust in God as all-Provident Father. 1204. What role does the Church play in temporal affairs? The Churchs action is not political, or economic, or technical, but rather religious and moral in nature, strengthening the spiritual and moral bases of society. (John Paul II) The Churchs social doctrine offers: principles for reflection; criteria for judgments; and criteria for action. Typical concerns of the Church are human rights and new insights such as the notion of social

sin. 1205. What are the Churchs guiding truths for Filipino Catholics in political life? The basic truths for political involvement proposed by the Church are: pursuit of the common good as objective basis; in defense and promotion of justice for all; inspired and guided by the spirit of service; imbued with the love of preference for the poor; empowerment of the people to be carried out both as process and goal of political activity. 1206. What is meant by social sin? The term social sin is used to describe situations or structures which cause or support evil, or fail through complicity or indifference to redress evils when it is possible. Such sinful structures are always rooted in personal sin (cf. also Chap. 14, nos. 769-71). Typical social sins in the Philippine context include prostitution, pornography, consumerism and militarism. 1207. What is the Churchs position on private property? The right to private property is valid and necessary, but second to the intrinsically social function of all property. The Seventh and Tenth Commandments protect property from theft from above (rich and powerful robbing the poor) and theft from below (the have-nots robbing the well-to-do). 1208. What is the basis for the Churchs social teaching? The intrinsic dignity of every human person and the basic human solidarity are the basis for the Churchs social teaching. 1209. What is the Churchs teaching on work? Work as one distinguishing characteristic of human beings, is an essential key to the social question, especially when seen in terms of the person who is the subject/agent of work and the primary basis for its value. 1210. What is meant by the primacy of work as subjective? This phrase stresses: human persons are the purpose of work, i.e., work is to achieve human fulfillment, first in the family, then in the larger community; the priority of labor over capital, the primacy of persons over things. 1211. What are the consequences of this primacy? The primacy of work as subjective grounds three basic rights: the right to work; the right to a just share in the fruits of the work; the right to organize to defend the workers interests. 1212. What duties go with these rights? The right to work also involves the duty to work, and the right to a just salary involves the duty to work honestly. Both rights and duties are enhanced by a proper spirituality of work which develops the insight of seeing work as sharing in the activity of the Creator. 1213. What is meant by preferential option for the poor? This option is a Christian preference by which the Church desires to bring the message of salvation to every human being, to every culture and social environment, but in the first place to

those who are most in need. It follows the teaching and example of Christ himself, and the exercise of Christian charity to which the whole tradition of the Church bears witness. 1214. How are justice and Christian charity related? Christian charity implies an absolute demand for justice, and justice attains its inner fullness only in love. 1215. What constitutes a primary responsibility for Filipino Christians? Christian Filipinos today face a major responsibility in working to build a just society. We are called to bear witness to the human and Gospel values that are intimately involved in the economic, social and political areas of activity. Chapter 21: Respecting Truth 1252. Why is the question of truth taken up here? Respecting the honor and good name of others in our everyday speech is an essential way of loving our neighbor. We do this especially in giving public witness. 1253. What is truth as taken up in this chapter? As taken up in this chapter, truth can refer to our: a) thoughts, insofar as they correspond to reality, and therefore are not erroneous; b) words, when we say what we think and are not lying; and finally c) actions, when we do what we say and are not hypocrites who say one thing and do another. 1254. How important is truth for Christian moral life? In our age of credibility gaps, we realize the importance of truth simply to enable us to live and work together in family and community, and to grow into the integrity we are called to as disciples of Christ. In his encyclical Splendor of the Truth, John Paul II has rested the whole of Christian morality firmly on truth. 1255. How does the Eighth Commandment foster truth, justice and love? You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor prohibits destructive perversions of the truth that damage the life of the covenant community. Like all the others, the Eighth Commandment must be understood in the context of the Covenant. It thus touches the truth involved in the human interpersonal relationships of justice and love that ground the communitys life. 1256. What is the specifically Christian view of this truth? The covenant community is built up by the truth that is: grounded in God the Father, the Source of all truth; fully revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, come to set us free; and indwelling in us in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. 1257. How is the truth grounded in Scripture? In the Old Testament, false witnesses were punished severely. The prophets denounced the whole peoples false witness in their infidelity to Yahweh. In the New Testament, Christ is both Lord of the Eighth Commandment as the Truth in himself, and man of the Commandments as always being perfectly honest, truthful, and open with everyone he encountered. 1258. How is truth liberating?

Christ as the Truth liberates by freeing us from ignorance, prejudice, lying and hypocrisy. He taught and prayed for his disciples that they be open and true in their thoughts, words and deeds. 1259. What is meant by the social dimension of truth? Truths intrinsic social dimension flows from the very nature of human persons who need truth simply to exist and grow as persons and members of the human community. Without truthful personal, interpersonal and societal relationships, human persons wither and die. 1260. How do we sin against truth? We sin against truth most commonly by the many forms of lying, as well as by tale-bearing, gossip, rash judgments, prejudices, detraction, slander, and perjury. 1261. How can telling lies harm the community? Telling lies about oneself or others can harm: the integrity of the person lied about; those hearing the lie and led into error; the peace and harmony of the community; and the genuine good of the person who lied. 1262. Why do people tell lies? In practice, there are all kinds of motives and situations that lead us into telling lies: exaggerations to impress others; fear of others, or saving face before others; flattery. More serious are lies that are told: from malice, in order to harm others; from greed, in order to deceive and gain the upper hand; from hypocritical motives; as false witness or perjury in courts of justice. 1263. How should we foster truth in community? St. Paul urges us to profess the truth in love. This demands a certain maturity and discernment. For we can offend against genuine truth when we use it to harm others. When, for example, we publicly proclaim to those who do not need to know, harmful brute facts about someone. Before proclaiming any truth we should ask three questions: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? 1264. What is meant by Christian witness to truth? In speaking the truth about our neighbor, we inescapably bear witness to Jesus Christ who has identified himself with our neighbor. Christ himself has become dependent upon the witness of others, first, by his chosen Twelve, then down through the ages by his disciples. We Filipinos today are called to offer witness to Christ our Truth, through the power of the Holy Spirit sent us.

Bible Ten Commandments I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Catholic Ten Commandments I am the LORD thy God. Thou shalt have no strange gods before Me. Deleted. See also idolatry in the Catholic Church (There is idolatry in the Papal system so the second Commandment has been deleted or sometimes it has been absorbed into the first. All remaining Commandments are therefore shifted along one count.)

1st

1st

Exodus 20:4-6 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a 2nd jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my Commandments. 3rd

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy Thou shalt not take the name of the God In vain; for the LORD will not hold him 2nd LORD thy God in vain. guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor 3rd your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. (The Sabbath is the fourth Commandment by normal count. The day to be kept is no longer mentioned since they changed the Sabbath to Sunday.) (Note that God had more to say about the fourth Commandment than all others and with good reason. It is very important.) Honour thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy

4th

5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

10th Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house,

thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

neighbour's wife. (The Tenth Commandment is split into two to get back to Ten Commandments.) 10th Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods.