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II. The Family and Society
§2207
The family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural society in
which husband and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of
life. Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family
constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within
society. the family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn
moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is
an initiation into life in society.
§2208
The family should live in such a way that its members learn to care and take
responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, and the poor.
There are many families who are at times incapable of providing this help. It
devolves then on other persons, other families, and, in a subsidiary way,
society to provide for their needs: «Religion that is pure and undefiled
before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their
affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.» 12
§2209
The family must be helped and defended by appropriate social measures. Where
families cannot fulfill their responsibilities, other social bodies have the
duty of helping them and of supporting the institution of the family. Following
the principle of subsidiarity, larger communities should take care not to usurp
the family's prerogatives or interfere in its life.
§2210
The importance of the family for the life and well-being of society13
entails a particular responsibility for society to support and strengthen
marriage and the family. Civil authority should consider it a grave duty
«to acknowledge the true nature of marriage and the family, to protect and
foster them, to safeguard public morality, and promote domestic
prosperity.» 14
§2211
The
political community has a duty to honor the family, to assist it, and to ensure
especially:
- the freedom to establish a family, have children, and bring them up in
keeping with the family's own moral and religious convictions;
- the protection of the stability of the marriage bond and the institution of
the family;
- the freedom to profess one's faith, to hand it on, and raise one's children
in it, with the necessary means and institutions;
- the right to private property, to free enterprise, to obtain work and
housing, and the right to emigrate;
- in keeping with the country's institutions, the right to medical care,
assistance for the aged, and family benefits;
- the protection of security and health, especially with respect to dangers
like drugs, pornography, alcoholism, etc.;
- the freedom to form associations with other families and so to have
representation before civil authority.15
§2212
The fourth commandment illuminates other relationships in society. In our
brothers and sisters we see the children of our parents; in our cousins, the
descendants of our ancestors; in our fellow citizens, the children of our
country; in the baptized, the children of our mother the Church; in every human
person, a son or daughter of the One who wants to be called «our Father."
In this way our relationships with our neighbors are recognized as personal in
character. the neighbor is not a «unit» in the human collective; he
is «someone» who by his known origins deserves particular attention
and respect.
§2213
Human communities are made up of persons. Governing them well is not limited to
guaranteeing rights and fulfilling duties such as honoring contracts. Right
relations between employers and employees, between those who govern and
citizens, presuppose a natural good will in keeping with the dignity of human
persons concerned for justice and fraternity.
III. The Duties of Family Members
The duties of children
§2214
The divine fatherhood is the source of human fatherhood;16 this is the
foundation of the honor owed to parents. the respect of children, whether
minors or adults, for their father and mother17 is nourished by the
natural affection born of the bond uniting them. It is required by God's
commandment.18
§2215
Respect for parents (filial piety) derives from gratitude toward those who, by
the gift of life, their love and their work, have brought their children into
the world and enabled them to grow in stature, wisdom, and grace. «With
all your heart honor your father, and do not forget the birth pangs of your
mother. Remember that through your parents you were born; what can you give
back to them that equals their gift to you?» 19
§2216
Filial respect is shown by true docility and obedience. «My son, keep your
father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.... When you walk,
they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you
awake, they will talk with you.» 20 «A wise son hears his
father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.» 21
§2217
As
long as a child lives at home with his parents, the child should obey his
parents in all that they ask of him when it is for his good or that of the
family. «Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the
Lord.» 22 Children should also obey the reasonable directions of
their teachers and all to whom their parents have entrusted them. But if a
child is convinced in conscience that it would be morally wrong to obey a
particular order, he must not do so.
As they grow up, children should continue to respect their parents. They should
anticipate their wishes, willingly seek their advice, and accept their just
admonitions. Obedience toward parents ceases with the emancipation of the
children; not so respect, which is always owed to them. This respect has its
roots in the fear of God, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
§2218
The fourth commandment reminds grown children of their responsibilities toward
their parents. As much as they can, they must give them material and moral
support in old age and in times of illness, loneliness, or distress. Jesus
recalls this duty of gratitude.23
For the Lord honored the
father above the children, and he confirmed the right of the mother over her
sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and whoever glorifies his
mother is like one who lays up treasure. Whoever honors his father will be
gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard. Whoever
glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will
refresh his mother.24
O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he
lives; even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your
strength do not despise him.... Whoever forsakes his father is like a
blasphemer, and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord.25
§2219
Filial respect promotes harmony in all of family life; it also concerns
relationships between brothers and sisters. Respect toward parents fills the
home with light and warmth. «Grandchildren are the crown of the
aged.» 26 «With all humility and meekness, with patience,
[support] one another in charity.» 27
§2220
For Christians a special gratitude is due to those from whom they have received
the gift of faith, the grace of Baptism, and life in the Church. These may
include parents, grandparents, other members of the family, pastors,
catechists, and other teachers or friends. «I am reminded of your sincere
faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice
and now, I am sure, dwells in you.» 28
The duties of parents
§2221
The fecundity of conjugal love cannot be reduced solely to the procreation of
children, but must extend to their moral education and their spiritual
formation. «The role of parents in education is of such importance that it
is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute.» 29 The
right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and
inalienable.30
§2222
Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human
persons. Showing themselves obedient to the will of the Father in heaven, they
educate their children to fulfill God's law.
§2223
Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They
bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness,
forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. the
home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an
apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery - the
preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to
subordinate the «material and instinctual dimensions to interior and
spiritual ones.» 31 Parents have a grave responsibility to give
good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own
failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct
them:
He who loves his son will not
spare the rod.... He who disciplines his son will profit by him.32
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord.33
§2224
The home is the natural environment for initiating a human being into
solidarity and communal responsibilities. Parents should teach children to
avoid the compromising and degrading influences which threaten human societies.
§2225
Through the grace of the sacrament of marriage, parents receive the
responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents should
initiate their children at an early age into the mysteries of the faith of
which they are the «first heralds» for their children. They should
associate them from their tenderest years with the life of the Church.34
A wholesome family life can foster interior dispositions that are a genuine
preparation for a living faith and remain a support for it throughout one's
life.
§2226
Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest
years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in
faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family
catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in
the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to
discover their vocation as children of God.35 The parish is the
Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian
families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents.
§2227
Children in turn contribute to the growth in holiness of their
parents.36 Each and everyone should be generous and tireless in
forgiving one another for offenses, quarrels, injustices, and neglect. Mutual
affection suggests this. the charity of Christ demands it.37
§2228
Parents' respect and affection are expressed by the care and attention they
devote to bringing up their young children and providing for their physical and
spiritual needs. As the children grow up, the same respect and devotion lead
parents to educate them in the right use of their reason and freedom.
§2229
As those first responsible for the education of their children, parents have
the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own
convictions. This right is fundamental. As far as possible parents have the
duty of choosing schools that will best help them in their task as Christian
educators.38 Public authorities have the duty of guaranteeing this
parental right and of ensuring the concrete conditions for its exercise.
§2230
When they become adults, children have the right and duty to choose their
profession and state of life. They should assume their new responsibilities
within a trusting relationship with their parents, willingly asking and
receiving their advice and counsel. Parents should be careful not to exert
pressure on their children either in the choice of a profession or in that of a
spouse. This necessary restraint does not prevent them - quite the contrary
from giving their children judicious advice, particularly when they are
planning to start a family.
§2231
Some forgo marriage in order to care for their parents or brothers and sisters,
to give themselves more completely to a profession, or to serve other honorable
ends. They can contribute greatly to the good of the human family.
IV. The Family and the Kingdom
§2232
Family ties are important but not absolute. Just as the child grows to maturity
and human and spiritual autonomy, so his unique vocation which comes from God
asserts itself more clearly and forcefully. Parents should respect this call
and encourage their children to follow it. They must be convinced that the
first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus: «He who loves father
or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me.» 39
§2233
Becoming a disciple of Jesus means accepting the invitation to belong to God's
family, to live in conformity with His way of life: «For whoever does the
will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and
mother.» 40
Parents should welcome and respect with joy and thanksgiving the Lord's call to
one of their children to follow him in virginity for the sake of the Kingdom in
the consecrated life or in priestly ministry.
V. The Authorities In Civil Society
§2234
God's fourth commandment also enjoins us to honor all who for our good have
received authority in society from God. It clarifies the duties of those who
exercise authority as well as those who benefit from it.
Duties of civil authorities
§2235
Those who exercise authority should do so as a service. «Whoever would be
great among you must be your servant.» 41 The exercise of authority
is measured morally in terms of its divine origin, its reasonable nature and
its specific object. No one can command or establish what is contrary to the
dignity of persons and the natural law.
§2236
The exercise of authority is meant to give outward expression to a just
hierarchy of values in order to facilitate the exercise of freedom and
responsibility by all. Those in authority should practice distributive justice
wisely, taking account of the needs and contribution of each, with a view to
harmony and peace. They should take care that the regulations and measures they
adopt are not a source of temptation by setting personal interest against that
of the community.42
§2237
Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the
human person. They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of
everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged.
The political rights attached to citizenship can and should be granted
according to the requirements of the common good. They cannot be suspended by
public authorities without legitimate and proportionate reasons. Political
rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the
human community.
The duties of citizens
§2238
Those subject to authority should regard those in authority as representatives of
God, who has made them stewards of his gifts:43 «Be subject for
the Lord's sake to every human institution.... Live as free men, yet without
using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of
God.» 44 Their loyal collaboration includes the right, and at times
the duty, to voice their just criticisms of that which seems harmful to the
dignity of persons and to the good of the community.
§2239
It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to
the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. the
love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong
to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of
the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the
political community.
§2240
Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it
morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend
one's country:
Pay to all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.45
[Christians] reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners.... They obey the established laws and their way of life surpasses the laws.... So noble is the position to which God has assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it.46
The Apostle exhorts us to offer prayers and thanksgiving for kings and all who exercise authority, «that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.» 47
§2241
The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to
welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood
which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to
it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection
of those who receive him.
Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.
§2242
The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil
authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the
fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing
obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an
upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving
God and serving the political community. «Render therefore to Caesar the
things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.» 48
«We must obey God rather than men":49
When citizens are under the oppression of a public authority which oversteps its competence, they should still not refuse to give or to do what is objectively demanded of them by the common good; but it is legitimate for them to defend their own rights and those of their fellow citizens against the abuse of this authority within the limits of the natural law and the Law of the Gospel.50
§2243
Armed resistance to oppression by political authority is not legitimate, unless
all the following conditions are met: 1) there is certain, grave, and prolonged
violation of fundamental rights; 2) all other means of redress have been
exhausted; 3) such resistance will not provoke worse disorders; 4) there is
well-founded hope of success; and 5) it is impossible reasonably to foresee any
better solution.
The political community and the Church
§2244
Every institution is inspired, at least implicitly, by a vision of man and his
destiny, from which it derives the point of reference for its judgment, its
hierarchy of values, its line of conduct. Most societies have formed their
institutions in the recognition of a certain preeminence of man over things.
Only the divinely revealed religion has clearly recognized man's origin and
destiny in God, the Creator and Redeemer. the Church invites political
authorities to measure their judgments and decisions against this inspired
truth about God and man:
Societies not recognizing this vision or rejecting it in the name of their independence from God are brought to seek their criteria and goal in themselves or to borrow them from some ideology. Since they do not admit that one can defend an objective criterion of good and evil, they arrogate to themselves an explicit or implicit totalitarian power over man and his destiny, as history shows.51
§2245
The Church, because of her commission and competence, is not to be confused in
any way with the political community. She is both the sign and the safeguard of
the transcendent character of the human person. «The Church respects and
encourages the political freedom and responsibility of the
citizen.» 52
§2246
It is a part of the Church's mission «to pass moral judgments even in
matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the
salvation of souls requires it. the means, the only means, she may use are
those which are in accord with the Gospel and the welfare of all men according
to the diversity of times and circumstances.» 53
IN BRIEF
§2247
«Honor your father
and your mother» (⇒ Deut 5:16;
⇒ Mk 7:10).
§2248
According to the fourth
commandment, God has willed that, after him, we should honor our parents and
those whom he has vested with authority for our good.
§2249
The conjugal community
is established upon the covenant and consent of the spouses. Marriage and
family are ordered to the good of the spouses, to the procreation and the
education of children.
§2250
«The well-being of
the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound
up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life» (GS 47 # 1).
§2251
Children owe their
parents respect, gratitude, just obedience, and assistance. Filial respect
fosters harmony in all of family life.
§2252
Parents have the first
responsibility for the education of their children in the faith, prayer, and
all the virtues. They have the duty to provide as far as possible for the
physical and spiritual needs of their children.
§2253
Parents should respect
and encourage their children's vocations. They should remember and teach that
the first calling of the Christian is to follow Jesus.
§2254
Public authority is
obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person and the
conditions for the exercise of his freedom.
§2255
It is the duty of
citizens to work with civil authority for building up society in a spirit of
truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom.
§2256
Citizens are obliged in conscience
not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the
demands of the moral order. «We must obey God rather than men"
(⇒ Acts 5:29).
§2257
Every society's
judgments and conduct reflect a vision of man and his destiny. Without the
light the Gospel sheds on God and man, societies easily become totalitarian.
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
You shall not kill.54
You have heard that it was said to the men of old, «You shall not kill:
and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.» But I say to you that
every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.55
§2258
«Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative
action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the
Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning
until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right
directly to destroy an innocent human being.» 56
I. Respect for Human Life
The witness of sacred history
§2259
In the account of Abel's murder by his brother Cain,57 Scripture reveals
the presence of anger and envy in man, consequences of original sin, from the
beginning of human history. Man has become the enemy of his fellow man. God
declares the wickedness of this fratricide: «What have you done? the voice
of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. and now you are cursed
from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood
from your hand.» 58
§2260
The covenant between God and mankind is interwoven with reminders of God's gift
of human life and man's murderous violence:
For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning.... Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image.59
The Old Testament always considered blood a sacred sign of life.60 This teaching remains necessary for all time.
§2261
Scripture specifies the prohibition contained in the fifth commandment:
«Do not slay the innocent and the righteous.» 61 The
deliberate murder of an innocent person is gravely contrary to the dignity of
the human being, to the golden rule, and to the holiness of the Creator. the
law forbidding it is universally valid: it obliges each and everyone, always
and everywhere.
§2262
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord recalls the commandment, «You shall
not kill,» 62 and adds to it the proscription of anger, hatred, and
vengeance. Going further, Christ asks his disciples to turn the other cheek, to
love their enemies.63 He did not defend himself and told Peter to leave
his sword in its sheath.64
Legitimate defense
§2263
The legitimate defense of persons and societies is not an exception to the
prohibition against the murder of the innocent that constitutes intentional
killing. «The act of self-defense can have a double effect: the
preservation of one's own life; and the killing of the aggressor.... the one is
intended, the other is not.» 65
§2264
Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it
is legitimate to insist on respect for one's own right to life. Someone who
defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his
aggressor a lethal blow:
If a man in self-defense uses more than necessary violence, it will be unlawful: whereas if he repels force with moderation, his defense will be lawful.... Nor is it necessary for salvation that a man omit the act of moderate self-defense to avoid killing the other man, since one is bound to take more care of one's own life than of another's.
§2265
Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone
responsible for another's life. Preserving the common good requires rendering
the unjust aggressor unable to inflict harm. To this end, those holding
legitimate authority have the right to repel by armed force aggressors against
the civil community entrusted to their charge.66
Capital Punishment
§2266
The State's effort to contain the spread of behaviors injurious to human rights
and the fundamental rules of civil coexistence corresponds to the requirement
of watching over the common good. Legitimate public authority has the right and
duty to inflict penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime. the
primary scope of the penalty is to redress the disorder caused by the offense.
When his punishment is voluntarily accepted by the offender, it takes on the
value of expiation. Moreover, punishment, in addition to preserving public
order and the safety of persons, has a medicinal scope: as far as possible it
should contribute to the correction of the offender.67
§2267
The traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude, presupposing full
ascertainment of the identity and responsibility of the offender, recourse to
the death penalty, when this is the only practicable way to defend the lives of
human beings effectively against the aggressor.
«If, instead, bloodless means are sufficient to defend against the
aggressor and to protect the safety of persons, public authority should limit
itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions
of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human
person.
«Today, in fact, given the means at the State's disposal to effectively
repress crime by rendering inoffensive the one who has committed it, without
depriving him definitively of the possibility of redeeming himself, cases of
absolute necessity for suppression of the offender 'today ... are very rare, if
not practically non-existent.'[John Paul II, Evangelium vitae 56.]
Intentional homicide
§2268
The fifth commandment forbids direct and intentional killing as gravely sinful.
the murderer and those who cooperate voluntarily in murder commit a sin that
cries out to heaven for vengeance.68
Infanticide,69 fratricide, parricide, and the murder of a spouse are especially grave crimes by reason of the natural bonds which they break. Concern for eugenics or public health cannot justify any murder, even if commanded by public authority.
§2269
The fifth commandment forbids doing anything with the intention of indirectly
bringing about a person's death. the moral law prohibits exposing someone to
mortal danger without grave reason, as well as refusing assistance to a person
in danger.
The acceptance by human society of murderous famines, without efforts to remedy them, is a scandalous injustice and a grave offense. Those whose usurious and avaricious dealings lead to the hunger and death of their brethren in the human family indirectly commit homicide, which is imputable to them.70
Unintentional killing is not morally imputable. But one is not exonerated from grave offense if, without proportionate reasons, he has acted in a way that brings about someone's death, even without the intention to do so.
Abortion
§2270
Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of
conception.
From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.71
Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.72
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately
wrought in the depths of the earth.73
§2271
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every
procured abortion.
This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.
Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means,
is gravely contrary to the moral law:
You shall not kill the embryo
by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.74
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding
life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves.
Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception:
abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.75
§2272
Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense.
The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime
against human life.
«A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae
sententiae,» 76 «by the very commission of the
offense,» 77 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon
Law.78
The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy.
Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable
harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and
the whole of society.
§2273
The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a
constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:
«The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and
respected by civil society and the political authority.
These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do
they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human
nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which
the person took his origin.
Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human
being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception
until death.» 79
«The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of
the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is
denying the equality of all before the law.
When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each
citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a
state based on law are undermined....
As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the
unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate
penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child's
rights.» 80
§2274
Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be
defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any
other human being.
Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, «if it respects the life and
integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe
guarding or healing as an individual....
It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of
possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not
be the equivalent of a death sentence.» 81
§2275
«One
must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the
life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for
it, but are directed toward its healing the improvement of its condition of
health, or its individual survival.» 82
«It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as
disposable biological material.» 83
«Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not
therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex
or other predetermined qualities.
Such manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and
his integrity and identity» 84 which are unique and unrepeatable.
Euthanasia
§2276
Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or
handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible.
§2277
Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to
the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons.
It is morally unacceptable.
Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death
in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the
dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his
Creator.
The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the
nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.
§2278
Discontinuing
medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or
disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal
of «over-zealous» treatment.
Here one does not will to cause death; one's inability to impede it is merely
accepted.
The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if
not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will
and legitimate interests must always be respected.
§2279
Even
if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be
legitimately interrupted.
The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the
risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity
if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and
tolerated as inevitable
Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity.
As such it should be encouraged.
Suicide
§2280
Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him.
It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life.
We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the
salvation of our souls.
We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us.
It is not ours to dispose of.
§2281
Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and
perpetuate his life.
It is gravely contrary to the just love of self.
It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of
solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue
to have obligations.
Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.
§2282
If suicide is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to
the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal.
Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law.
Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship,
suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing
suicide.
§2283
We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their
own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for
salutary repentance. the Church prays for persons who have taken their own
lives.
II. Respect for the Dignity of Persons
Respect for the souls of others: scandal
§2284
Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. the person
who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and
integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a
grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave
offense.
§2285
Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who
cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to
utter this curse: «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.» 85 Scandal is
grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and
educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he
likens them to wolves in sheep's clothing.86
§2286
Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.
Therefore, they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to «social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible.» 87 This is also true of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke their children to anger,88 or manipulators of public opinion who turn it away from moral values.
§2287
Anyone who uses the power at his disposal in such a way that it leads others to
do wrong becomes guilty of scandal and responsible for the evil that he has
directly or indirectly encouraged. «Temptations to sin are sure to come;
but woe to him by whom they come!» 89
Respect for health
§2288
Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God.
We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others
and the common good.
Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the
attainment of living-conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity:
food and clothing, housing, health care, basic education, employment, and
social assistance.
§2289
If morality requires respect for the life of the body, it does not make it an
absolute value.
It rejects a neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to
sacrifice everything for it's sake, to idolize physical perfection and success
at sports.
By its selective preference of the strong over the weak, such a conception can
lead to the perversion of human relationships.
§2290
The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse
of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by
drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the
road, at sea, or in the air.
§2291
The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their
use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine
production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They
constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to
practices gravely contrary to the moral law.
Respect for the person and scientific research
§2292
Scientific, medical, or psychological experiments on human individuals or
groups can contribute to healing the sick and the advancement of public health.
§2293
Basic
scientific research, as well as applied research, is a significant expression
of man's dominion over creation. Science and technology are precious resources
when placed at the service of man and promote his integral development for the
benefit of all. By themselves however they cannot disclose the meaning of
existence and of human progress. Science and technology are ordered to man,
from whom they take their origin and development; hence they find in the person
and in his moral values both evidence of their purpose and awareness of their
limits.
§2294
It is
an illusion to claim moral neutrality in scientific research and its
applications. On the other hand, guiding principles cannot be inferred from
simple technical efficiency, or from the usefulness accruing to some at the
expense of others or, even worse, from prevailing ideologies. Science and
technology by their very nature require unconditional respect for fundamental
moral criteria. They must be at the service of the human person, of his
inalienable rights, of his true and integral good, in conformity with the plan
and the will of God.
§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. 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 in conformity with the moral law if the physical and
psychological dangers and risks incurred by the donor are proportionate to the
good sought for the recipient. Donation of organs after death is a noble and
meritorious act and is to be encouraged as a manifestation of generous
solidarity. It is not morally acceptable if the donor or those who legitimately
speak for him have not given their explicit consent.
It is furthermore 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 threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately; it 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
§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. 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. 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.
§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.
§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
Catéchisme de l'Église catholique © Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1992.
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