A Beacon Of Light… The Fifth Commandment And Respect For Human Life

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.

(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)

• + + We continue our journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s section entitled the Life of Christ and the Ten Commandments. Today we will analyze the Fifth Commandment: Thou Shall Not Kill. This Commandment was further expanded to include other aspects of the Christian life. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “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 everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment” (Matt. 5:21-22).
  This Commandment finds its origin in the Old Testament, particularly, in the account of the story of Cain and Abel. Abel’s murder by Cain presents before us one of the aspects of original sin. Scripture reveals to us in this story the existence of anger and envy between men. Original sin has caused a defect in man, whereby, there is an inclination toward being an enemy of our fellowmen. And so, the murderous action that occurred between Cain and Abel was the result of this inclination toward anger and envy.
  In the history of salvation, blood has often been seen as a sacred sign of life. In particular, we see this in the final moments of Christ’s life. At the Last Supper, Jesus offers His Blood as a means of expiation for our sins. And this was further made manifest through the visible sign of the blood and water that flowed from the side of Christ on the cross. So, the shedding of innocent blood, as was seen in the killing of Abel, contradicts the symbolic “live-giving” characteristic of blood.
  The Fifth Commandment strictly forbids the slaying of innocent and righteous men. To do so, violates the dignity of the human person and is a direct attack on the Creator Himself. This is a universal law of nature that every human being is obliged to follow

A Need For Further Clarifications

Throughout life there exist occasions where further clarification is necessary to fully understand a particular aspect of a given situation. St. Thomas Aquinas called these clarifications “distinctions.” Fully understanding the Fifth Commandment requires that distinctions be made regarding legitimate defense, capital punishment, intentional homicide, abortion, and euthanasia. Strictly speaking, each of these needd to be distinguished in its own right.
Let’s first look at what is meant by legitimate defense. Legitimate defense is when a police officer, military personnel, or even an ordinary citizen is presented with an occasion where a split-second decision is made. Sometimes the outcome involves the taking of a life. This is sad indeed, but sometimes it cannot be avoided and falls under what is called the Principle of Double Effect. This principle looks at the intended outcome. Regarding legitimate self-defense, the intended outcome is preserving one’s own life, while killing an aggressor. One is intended, while the other is not.
Legitimate defense cannot be only a right — it is oftentimes gravely necessary for someone who is responsible for another person’s life. This is why police, military, and even ordinary civilians often find themselves in these situations. Ultimately speaking, preserving the dignity of every human person is the goal of us all, but sometimes this cannot be helped.
The next distinction we have to make is in regard to capital punishment. Capital punishment, in recent years, has been the topic of debates both ecclesiastically as well as in secular circles the world over. For centuries, the use of capital punishment was seen as a legitimate means to rid society from serious aggressors. There has been substantial progress in the rethinking of this procedure. While the state not only has the authority but the obligation to protect society from these unjust serious aggressors, it should now look to more beneficial ways to accomplish this.
The state has a duty to protect its citizens from the tyranny of evil. In times past this included hangings, use of the guillotine, the electric chair, and in more modern times lethal injection. These, however, are now seen as extreme. In today’s industrial society and with the advances made in security, the more humane option would be life in prison without parole. In fact, Pope Francis on several occasions has challenged the Church’s traditional teaching on capital punishment.
Another area that is touched upon by this Commandment is intentional homicide. The Fifth Commandment forbids the intentional killing of someone. “Infanticide, 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” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2268).
The Fifth Commandment forbids doing anything with the intention of causing grave harm to the person.
One of the greatest atrocities of our time is the disregard of the innocent person. Here we are referring to the innocence of the unborn child in the womb.
We are living in a very dangerous time where the dignity of the child in the womb is disregarded. The Fifth Commandment also protects the life of the unborn child. Abortion is a grievous act that is always considered intrinsically evil. This is why the Church is so firm in her dealings with this sin. She is so concerned with this, and she considers this evil so great, that she attaches the formal canonical penalty of excommunication “latae sententiae” by the very commission of the offense.
This excommunication is not imposed by the Church, per se, it is automatically incurred by the person themselves because of the severity of the sin committed. The excommunication shows the Church’s seriousness on the matter, or the gravity of the crime committed against the unborn. She also wishes to express the irreparable harm done to the unborn, the parents, and all of society.
Today, however, there is a constant battle over the “right” of women to decide what happens with their bodies. The idea of the woman being able to decide between life or death, to give birth or to kill an innocent child within her womb, is totally inconsistent with the natural law. Life is a precious gift given to us by God and we cannot choose whether or not we accept or deny it.

Stand Firm In Defense Of Life

Another concern of the Fifth Commandment is euthanasia. This is the taking of the life of a handicapped, sick, or elderly person who is sick. Diagnosis with a terminal illness or the birth of a handicapped child are oftentimes when medical personnel might encourage a misguided idea of taking away personal suffering. To do so reduces suffering to a burden rather than a virtuous means of attaining salvation. Personal suffering is seen as purifying and can help us obtain everlasting life.
Euthanasia needs a full-on battle to eliminate it from society. The Church needs to fight much harder than she did in dealing with the evils of abortion years ago. Had we fought harder and been more realistic regarding the ability of abortion actually becoming a law, maybe we could have defeated this evil.
We have another chance to stand firm in defense of the human person and we must fight hard!
Suicide is another aspect of this Commandment that needs a distinction. The taking of our own lives is considered grave because it goes against our nature. Our nature is inclined toward life, but sometimes, there involves a struggle regarding this. Today’s society is detrimental because it often confuses people. There is much confusion regarding the consequences of suicidal actions.
While the Church has always been consistent in her teaching regarding the severity of such actions, she has also been merciful in dealing with them. Today there exists a mountain of psychological issues and conditions that may contribute to a person’s suicidal inclinations. These inclinations in no way diminish the mercy and forgiveness that the Lord has in dealing with those who commit suicide.
Scandal also finds its place under the Fifth Commandment. Scandal is the grave offense that deliberately leads others, through words and actions, to sin. This is seen most often in those who are in public office. Presidents, senators, legislators, and other public figures often cause scandal by living lives contrary to the Gospel.
Because of the evils scandal can cause, the Church must be firm in her dealings with these sorts of people.
Lastly, if we strive to live this Commandment well, we will contribute to a wealth of peace in our times.
The Fifth Commandment is very important for us to consider. With the current situation of the world and nation, we need to be extra vigilant in making sure we examine our conscience regarding this Commandment. The souls of so many depend on this.
Next week we will examine the Sixth Commandment together.