Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part Three › Section One › Chapter Three · Article 1 (§§1950–1986)
Paragraphs · 37
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
The Moral Law
- §1950 — The moral law is the work of divine Wisdom. Its biblical meaning can be defined as fatherly instruction, God's pedagogy. It prescribes for man the ways, the rules of conduct that lead to the promised beatitude; it proscribes the ways of evil which turn him away from God and his love.vatican.va
- §1951 — Law is a rule of conduct enacted by competent authority for the sake of the common good. the moral law presupposes the rational order, established among creatures for their good and to serve their final end, by the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Creator.vatican.va
- §1952 — There are different expressions of the moral law, all of them interrelated: eternal law - the source, in God, of all law; natural law; revealed law, comprising the Old Law and the New Law, or Law of the Gospel; finally, civil and ecclesiastical laws.vatican.va
- §1953 — The moral law finds its fullness and its unity in Christ. Jesus Christ is in person the way of perfection. He is the end of the law, for only he teaches and bestows the justice of God: "For Christ is the end of the law, that every one who has faith may be justified."vatican.va
I. The Natural Moral Law
- §1954 — Man participates in the wisdom and goodness of the Creator who gives him mastery over his acts and the ability to govern himself with a view to the true and the good.vatican.va
- §1955 — The "divine and natural" law shows man the way to follow so as to practice the good and attain his end. the natural law states the first and essential precepts which govern the moral life.vatican.va
- §1956 — The natural law, present in the heart of each man and established by reason, is universal in its precepts and its authority extends to all men.vatican.va
- §1957 — Application of the natural law varies greatly; it can demand reflection that takes account of various conditions of life according to places, times, and circumstances.vatican.va
- §1958 — The natural law is immutable and permanent throughout the variations of history; it subsists under the flux of ideas and customs and supports their progress.vatican.va
- §1959 — The natural law, the Creator's very good work, provides the solid foundation on which man can build the structure of moral rules to guide his choices.vatican.va
- §1960 — The precepts of natural law are not perceived by everyone clearly and immediately. In the present situation sinful man needs grace and revelation so moral and religious truths may be known "by everyone with facility, with firm certainty and with no admixture of error."vatican.va
II. The Old Law
- §1961 — God, our Creator and Redeemer, chose Israel for himself to be his people and revealed his Law to them, thus preparing for the coming of Christ.vatican.va
- §1962 — The Old Law is the first stage of revealed Law. Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments. the precepts of the Decalogue lay the foundations for the vocation of man fashioned in the image of God; they prohibit what is contrary to…vatican.va
- §1963 — According to Christian tradition, the Law is holy, spiritual, and good, yet still imperfect. Like a tutor it shows what must be done, but does not of itself give the strength, the grace of the Spirit, to fulfill it.vatican.va
- §1964 — The Old Law is a preparation for the Gospel. "The Law is a pedagogy and a prophecy of things to come." It prophesies and presages the work of liberation from sin which will be fulfilled in Christ: it provides the New Testament with images, "types," and symbols for expressing the life according to the Spirit.vatican.va
III. The New Law or the Law of the Gospel
- §1965 — The New Law or the Law of the Gospel is the perfection here on earth of the divine law, natural and revealed. It is the work of Christ and is expressed particularly in the Sermon on the Mount.vatican.va
- §1966 — The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit given to the faithful through faith in Christ. It works through charity; it uses the Sermon on the Mount to teach us what must be done and makes use of the sacraments to give us the grace to do it:vatican.va
- §1967 — The Law of the Gospel "fulfills," refines, surpasses, and leads the Old Law to its perfection. In the Beatitudes, the New Law fulfills the divine promises by elevating and orienting them toward the "kingdom of heaven."vatican.va
- §1968 — The Law of the Gospel fulfills the commandments of the Law. the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, far from abolishing or devaluing the moral prescriptions of the Old Law, releases their hidden potential and has new demands arise from them: it reveals their entire divine and human truth.vatican.va
- §1969 — The New Law practices the acts of religion: almsgiving, prayer and fasting, directing them to the "Father who sees in secret," in contrast with the desire to "be seen by men."vatican.va
- §1970 — The Law of the Gospel requires us to make the decisive choice between "the two ways" and to put into practice the words of the Lord.vatican.va
- §1971 — To the Lord's Sermon on the Mount it is fitting to add the moral catechesis of the apostolic teachings, such as Romans 12-15, 1 Corinthians 12-13, Colossians 3-4, Ephesians 4-5, etc.vatican.va
- §1972 — The New Law is called a law of love because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear; a law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and…vatican.va
- §1973 — Besides its precepts, the New Law also includes the evangelical counsels. the traditional distinction between God's commandments and the evangelical counsels is drawn in relation to charity, the perfection of Christian life.vatican.va
- §1974 — The evangelical counsels manifest the living fullness of charity, which is never satisfied with not giving more. They attest its vitality and call forth our spiritual readiness.vatican.va
In Brief
- §1975 — According to Scripture the Law is a fatherly instruction by God which prescribes for man the ways that lead to the promised beatitude, and proscribes the ways of evil.vatican.va
- §1976 — "Law is an ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by the one who is in charge of the community" (St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-II, 90, 4).vatican.va
- §1977 — Christ is the end of the law (cf Rom 10:4); only he teaches and bestows the justice of God.vatican.va
- §1978 — The natural law is a participation in God's wisdom and goodness by man formed in the image of his Creator. It expresses the dignity of the human person and forms the basis of his fundamental rights and duties.vatican.va
- §1979 — The natural law is immutable, permanent throughout history. the rules that express it remain substantially valid. It is a necessary foundation for the erection of moral rules and civil law.vatican.va
- §1980 — The Old Law is the first stage of revealed law. Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments.vatican.va
- §1981 — The Law of Moses contains many truths naturally accessible to reason. God has revealed them because men did not read them in their hearts.vatican.va
- §1982 — The Old Law is a preparation for the Gospel.vatican.va
- §1983 — The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit received by faith in Christ, operating through charity. It finds expression above all in the Lord's Sermon on the Mount and uses the sacraments to communicate grace to us.vatican.va
- §1984 — The Law of the Gospel fulfills and surpasses the Old Law and brings it to perfection: its promises, through the Beatitudes of the Kingdom of heaven; its commandments, by reforming the heart, the root of human acts.vatican.va
- §1985 — The New Law is a law of love, a law of grace, a law of freedom.vatican.va
- §1986 — Besides its precepts the New Law includes the evangelical counsels. "The Church's holiness is fostered in a special way by the manifold counsels which the Lord proposes to his disciples in the Gospel" (LG 42 # 2).vatican.va
Scripture cited · 89 verses
Matthew 5:17 · Matthew 5:18 · Matthew 5:19 · Matthew 5:44 · Matthew 5:48 · Matthew 6:1 · Matthew 6:2 · Matthew 6:3 · Matthew 6:4 · Matthew 6:5 · Matthew 6:6 · Matthew 6:9 · Matthew 6:10 · Matthew 6:11 · Matthew 6:12 · Matthew 6:13 · Matthew 7:12 · Matthew 7:13 · Matthew 7:14 · Matthew 7:21 · Matthew 7:22 · Matthew 7:23 · Matthew 7:24 · Matthew 7:25 · Matthew 7:26 · Matthew 7:27 · Matthew 15:18 · Matthew 15:19 · Luke 6:31 · Luke 11:2 · Luke 11:3 · Luke 11:4 · John 13:34 · John 15:12 · John 15:15 · Romans 5:5 · Romans 7:12 · Romans 7:14 · Romans 7:16 · Romans 8:15 · Romans 10:4 · Romans 12:9 · Romans 12:10 · Romans 12:11 · Romans 12:12 · Romans 12:13 · Galatians 3:24 · Galatians 4:1 · Galatians 4:2 · Galatians 4:3 · Galatians 4:4 · Galatians 4:5 · Galatians 4:6 · Galatians 4:7 · Galatians 4:8 · Galatians 4:9 · Galatians 4:10 · Galatians 4:11 · Galatians 4:12 · Galatians 4:13 · Galatians 4:14 · Galatians 4:15 · Galatians 4:16 · Galatians 4:17 · Galatians 4:18 · Galatians 4:19 · Galatians 4:20 · Galatians 4:21 · Galatians 4:22 · Galatians 4:23 · Galatians 4:24 · Galatians 4:25 · Galatians 4:26 · Galatians 4:27 · Galatians 4:28 · Galatians 4:29 · Galatians 4:30 · Galatians 4:31 · Galatians 5:1 · Galatians 5:2 · Galatians 5:3 · Galatians 5:4 · Galatians 5:5 · Galatians 5:6 · Galatians 5:7 · Galatians 5:8 · Galatians 5:9 · James 1:25 · James 2:12