CATECHISM

Q. What is the fifth Commandment?
A. The fifth Commandment is, ‘Thou shalt not kill’.
Kill. To take away life, to put to death.

Q. What does the fifth Commandment forbid?
A. The fifth Commandment forbids all wilful murder, fighting, quarrelling, and injurious words;
and also scandal and bad example.
Wilful murder. Taking away human life purposely through spite or malice. A person’s
life may be lawfully taken away, either in self-defence, in a just war, or in a case of a
criminal being executed. To kill a person accidentally would not break this
Commandment.
Injurious words. Words said to vex or injure others.
Scandal. Wilfully influencing or giving a person occasion to commit sin. The word
‘scandal’ means a snare or a stumbling block.
Bad example. Saying or doing what is wrong before others.

Q. Does the fifth Commandment forbid anger?
A. The fifth Commandment forbids anger, and still more, hatred and revenge.
Anger. A strong but passing feeling of resentment or displeasure against whom we
believe to have done us an injury.
Hatred. A settled dislike of others, with the desire of injuring them.
Revenge. Returning evil for evil. This is the result of anger or hatred.

Q. Why are scandal and bad example forbidden by the fifth Commandment?
A. Scandal and bad example are forbidden by the fifth Commandment, because they lead to the
injury and spiritual death of our neighbour’s soul.