The Sixth Commandment

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Simplified

"You shall not commit adultery" (Ex 20:14).

Male and Female - A Capacity for Oneness (2331)

God lives in a communion of persons. Man and woman (made in God's image) also have a capacity for love and communion.

Scripture says "God created man in his own image... male and female he created them." God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen 1:27-28).

Sexuality affects all the aspects of the human person - his affectivity and his capacity to love, to procreate and to bond with others.

Accepting Identity and Dignity (2333-2335)

Every man and woman should accept their sexual identity, knowing that the difference and the complementarity of male/female are oriented to marriage and family life. The harmony of the spouses depends on how this complementarity and mutual support are lived out.

God gave man and woman an equal personal dignity. Man and woman are equally persons, made in the image and likeness of a personal God.

Each sex is an image of God, with equal dignity in a different way. In marriage, the couple imitate in the flesh the Creator's fecundity, because all human generations proceed from spouses "becoming one flesh" (Gen 2:24).

Jesus' Correct Interpretation (2336)

Interpreting this sixth commandment, Jesus said "Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:27-28) and "What God has joined together, let no man put asunder" (Mt 19:6). The Church has always taught that this commandment encompasses all of human sexuality.

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