Catholic / Statement of Faith / Article 8

Pillar III: Morality

The Ten Commandments — Two Tables of Love

The Ten Commandments unfold love of God (first three commandments) and love of neighbor (remaining seven). They are not a burden but a path of life. The full Christian moral teaching builds on the Commandments — addressing worship, the name of God, the Lord's Day, family life, the dignity and protection of human life from conception to natural death, marriage and sexuality, property and stewardship, truthfulness, and the ordering of desire.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.

— Matthew 22:37-40 (WEB)

Note

CCC §2052-2557. Each commandment is unpacked with attention to interior dispositions, not only external acts.

Bible references

Exodus 20:1-17 · Deuteronomy 5:6-21 · Matthew 22:37-40 · Matthew 5:21-48 · Romans 13:8-10 · James 2:8-12