The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992), The Second Commandment [CCC 2142 – 2167]
Catechism promulgated by Pope
John Paul II in 1992.
Source: CCC 2142 – 2167
The Second Commandment
You shall not
take the name of the Lord your God in vain.72
You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not swear falsely….” But I say to you, Do not swear at all.73
I. The Name of the Lord is
Holy
2142 The second
commandment prescribes respect for the Lord's name. Like the first
commandment, it belongs to the virtue of religion and more particularly it
governs our use of speech in sacred matters.
2143 Among all the words
of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the revealed name of God. God
confides his name to those who believe in him; he reveals himself to them in
his personal mystery. the gift of a name belongs to the order of trust and intimacy.
"The Lord's name is holy." For this reason man must not abuse it. He
must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not introduce it into
his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it.74
2144 Respect for his name
is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God himself and to the
whole sacred reality it evokes. the sense of the sacred is part of the
virtue of religion:
Are these
feelings of fear and awe Christian feelings or not? . . . I say this, then,
which I think no one can reasonably dispute. They are the class of feelings we
should have - yes, have to an intense degree - if we literally had the sight of
Almighty God; therefore they are the class of feelings which we shall have, if
we realize His presence. In proportion as we believe that He is present, we
shall have them; and not to have them, is not to realize, not to believe that
He is present.75
2145 The faithful should
bear witness to the Lord's name by confessing the faith without giving way to
fear.76 Preaching and catechizing should be permeated with adoration
and respect for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2146 The second
commandment forbids the abuse of God's name, i.e., every improper use of
the names of God, Jesus Christ, but also of the Virgin Mary and all the saints.
2147 Promises made
to others in God's name engage the divine honor, fidelity, truthfulness, and
authority. They must be respected in justice. To be unfaithful to them is to
misuse God's name and in some way to make God out to be a liar.77
2148 Blasphemy is
directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in uttering against God
- inwardly or outwardly - words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking
ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one's speech; in misusing God's
name. St. James condemns those "who blaspheme that honorable name [of
Jesus] by which you are called."78 The prohibition of blasphemy
extends to language against Christ's Church, the saints, and sacred things. It
is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to cover up criminal practices,
to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. the
misuse of God's name to commit a crime can provoke others to repudiate
religion.
Blasphemy is contrary to the
respect due God and his holy name. It is in itself a grave sin.79
2149 Oaths which
misuse God's name, though without the intention of blasphemy, show lack of
respect for the Lord. the second commandment also forbids magical use of the
divine name.
[God's] name
is great when spoken with respect for the greatness of his majesty. God's name
is holy when said with veneration and fear of offending him.80
II. Taking the Name of the
Lord in Vain
2150 The second
commandment forbids false oaths. Taking an oath or swearing is to take
God as witness to what one affirms. It is to invoke the divine truthfulness as
a pledge of one's own truthfulness. An oath engages the Lord's name. "You
shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name."81
2151 Rejection of false
oaths is a duty toward God. As Creator and Lord, God is the norm of all truth.
Human speech is either in accord with or in opposition to God who is Truth
itself. When it is truthful and legitimate, an oath highlights the relationship
of human speech with God's truth. A false oath calls on God to be witness to a
lie.
2152 A person commits
perjury when he makes a promise under oath with no intention of keeping it, or
when after promising on oath he does not keep it. Perjury is a grave lack of
respect for the Lord of all speech. Pledging oneself by oath to commit an evil
deed is contrary to the holiness of the divine name.
2153 In the Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus explained the second commandment: "You have heard that it was
said to the men of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the
Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all.... Let what
you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from the evil
one."82 Jesus teaches that every oath involves a reference to
God and that God's presence and his truth must be honored in all speech.
Discretion in calling upon God is allied with a respectful awareness of his
presence, which all our assertions either witness to or mock.
2154 Following St. Paul,83
The tradition of the Church has understood Jesus' words as not excluding oaths
made for grave and right reasons (for example, in court). "An oath, that
is the invocation of the divine name as a witness to truth, cannot be taken
unless in truth, in judgment, and in justice."84
2155 The holiness of the divine name demands that we neither use it for trivial matters, nor take an oath which on the basis of the circumstances could be interpreted as approval of an authority unjustly requiring it. When an oath is required by illegitimate civil authorities, it may be refused. It must be refused when it is required for purposes contrary to the dignity of persons or to ecclesial communion.
III. The Christian Name
2156 The sacrament of
Baptism is conferred "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit."85 In Baptism, the Lord's name sanctifies man, and
the Christian receives his name in the Church. This can be the name of a saint,
that is, of a disciple who has lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord.
the patron saint provides a model of charity; we are assured of his
intercession. the "baptismal name" can also express a Christian
mystery or Christian virtue. "Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to see
that a name is not given which is foreign to Christian sentiment."86
2157 The Christian begins
his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: "in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." the baptized
person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior's grace
which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. the sign of the
cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.
2158 God calls each one by
name.87 Everyone's name is sacred. the name is the icon of the
person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it.
2159 The name one receives is a name for eternity. In the kingdom, the mysterious and unique character of each person marked with God's name will shine forth in splendor. "To him who conquers . . . I will give a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it."88 "Then I looked, and Lo, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads."89
IN BRIEF
2160 "O Lord, our
Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth" (Ps 8:1)!
2161 The second
commandment enjoins respect for the Lord's name. the name of the Lord is holy.
2162 The second
commandment forbids every improper use of God's name. Blasphemy is the use of
the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Virgin Mary, and of the saints in an
offensive way.
2163 False oaths call on
God to be witness to a lie. Perjury is a grave offence against the Lord who is
always faithful to his promises.
2164 "Do not swear
whether by the Creator, or any creature, except truthfully, of necessity, and
with reverence" (St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 38).
2165 In Baptism, the
Christian receives his name in the Church. Parents, godparents, and the pastor
are to see that he be given a Christian name. the patron saint provides a model
of charity and the assurance of his prayer.
2166 The Christian begins
his prayers and activities with the Sign of the Cross: "in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
2167 God calls each one by name (cf Isa 43:1).
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72 Ex 20:7; Deut
5:11.
73 Mt 5:33-34.
74 Cf. Zech 2:13; Ps
29:2; 96:2; 113:1-2.
75 John Henry Cardinal Newman, Parochial
and Plain Sermons V, 2 (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1907) 21-22.
76 Cf. Mt 10:32; 1 Tim 6:12.
77 Cf. 1 Jn 1:10.
78 Jas 2:7.
79 Cf. CIC, can. 1369.
80 St. Augustine, De serm.
Dom. in monte 2, 5, 19: PL 34, 1278.
81 Deut 6:13.
82 Mt 5:33-34, 37; Cf. Jas
5:12.
83 Cf. 2 Cor 1:23; Gal
1:20.
84 CIC, can. 1199 # 1.
85 Mt 28:19.
86 CIC, Can. 855.
87 Cf. Isa 43:1; Jn
10:3.
88 Rev 2:17.
89 Rev 14:1.
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