1. The fifth commandment: you shall not kill
NOVELLI, Pietro
Cain and Abel
Oil on canvas, 198 x 147 cm
Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome
The fifth commandment: you shall not kill 49

2. Compendium of the Catechism
466. Why must human life be respected?  
Human life must be respected because it is sacred. From its beginning human life involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. It is not lawful for anyone directly to destroy an innocent human being. This is gravely contrary to the dignity of the person and the holiness of the Creator. “Do not slay the innocent and the righteous” (Exodus 23:7).

3. Introduction
God rebuked Cain for his sin and cursed him for having shed innocent blood which cried out to God for punishment. Cain, filled with remorse, became a restless wanderer for the rest of his days.
The fifth commandment forbids not only killing, but also quarrels, blows, envy, etc., and above all it commands respect and the gentlest of care for human life, which is a gift from God.
In the book of Genesis we read the sad and painful episode of Cain and Abel. Both brothers offered sacrifices to God, but Cain offered the worst of his crops while Abel offered the best lambs from his flock. And the smoke from Cain’s sacrifice did not go up, while Abel’s, being pleasing to God, went straight up into heaven. Cain felt envious of his brother, invited him for a walk and slew him.
God rebuked Cain for his sin and cursed him for having shed innocent blood which cried out to God for punishment. Cain, filled with remorse, became a restless wanderer for the rest of his days.
The fifth commandment forbids not only killing, but also quarrels, blows, envy, etc., and above all it commands respect and the gentlest of care for human life, which is a gift from God.
PIESTRE CORMON, Fernand-Anne ( )
Cain flying before Jehovah's Curse
Oil on canvas, c.1880
149 1/2 x 275 1/2 inches (380 x 700 cm)
Musée d’Orsay, Paris

4. Main ideas

5. 1. Only God is lord and master of human life
Only God is master of life from its beginning to its end: man is only a steward and has to take good care of his own life and that of others.
The fifth commandment forbids any unjust attempts against our own or other’s life.
But this commandment should not be understood only as a prohibition; it also demands charity, harmony and peace with all –even with those who consider themselves our enemies— and these positive dimensions of of the commandment are its main content.
Human life is sacred; it is the fruit of God’s creative action and it always retains a close relation with the Creator, origin and end of our existence. Only God is master of life from its beginning to its end: man is only a steward and has to take good care of his own life and that of others.
The fifth commandment forbids any unjust attempts against our own or other’s life. But this commandment should not be understood only as a prohibition; it also demands charity, harmony and peace with all –even with those who consider themselves our enemies— and these positive dimensions of of the commandment are its main content.
WATTS, George Frederick ( )
The Denunciation Of Cain
Oil on canvas
59 x 27 inches (149.9 x 68.6 cm)
Private collection

6. 2. Duties of the fifth commandment towards ourselves
To love and respect ourselves, without selfishness and without pride.
To make good use of our talents. Laziness is the sin opposed to making our talents bear fruit.
To love and respect our body: In opposition to this love stands suicide, amputations and mutilations, euthanasia, gluttony, drunkenness, abuse of drugs.
To take care of the spiritual life.
a) To love and respect ourselves. We have to love ourselves in an orderly way, without selfishness (referring people and things exclusively to ourselves) and without pride (overvaluing our qualities because of ambition, conceit and vanity).
b) To make good use of our talents. God has given each man talents and capabilities both natural and supernatural. Intelligence and will-power are gifts of nature which we have to develop. We need to acquire all the knowledge we are capable of, and to strengthen our will so as to be masters of ourselves and to form our personality so that we may be able to undertake noble enterprises. Laziness is the sin opposed to making our talents bear fruit.
On the supernatural level God gives us grace and the gifts that accompany grace. We have to make good use of them because at the end of our lives we will have to give account of how well we used the graces we received.
c) To love and respect our body. The body is an instrument that God has sanctified and given to us; and it is called to rise one day full of glory. We have to respect our body and take good care of it (food, hygiene, sport), avoiding excesses which could harm our health. But it should be loved in an orderly way, because there are things which are more important than our body.
In opposition to this love stands suicide, wishing for one’s death or exposing oneself to serious dangers (imprudent driving of vehicles, dangerous sports, etc.), amputations and mutilations, euthanasia (shortening life so as to flee from pain), gluttony (excessive eating and drinking), drunkenness, abuse of drugs.
d) To take care of the spiritual life. Taking care of the body is important, but even more important is to take care of the soul so that grace grows in us. We grow in grace by advancing in the knowledge of Christian doctrine –the catechism— so as to be able to practise it, going often to Confession and Communion, befriending Jesus present in the Tabernacle, offering up little sacrifices, etc.
The life of grace is lost –killed— by mortal sin, which is like suicide; but thanks to God’s mercy it is possible to recover the supernatural life in the sacrament of Penance.
MOLENAER, Jan Miense
Allegory of Vanity (detail)
1633
Oil on canvas, 102 x 127 cm (full painting)
Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio

7. 3. Duties of the fifth commandment towards others
Respect for other people's lives. This duty to respect life is infringed by homicide and abortion.
Respect for coexistence. It forbids everything contrary to our neighbour: hatred, envy, enmity, discord, revenge, quarrels, insults, wishing others evil, rejoicing when others suffer…
The sin of scandal: any word, action or omission which incites others to sin..
a) Respect for other people's lives. The same reason for respecting our own life applies to respecting other people’s lives. Every person is a creature of God, and only God is lord of life. This duty to respect life is infringed by homicide and abortion, horrendous crimes against God and man.
God is always the author of all life, be it animal or vegetable. Animals should not be killed unless they are useful or necessary for our sustenance; they should not be provoked nor caused unnecessary pain.
b) Respect for coexistence. The fifth commandment forbids not only killing, but everything contrary to our neighbour: hatred, envy, enmity, discord, revenge, quarrels, insults, wishing others evil, rejoicing when others suffer… The Gospel proclaims blessed those who love peace, and this means praying that wars may be avoided.
Christians have to forgive from the bottom of their hearts any insults received “not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18,22); that is, always. They also have to ask to be forgiven when they offend others. Far from being a humiliation this is consistent with having a big heart.
c) The sin of scandal. Scandal, since it is an attack on the spiritual good of our neighbours, is a sin against the fifth commandment. Scandal is any word, action or omission which incites others to sin, such as foul conversations, blasphemies, showing others pornography, wearing immodest clothes, not going to Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation… All these induce others to sin. Jesus said of anyone who causes scandal that “it would be better if he were drowned in the depths of the sea with a great millstone round his neck”. We have to keep away from those who, doing the devil’s job, teach or induce others to sin; and if we have committed this sin we have to beg forgiveness and make amends for the harm done.
BLOCH, Carl Heinrich ( )
The Slaughter of the Innocents
Oil on canvas
Public collection

8. 4. Help others in their needs
The fifth commandment commands us to love our neighbour, helping him with our example and word to fulfil his needs, both material and spiritual.
The Works of Mercy remind us what the main needs of our neighbours are, and help us to show them our love.
The fifth commandment commands us to love our neighbour, helping him with our example and word to fulfil his needs, both material and spiritual.
The Works of Mercy remind us what the main needs of our neighbours are, and help us to show them our love.
Young TENIERS
The Seven Acts of Mercy
Louvre, Paris

9. Resolutions for Christian life

10. Resolutions to move forward
Look up “The Works of Mercy” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and consider which ones you practise and which one you might practise more.
Be respectful and friendly with everybody. Never harbour a grudge or wish anyone evil. Avoid insults and nasty nicknames.
Forgive those who offend us, as we pray in the Our Father.