Catechism index

2401 You shall not steal. 185 The seventh commandment forbids unjustly taking or keeping the goods of one's neighbor and wronging him in any way with respect to his goods. It commands justice and charity in the care …
2402 I. The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits. 186 The goods …
2403 I. The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods The right to private property, acquired by work or received from others by inheritance or gift, does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind. …
2404 I. The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods "In his use of things man should regard the external goods he legitimately owns not merely as exclusive to himself but common to others also, in the sense that they can benefit …
2405 I. The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods Goods of production - material or immaterial - such as land, factories, practical or artistic skills, oblige their possessors to employ them in ways that will benefit the greatest number. Those who …
2406 I. The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods Political authority has the right and duty to regulate the legitimate exercise of the right to ownership for the sake of the common good. 188
2407 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods In economic matters, respect for human dignity requires the practice of the virtue of temperance, so as to moderate attachment to this world's goods; the practice of the virtue of justice, to …
2408 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods The seventh commandment forbids theft, that is, usurping another's property against the reasonable will of the owner. There is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to …
2409 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods Even if it does not contradict the provisions of civil law, any form of unjustly taking and keeping the property of others is against the seventh commandment: thus, deliberate retention of goods …
2410 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods Promises must be kept and contracts strictly observed to the extent that the commitments made in them are morally just. A significant part of economic and social life depends on the honoring …
2411 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods Contracts are subject to commutative justice which regulates exchanges between persons in accordance with a strict respect for their rights. Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property rights, paying debts, and …
2412 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods In virtue of commutative justice, reparation for injustice committed requires the restitution of stolen goods to their owner: Jesus blesses Zacchaeus for his pledge: "If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I …
2413 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs …
2414 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods The seventh commandment forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason - selfish or ideological, commercial, or totalitarian - lead to the enslavement of human beings, to their being bought, sold and …
2415 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. 194 Use …
2416 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods Animals are God's creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. 196 Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the …
2417 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. 197 Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to …
2418 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief …
2419 III. The Social Doctrine of the Church "Christian revelation . . . promotes deeper understanding of the laws of social living." 198 The Church receives from the Gospel the full revelation of the truth about man. When she fulfills …
2420 III. The Social Doctrine of the Church The Church makes a moral judgment about economic and social matters, "when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls requires it." 199 In the moral order she bears …