“Thou Shalt Not Kill” Means More Than You Think

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What does the Fifth Commandment—“Thou shalt not kill”—actually mean? Catholic teaching distinguishes unjust killing from legitimate defense of innocent life. Directly and intentionally killing an innocent person is always gravely immoral. That includes abortion, euthanasia, terrorism, genocide, and other forms of unjust killing. But Jesus takes the Commandment even deeper. In Matthew 5, Christ warns us about anger and hatred because violence can begin in the heart long before it becomes a physical act. The Fifth Commandment therefore calls Catholics not only to refrain from murder, but also to reject hatred, cruelty, violent abuse, intimidation, and contempt for human dignity. Every human life is sacred because every human person is created in the image of God. Protect innocent life. Reject hatred. Practice forgiveness. Subscribe to Catholic Voices and Prayers for daily Catholic truth, traditional devotions, and clear answers about Scripture, morality, and the Catholic Faith.