Msg Base:  AREA 5  - ASK FATHER            CIN ECHO   AMDG
  Msg No: 133.  Tue  9-10-91 14:43
    From: Father Mateo
      To: Perry Lee
 Subject: The Decalogue

³        Anyway, each of the Commandments was listed on a page, along with a
³ bit of text explicating the Catholic Church's interpretation of that
³ Commandment.
³        The Commandments were these:
³                1) Thou shalt have none other Gods but me.
³                2) Thou shalt not take the name of the
³                   Lord in vain.
³                3) Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath
³                   day.
³                4) Honor thy father and mother.
³                5) Thou shalt do no murder.
³                6) Thou shalt not commit adultery.
³                7) Thou shalt not steal.
³                8) Thou shalt not bear false witness.
³                9) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
³        10) Thou shalt not covet his house or field.
³        My question is, where is the #2 from Exodus 20, "Thou shalt not make
³ to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of anything that is in
³ heaven above..." or at least that's the way I remember it from Catechism.
³ The old ten has, obviously, been split in two to make up for the missing
³ commandment.
³        Is this the Decalogue of the Roman Catholic Church, now?
 
Dear Perry,
 
The most commonly used Catholic translation of the Bible in the U.S.
is the New American Bible, published by the National Conference of
Catholic Bishops.  In its note on Exodus 20:1-17 it says:  "The
precise division of these precepts into 'ten commandments' is
somewhat uncertain.  Traditionally among Catholics vv.1-6 are
considered as only one commandment and v.17 as two."
 
As you know, Protestants follow a different division of the
commandments.
 
Textually, there are twelve commandments if one observes only the
sentence structure:  vv.2-7 show the formula 'you shall not' four
times; vv.8-12 are easily divided into two:  "remember to keep
holy..." and "honor your father..."; vv.13-17 show 6 more "you shall
nots."
 
The number "ten" comes from tradition and among Catholics is arrived
at by topical division.  The first topic is the uniqueness of God
(v.3).  The prohibition of making images for worship is a corollary
and subtopic of God's uniqueness (vv.4-6).  Topic and subtopic form
one commandment.
 
Next is the prohibition of blasphemy and allied offenses (v.7).
Vv.8-11 affirm the sanctity of the day of rest (shabbos).  The topic
of v.12 is honor to parents; of v.13, murder and related sins; v.14,
adultery and other forms of unchastity; v.15, sins of injustice
against property; v.16, lying and related sins.
 
V.17 contains two 'you shall nots'.  The parallel verse is
Deuteronomy 5:12, which is more logically framed.  Deuteronomy 21a
covers mental adultery and lustful thoughts, corresponding to the
physical adultery of Exodus 20:14/Deuteronomy 5:18.  21b covers
greed, corresponding to the overt theft of Exodus 20:15/Deuteronomy
5:19.
 
No commandment is "missing."  Brief summaries of the commandments
leave out the subtopic of the first commandment and the references to
the neighbor's slaves, oxen, and asses because these are not very
relevant today in the U.S.
 
(continued in next message)
 
##MMR 2.38á.  !link PL  8-15-91 23:04
 
.ORIGIN: 023/000 - CATHOLIC INFORMATION NETWORK #1, SAN DIEGO (619) 287-5828


Msg Base:  AREA 5  - ASK FATHER            CIN ECHO   AMDG
  Msg No: 134.  Tue  9-10-91 14:45
    From: Father Mateo
      To: Perry Lee
 Subject: The Decalogue

(continued from previous message)
 
On the other hand, v.17 ought to be divided into two because our
culture does not consider a wife as a chattel.  So she should not be
listed with the neighbor's ox and ass as an item of his property.
 
A full Catholic treatment of the commandments is found in pages
296-418 of John Hardon's "Catholic Catechism" (Doubleday, ISBN
0-385-08045-X).
 
                               Sincerely in Christ,
                               Father Mateo