The Sixth and The Ninth
Commandments
You Shall Not Commit Adultery
You Shall Not Covet Your
Neighbor’s Wife
The Sixth Commandment
“You shall not commit adultery.”
This commandment addresses the issue
on how we should properly express the gift
of human sexuality. This commandment
guides us to respect our own relationship
as well as that of other people.
Related to the Ninth Commandment
Sins to be avoided: sexual sins outside the
bounds of matrimony
Virtues to acquire: marital fidelity, chastity
The Sixth Commandment
“You shall not commit adultery.”
Applies to all: single, married,
widowed, religious, gay or straight.
The Catholic Church is not anti-sex
Adultery includes also thoughts and
not just actions (Mt 5: 27-28)
Sexuality vs. Sexual Activity
The Sixth Commandment
“You shall not commit adultery.”
WHY IS CHASTITY SO IMPORTANT?
It is the “successful integration of sexuality
within the person and thus the inner unity
of man in his bodily and spiritual being.”
(CCC 2337)
It involves the “apprenticeship in selfmastery” (2338) of our human freedom (as
opposed to slavery to the passions.
Involves the virtue of temperance
It means living a life of integrity and unity.
The Sixth Commandment
“You shall not commit adultery.”
SEX & THE MARITAL BOND
The Church teaches that sexual activity
may only occur within marriage. In the
marriage between couples, the bond
between unitive (love between
spouses) and procreative (having and
raising children) aspects may not be
separated. (CCC 2352, 2360, 2363)
The Sixth Commandment
“You shall not commit adultery.”
AND THE OFFENSES ARE:
Lust
Masturbation
Fornication
Pornography
Prostitution
Rape
Homosexual Acts
Sodomy
Birth Control
*Divorce/Remarriage*
Artificial Insemination
In Vitro Fertilization
“Free Union” (AKA living together)
And, of course, Adultery
The Ninth Commandment
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.”
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“…or husband.”
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This commandment urges us to cultivate the virtue of
purity and chastity. It opposes the sin of lust.
Related to the Sixth Commandment in that both
commandments involve the sin of adultery
Whereas the Sixth Commandment involves the sinful
activity, the Ninth Commandment involves sinful
thoughts and desires.
Sins to avoid: lust, impure thoughts
Virtue to acquire: purity, chastity, modesty
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The Ninth Commandment
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.”
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Lust is a two-way street: someone else’s husband, wife, daughter,
brother
Again, Mt 5: 28
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt 5:8)
‘Pure in heart’ refers to those who have attuned their intellects
and wills to the demands of God’s holiness in the areas of
charity, chastity, and love of truth. Chastity refers to purity in
heart, mind, and imagination. (CCC 2418)
Those who are “pure in heart” strive to attain holiness by being
pure in mind and body. By such achievement, looks to every
person as a divine reflection of beauty. (CCC 2518-20)
The Ninth Commandment
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.”
About Modesty
 Modesty is
1) the quality or virtue of observing
proprieties in speech, dress, and behavior
2) “an integral part of temperance…It
protects the intimate center of the person.”
(CCC 2521)
3) part of being pure of heart. (CCC 2533)
Works Cited
Catholic Church. (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Vatican: Libreria
Editrice Vaticana.
Hahn, S. (2003). Lord, have mercy: the healing power of confession. New York:
Double Day.
Klein, P. (2000). The Catholic source book: a comprehensive collection of
information about the Catholic Church. Orlando: Brown-Roa.
McBride, A. (1995). Father McBride’s teen catechism. Huntington,IN: Our Sunday
Visitor.
McBride, A. (2000). Father McBride’s college catechism. Huntington,IN: Our
Sunday Visitor.
Poust, M. (2008). The complete idiot’s guide to the Catholic catechism. New York:
Alpha Books