The Commandments

Alongside the Ten Commandments, the Church sets five minimum duties for every Catholic. Here is what they are, why they exist, and what each one actually requires.

Yes — and the reasons are more beautiful than a rule. Here is what the Sunday obligation requires, who is excused, whether Saturday evening counts, and why the Church takes it so seriously.

The second commandment is about much more than avoiding bad language. Here is what it forbids, what it asks of us, and how serious casual expressions like "Oh my God" really are.

The fourth commandment does not end when we leave home. Here is what honouring our parents means once we are grown — respect, gratitude and care — and what it does not require.

The Church teaches that lying is always wrong — but that does not mean we must tell everyone everything. Here is what the eighth commandment requires, the difference between lying and keeping a secret, and the hard cases.

The Ten Commandments are not ancient rules for ancient people. They are the moral structure of reality — and the Catholic numbering is different from what most Protestants use.