1. Natural Law:
Natural Law is the Law of God inscribed in human nature.
The Laws they discover from this reasoning are collectively called natural law. For example:
The moral principle that human life must be respected as sacred leads to laws, such as
‐ It is wrong to murder another human being
‐ People are obliged to ensure that the poor and the needy have the necessities of life
The moral principle that every human person should be treated equally, leads societies to
make laws that recognise and prohibit injustices, such as:
‐ Racism
‐ All forms of unjust discrimination
Natural law comes from human nature as created by God. The moral teaching of the catholic church
is based upon a second theory of natural law. History shows that, because of sin, peole can be very
confused about natural law. For example, good people in different societies can permit:
Abortion, instead of respect for human life
Forms of unjust discrimination, instead of respect for human equality
Human sacrifice and death penalties, instead of respect for human life.
God’s Law/ Divine Law:
God revealed divine moral laws so that human beings could be clear about right and wrong. Divine
Law frees people from confusion that may stem from misunderstandings or confused feelings.
Revealed divine law includes the Ten Commandments as understood in the light of the teachings of
Jesus and his two great commandments.
Good and bad, right and wrong, are taught by God. What is right for one is right for all. Right and
wrong do not vary in different situations.
Growth of the Church:
Role of Emperor Constantine in the spread of Christianity:
Diocletian reorganised the Roman Empire in 285AD. By 311AD, there was an Eastern Roman
emperor and a Western Roman emperor. Constantine became the emperor of the west after
conquering his rival Maxentius at the battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312AD. Constantine attributed
his victory to the Christian God. By 312AD, historians estimate that around one seventh of the
Roman empire’s population of forty nine million people were Christians. This was despite severe and
systematic persecutions.
2. That same year the persecutions started by Dicletian was finally stopped after the Eastern Roman
emperor Maximinus Daia bowed to pressure from Constantine. Religious freedom was given to
Christians in the Edict of Milan in 313AD.
Over the following years, Constantine:
Lavished donations on the Church, and built great churches
Gave the Lateran Palace to the Pope
Recognised Christian clergy, and exempted them from the military service and forced labour
Modified Roman law to make it consistent with Christian moral values
Commanded a more humane attitude towards slaves, children, orphans and the needy
Decreed punishments for misbehaviour, such as adultery and prostitution that undermined
marriage and family life.
In 324AD, Constantine defeated the eastern Roman Emperor, Licinius, who had began another
persecution of Christians in defiance of the Edict of Milan. Constantine became sole emperor of the
East and the West and moved his capital from Rome to Constantinople, a city more geographically
central in the Empire.
The Reformation:
The reformation is the term that refers to the division of European Christianity into Catholic and
Protestant, and the changes that resulted from this division. There were several causes.
The Great Schism (Schism of the west or the Reformation)
In 1309, Pope Clement V (a Frenchman) moved the papacy to the French Archdiocese of Avignon at
the insistence of the French King Philip VI. Rome had become too dangerous as various groups tried
to gain control of the papacy.
Avignon remained the residence for five successive popes before Pope Gregory XII returned to
Rome in 1377. Gregory died the next year and an Italian, Pope Urban VI, was elected by the cardinals
who were pressured by the Romans to return to an Italian Pope.
Council of Trent:
In the fifteenth century, there was a need for another response within the church to the corruption
that was affecting it. Individuals and movements were led through their consciences to restore the
Church. The spirit led them to recognise that some ideas and practises in the Church had moved a
long way from the teaching and life of Jesus. The greatest force for reforming the Church at this time
was the Council of Trent. The Council of Trent renewed Catholic beliefs, the celebration of the Mass
and the Sacraments, the training of priests and the responsibilities of Bishops. It made laws that
addressed the areas of Church corruption.
3. Social Justice:
Original Justice:
Original Justice was the human relationship with God.
Principles of Social Justice:
Social Justice is concerned with providing people and associations with the conditions needed to
respect their basic entitlement. Social Justice is linked to the Common Good. Social Justice is based
upon three principles:
1. The dignities of every person to be respected e.g love your neighbour as yourself.
2. Every human being to be treated equally, regardless of differences e.g. age, skin colour,
physical ability, intelligence, religion and social background.
3. That people should support each other in solidarity. E.g. those with plenty sharing with
those in need, poor people working together to overcome poverty, joining in to work with
others to help them meet their needs and finally, wealthy nations helping poorer countries
through various development and aid projects.
The four harmonies:
1. Harmony with God
2. Harmony within themselves
3. Harmony with each other
4. Harmony with the rest of creation
Living in Harmony with God:
This is the basic relationship people need if they are to be spiritually empowered to develop
harmony within, harmony with others and harmony with the rest of creation. The following
Commandments of Jesus teach how to develop this relationship
1st – I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange god’s before me
This Commandment calls people to draw on the power of the Spirit in develop personal harmony
with God. To develop personal harmony with God, and the gifts of faith, hope and love.
Relationships with God, just like human relationships, require faith , hope and love in God.
This Commandment also forbids activities that damage a person’s relationship with God. Finally, this
Commandment forbids atheism which denies God’s existence and agnosticism which denies that
people can know and learn about God.
4. 2nd: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
This Commandment calls people to respect the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Virgin Mary and
of the Saints. In human relationships using people’s names disrespectfully weakens the relationship.
This is also the case in people’s relationship with God. Disrespectful use of God’s name weakens
people’s relationship with God.
This Commandment forbids:
Swearing or using disrespectfully in other ways, the names of God, of Jesus Christ, of the
Virgin Mary and of the Saints.
Perjury, or lying under oath
Blasphemy, or speaking in words of hatred or defiance against God
3rd: Keep holy the Lord’s Day
Human relationships deepen as people give time to each other. A person’s relationship with God
deepens as they give the Sabbath to God.
This Commandment calls people to dedicate each Sunday of the week to God by:
Worshipping – especially through the Eucharist
Taking rest and leisure to celebrate God, and all that God has done for people
Engaging in good works, such as visiting the sick and elderly especially family members.
People who do not set time aside for God weaken their relationship with God. This Commandment
forbids:
Failing to worship God
Unnecessary work on Sundays
Not taking time for good works
10th: You shall not covet you neighbours goods’
God wants people to enjoy harmony and peace with their creator. This is why:
The Holy Spirit stirs those feelings called Fruits of the Spirit”
Jesus told his followers “Blessed are the poor in Spirit..”
God can fully satisfy the yearnings and desires of the human heart. People should seek God and live
as God wants, before anything else.
In order to avoid weakening harmony with God the Tenth Commandment calls people to overcome:
Excessive desires for material things
Excessive concerns for wealth and power
