United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

Chapter 26. Second Commandment: Reverence God’s Name • 355

FROM THE CATECHISM

1. What does the Second Commandment ask of us? The second commandment prescribes respect for the Lord’s nam e. Like the first commandment, it belongs to the vir tue of religion and more particularly it governs our use of speech in sacred matters. (CCC, no. 2142) 2. Name one act forbidden by the Second Commandment. The second commandment forbids every improper use of God’s name. Blasphemy is the use of the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Virgin Mary, and of the saints in an offensive way. (CCC, no. 2162)

3. Why is our baptismal name important? In Baptism, the Christian receives his name in the

Church. Parents, godparents and the pastor are to see that he be given a Christian name. The patron saint pro vides a model of charity and the assurance of his prayer. (CCC, no. 2165)

At the same time, we recognize diminished culpability when the name of God is used because of an outburst of undisciplined speech due to passion or unexpected incitement to anger. We need to cultivate a persistent reverence for sacred names; if we do not, we can end up giving bad example and also fall into the sin of blasphemy. It should also be noted that in Scripture, the sometimes passionate language of the Prophets, in which they lament the troubles of their times and utter loud complaints to God, is not blasphemy or the taking of God’s name in vain. It is actually prayer addressed to God. We are forbidden to use God’s name to witness a perjury or false oath, thereby using him to approve our lie. God’s name has been invoked to justify unjust wars and terrorism, slaughter enemies, and impose unwarranted power over others. Many