In a culture that often treats human intimacy as a casual commodity or a fleeting emotion, the Catholic Church presents a much more profound and beautiful vision. To understand how we are called to love one another with the very love of God, we must ask: What is the sixth commandment?
The Catholic Sixth Commandment is: “You shall not commit adultery.”
At first glance, this may seem like a rule intended only for married couples. However, in the light of the Gospel, the Sixth Commandment is a universal call to the Virtue of Chastity. It is the commandment that protects the integrity of the person, the sacredness of the family, and the truth of human language expressed through the body.
When we look at the Sixth Commandment in the Bible (Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18), we see it positioned in the heart of the Decalogue. To understand why God gave this command, we must go back to the beginning—to the book of Genesis.
God created humanity in His image, “male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). The union of man and woman in marriage was designed to be a physical sign of God’s own fruitful and faithful love. When God says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” He is protecting that original design. He is setting a boundary around the marriage covenant to ensure that the total gift of self remains total, exclusive, and permanent.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ deepened our understanding of this law. In the Sermon on the Mount, He taught that the commandment is not just about external actions: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). With these words, Jesus invites us to a higher standard: Purity of Heart.
When we ask about the meaning of the sixth commandment, we are talking about the successful integration of our sexuality within our whole person. The Church teaches from scripture that the body is a “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:18-20). Therefore, how we treat our bodies – and the bodies of others – is a direct reflection of our love and respect for God.
The primary meaning of the Sixth Commandment is the prohibition of adultery. Adultery is a failure in justice and charity. It breaks the marriage promise made before God and the community, and it deeply wounds the spouse, the children, and the integrity of the family, which is the cornerstone of the culture. The Sixth Commandment places a protective boundary around marriage and family.
For those who are not married, the Sixth Commandment is a call to Chastity. Chastity is often misunderstood as simply “abstinence,” but it is much more than that. Chastity is the spiritual power that allows us to love others purely, without seeking to use them for our own selfish pleasure.
St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” provides a modern lens for the Sixth Commandment. He taught that the body has a “language.” When a man and woman give themselves to each other, their bodies are saying, “I am yours totally, faithfully, and forever.”
If that language is spoken outside of the marriage covenant, it becomes a “lie” of the body, because the total, permanent commitment isn’t actually there. The Sixth Commandment is God’s way of saying: “Do not lie with your body. Let your love be as true as My love for you.”
The Catholic tradition almost always groups the Sixth and Ninth Commandments together. While the Sixth Commandment focuses on actions, the Ninth Commandment (“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife”) focuses on desires.
To keep the Sixth Commandment, we must guard the “gates” of our hearts. This is often called “Modesty of the Eyes.” In an age of digital media and suggestive advertising, this means being intentional about what we watch, what we look at on our phones, and the conversations we engage in. By guarding our senses, we protect our capacity to see others as persons to be loved, rather than objects to be used.
In a spirit of mercy and truth, an examination of conscience regarding this commandment includes:
The Church understands that many people struggle with temptations or sins against the Sixth Commandment. We live in a world that makes purity difficult. However, the Sixth Commandment is not a trap to catch us in sin; it is a guiding star to lead us to happiness.
If you have fallen, the Sacrament of Confession is a place of absolute healing. There is no sin that God’s mercy cannot forgive. When we confess sins against the Sixth Commandment, we aren’t “getting in trouble”; we are being restored to our original dignity. We are being given the grace to start over, to be “made new,” and to grow in the virtue of chastity.
No. It is about Freedom. A person who is a slave to their impulses is not truly free. Chastity gives us the freedom to love others for who they are, rather than what they can give us.
Prayer and the Sacraments. Frequent Confession and the Eucharist provide the supernatural strength that our human nature often lacks. Additionally, practicing the “Virtue of Modesty” – being careful with our dress and our digital habits – creates a hedge of protection around our hearts.
What is the Sixth Commandment? It is God’s protection of the most powerful force in the human experience: Love. By following this law, we don’t lose anything; rather, we gain the ability to love as Jesus loves – with a heart that is wide open, sincere, and entirely faithful.
When we live with a pure heart, we begin to see the world differently. We see God’s image in everyone we meet, and we find a peace that the world’s casual version of love can never provide.
Are you seeking a “new beginning” in your relationships or your interior life? Use our Detailed Examination of Conscience for Adults to reflect on the beauty of chastity and prepare for a healing encounter in Confession.
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