Blasphemous, profane words break commandment

Article 150 - Catechism of the Catholic Church Series

Paragraphs 2133-2159

We have all heard it said in our grammar school “geography lessons” that all the rivers of the world flow to the ocean. Similarly, it can be said, that all words uttered under Heaven reach the “mind” of God. Thus, the Second Commandment teaches that words matter, especially when referencing the Divine Name, as well as the Christian name given at Baptism.

The Second Commandment states: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Ex 20:7). The Catechism teaches: “The Second Commandment prescribes respect for the Lord’s name. Like the First Commandment, it belongs to the virtue of religion and more particularly it governs our use of speech in sacred matters” (ccc 2142).

This Commandment, according to the Catechism, “also forbids the abuse of God’s name...[including] Jesus Christ, but also of the Virgin Mary and all the saints” (ccc 2146). St. James strongly condemns those “who blaspheme that honorable name [of Jesus]” (Jas 2:7).

This article discusses the first mention of God in Sacred Scripture. Paragraph 2143 explains: “Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the revealed name of God” (ccc 2143). Therefore, the Catechism cautions that we are “not to introduce [God’s name] into our own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it” (ccc 2143). Such is the precious name of God and the things of God! In fact, preaching and catechizing are also to be “permeated with adoration and respect for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (ccc 2145). Why? Because “respect for his name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God himself” (ccc 2144).

It, therefore, makes sense why false oaths and perjury are also sinful. To state it simply: because they call on God “to be a witness to a lie” (ccc 2151). In fact, words directed toward the Church, the saints, and all sacred things are a grave sin when they misuse God’s name, because they blaspheme God and, therefore, are “contrary to the respect due God and his holy name” (ccc 2148). It is likewise blasphemous to make use of God’s name “to cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death” (ccc 2148). In the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola, 16th century Spanish priest and founder of the Jesuits: “Do not swear whether by the Creator, or any creature, except truthfully, of necessity, and with reverence” (Spiritual Exercises, 38).

In short, profanity (obscene words or acts) and blasphemy (sacrilegious words or acts) are serious sins that disobey the Second Commandment. The First Commandment is probably also broken if the name of God is misused in a radical way, thus placing vulgarity and slang or abusive language as a “substitute god.”

While profanity is the misuse of God’s holy name in a careless and inappropriate manner, blasphemy is a more serious sin because the offense is a deliberate act of irreverence and contempt against God’s holy name. This is especially the case when used in a curse against another person. The Catechism explains: it “consists in uttering against God — inwardly or outwardly — words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one’s speech; in misusing God’s name” (ccc 2148). In one of his sermons, 4th century bishop and theologian, St. Augustine, observed: “God’s name is great when spoken with respect for the greatness of his majesty. God’s name is holy when said with veneration and fear of offending him.”

Similarly, God’s sacred name should never be invoked in the form of an oath if the statement being made is untrue. Why? Because, as the Catechism states: “An oath, that is the invocation of the divine name as a witness to truth, cannot be taken unless [it is taken] in truth, in judgment, and in justice” (ccc 2154). Stated differently, “When it is truthful and legitimate, an oath highlights the relationship of human speech with God’s truth. A false oath calls on God to be witness to a lie” (ccc 2151).

Related to this is the theme of the “Christian name” we receive in the Sacrament of Baptism. “In Baptism, the Lord’s name sanctifies us, and we receive our Christian name in the Church. This can be the name of a saint, that is, of a disciple who has lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord...[or one that)] expresses a Christian mystery or Christian virtue” (ccc 2156). The Church’s Code of Canon Law teaches: “Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to see that a name is not given which is foreign to Christian sentiment” (Canon 855).

The Second Commandment teaches, therefore, that not only do words matter, but names matter, especially the Divine Name, as well as the name we receive when we are born again in Christ through the waters of Baptism. No wonder, over the centuries, many parents chose to name their child after a canonized saint. This custom continues when selecting a name for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The name chosen by the Confirmandi is always that of a canonized saint.

This section of the Catechism finishes by emphasizing that, as the prophet put it, “God calls each one by name” (Is 43:1). We are told, “everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it” (ccc 2158). And finally, “the name one receives is a name for eternity” (ccc 2159).

A name identifies who God is and who we are. Some say it is the most important word in the world to us. As Sacred Scripture puts it: “A good name is more desirable than great riches, and high esteem, than silver and gold” (Prv 22:1).

Father Hillier serves as director of the diocesan Office of the Pontifical Missions, the Office for Persons with Disabilities, and Censor Librorum