Ten Commandments in Catholic theology Ten Commandments in Catholic theology The Ten Commandments are a series of religious and moral imperatives that are recognized as a moral foundation in several of the Abrahamic religions, including Catholicism. As described in the Old Testament books Exodus and Deuteronomy, the Commandments form part of a covenant offered by God to the Israelites to free them from the spiritual slavery of sin. According to the "Catechism of the Catholic Church"—the official exposition of the Catholic Church's Christian beliefs—the Commandments are considered essential for spiritual good health and growth, and serve as the basis for Catholic social teaching. A review
Ten Commandments is read in "parashat Yitro" around late January–February, and on the festival of Shavuot, and the Deuteronomy version in "parashat Va'etchanan" in August–September. In some traditions, worshipers rise for the reading of the Ten Commandments to highlight their special significance though many rabbis, including Maimonides, have opposed this custom since one may come to think that the Ten Commandments are more important than the rest of the Mitzvot. In printed Chumashim, as well as in those in manuscript form, the Ten Commandments carry two sets of cantillation marks. The "ta'am 'elyon" (upper accentuation), which makes each Commandment into a separate