Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that the fourth precept, about honoring one's parents, is unfittingly expressed. For this is the precept pertaining to piety. Now, just as piety is a part of justice, so are observance, gratitude, and others of which we have spoken (Questions 101,102, seq.). Therefore it seems that there should not have been given a special precept of piety, as none is given regarding the others.

Objection 2: Further, piety pays worship not only to one's parents, but also to one's country, and also to other blood kindred, and to the well-wishers of our country, as stated above (Question 101, Articles 1,2). Therefore it was unfitting for this precept to mention only the honoring of one's father and mother.

Objection 3: Further, we owe our parents not merely honor but also support. Therefore the mere honoring of one's parents is unfittingly prescribed.

Objection 4: Further, sometimes those who honor their parents die young, and on the contrary those who honor them not live a long time. Therefore it was unfitting to supplement this precept with the promise, "That thou mayest be long-lived upon earth."

On the contrary, stands the authority of Scripture.

I answer that, The precepts of the decalogue are directed to the love of God and of our neighbor. Now to our parents, of all our neighbors, we are under the greatest obligation. Hence, immediately after the precepts directing us to God, a place is given to the precept directing us to our parents, who are the particular principle of our being, just as God is the universal principle: so that this precept has a certain affinity to the precepts of the First Table.

Reply to Objection 1: As stated above (Question 101, Article 2), piety directs us to pay the debt due to our parents, a debt which is common to all. Hence, since the precepts of the decalogue are general precepts, they ought to contain some reference to piety rather than to the other parts of justice, which regard some special debt.

Reply to Objection 2: The debt to one's parents precedes the debt to one's kindred and country since it is because we are born of our parents that our kindred and country belong to us. Hence, since the precepts of the decalogue are the first precepts of the Law, they direct man to his parents rather than to his country and other kindred. Nevertheless this precept of honoring our parents is understood to command whatever concerns the payment of debt to any person, as secondary matter included in the principal matter.

Reply to Objection 3: Reverential honor is due to one's parents as such, whereas support and so forth are due to them accidentally, for instance, because they are in want, in slavery, or the like, as stated above (Question 101, Article 2). And since that which belongs to a thing by nature precedes that which is accidental, it follows that among the first precepts of the Law, which are the precepts of the decalogue, there is a special precept of honoring our parents: and this honor, as a kind of principle, is understood to comprise support and whatever else is due to our parents.

Reply to Objection 4: A long life is promised to those who honor their parents not only as to the life to come, but also as to the present life, according to the saying of the Apostle (1 Tim. 4:8): "Piety is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." And with reason. Because the man who is grateful for a favor deserves, with a certain congruity, that the favor should be continued to him, and he who is ungrateful for a favor deserves to lose it. Now we owe the favor of bodily life to our parents after God: wherefore he that honors his parents deserves the prolongation of his life, because he is grateful for that favor: while he that honors not his parents deserves to be deprived of life because he is ungrateful for the favor. However, present goods or evils are not the subject of merit or demerit except in so far as they are directed to a future reward, as stated above (1.2, Question 114, Article 12). Wherefore sometimes in accordance with the hidden design of the Divine judgments, which regard chiefly the future reward, some, who are dutiful to their parents, are sooner deprived of life, while others, who are undutiful to their parents, live longer.

Articulus 5

Argumentum 1

Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod inconvenienter tradatur quartum praeceptum, de honoratione parentum. Hoc enim praeceptum pertinet ad pietatem. Sed sicut pietas est pars iustitiae, ita etiam observantia et gratia, et alia de quibus dictum est.

Ergo videtur quod non debuit dari speciale praeceptum de pietate, cum de aliis non detur.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, pietas non solum exhibet cultum parentibus, sed etiam patriae et aliis sanguine coniunctis et patriae benevolis, ut supra dictum est.

Inconvenienter ergo in hoc quarto praecepto fit mentio solum de honoratione patris et matris.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, parentibus non solum debetur honoris reverentia, sed etiam sustentatio. Ergo insufficienter sola parentum honoratio praecipitur.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, contingit quandoque quod aliqui qui honorant parentes cito moriuntur, et e contrario qui parentes non honorant diu vivunt.

Inconvenienter ergo additur huic praecepto haec promissio, ut sis longaevus super terram.

Sed Contra

In contrarium est auctoritas sacrae Scripturae.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod praecepta Decalogi ordinantur ad dilectionem dei et proximi. Inter proximos autem, maxime obligamur parentibus. Et ideo immediate post praecepta ordinantia nos in deum, ponitur praeceptum ordinans nos ad parentes, qui sunt particulare principium nostri esse, sicut deus est universale principium. Et sic est quaedam affinitas huius praecepti ad praecepta primae tabulae.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, pietas ordinatur ad reddendum debitum parentibus, quod communiter ad omnes pertinet. Et ideo inter praecepta Decalogi, quae sunt communia, magis debet poni aliquid pertinens ad pietatem quam ad alias partes iustitiae, quae respiciunt aliquod debitum speciale.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod per prius debetur aliquid parentibus quam patriae et consanguineis, quia per hoc quod sumus a parentibus nati, pertinent ad nos et consanguinei et patria.

Et ideo, cum praecepta Decalogi sint prima praecepta legis, magis per ea ordinatur homo ad parentes quam ad patriam vel ad alios consanguineos. Nihilominus tamen in hoc praecepto, quod est de honoratione parentum, intelligitur mandari quidquid pertinet ad reddendum debitum cuicumque personae, sicut secundarium includitur in principali.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod parentibus inquantum huiusmodi, debetur reverentiae honor. Sed sustentatio et alia debentur eis ratione alicuius accidentis, puta inquantum sunt indigentes, vel secundum aliquid huiusmodi, ut supra dictum est.

Et quia quod est per se prius est eo quod est per accidens, ideo inter prima praecepta legis, quae sunt praecepta Decalogi, specialiter praecipitur honoratio parentum. In qua tamen, sicut in quodam principali, intelligitur mandari et sustentatio et quidquid aliud debetur parentibus.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod longaevitas promittitur honorantibus parentes non solum quantum ad futuram vitam, sed etiam quantum ad praesentem, secundum illud apostoli, I ad Tim. IV, pietas ad omnia utilis est, promissionem habens vitae quae nunc est et futurae.

Et hoc rationabiliter. Qui enim gratus est beneficio meretur secundum quandam congruentiam ut sibi beneficium conservetur, propter ingratitudinem autem meretur aliquis beneficium perdere.

Beneficium autem vitae corporalis, post deum, a parentibus habemus. Et ideo ille qui honorat parentes, quasi beneficio gratus, meretur vitae conservationem, qui autem non honorat parentes, tanquam ingratus, meretur vita privari. Quia tamen praesentia bona vel mala non cadunt sub merito vel demerito nisi inquantum ordinantur ad futuram remunerationem, ut dictum est; ideo quandoque secundum occultam rationem divinorum iudiciorum, quae maxime futuram remunerationem respiciunt, ideo aliqui qui sunt pii in parentes citius vita privantur, alii vero qui sunt impii in parentes diutius vivunt.