On Man

COMPENDIUM

Man is the noblest creature of the visible world, and derives his dignity from the fact that he is made in the image and likeness of God. In creating the sun, moon, stars, planets, and animals, God merely said: "Let them be!" When He came to the creation of man, God said: "Let Us make man in Our Own image and likeness." This likeness consists chiefly in the soul, because of its nature and qualities.

The Catholic Church teaches that man is composed of two constituents, body and soul, not merely existing side by side, but so united as to give unity of nature. The Church furthermore teaches that, of the two, the soul is the more important, because it is the principle of man's vegetative life, by virtue of which he grows, his sensitive life, by virtue of which he feels, and his intellectual life, by virtue of which he thinks, understands, and chooses freely. The soul is spiritual; it not made up of parts, and is distinct and separable from the body. The soul is also immortal; once created, it demands continued existence forever, and cannot die.

The Catholic Church teaches that God, immediately and by a special act above the powers of nature, created the soul of Adam, the progenitor of the human race, and that God directly creates every human soul at the moment of conception. As for Adam's body, the more common view of theologians has always held the traditional and obvious interpretation of Sacred Scripture, namely, that it was made by God directly and by a special act: "And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth, and breathed into his face the breath of life." (Gen. 2:8)

It is sometimes claimed that the teaching of the Church on the origin of man contradicts the conclusions of science regarding the evolution of the human body from lower animals. We must beware, however, of "popularizers of science" who, with vivid imagination and facile pen, describe as facts what are merely suppositions. That which has never been demonstrated cannot be admitted as a conclusion of science. Truth cannot contradict truth. As God is the author of both reason and His Revelation, and cannot contradict Himself, the truths of real science must harmonize with God's revealed teaching.

The Church teaches that the whole human race is descended from Adam and Eve. It follows from this that the whole human race is one, and that all human beings share the same origin, with the same laws in their nature.

Man was created primarily for God's external glory: man is the most perfect of visible creatures, and reflects more than others the excellence of God. Moreover, being rational, man can know and praise the excellence of his Creator. Besides this, God created man to make him a sharer of His happiness in heaven: God could have given man a destiny of merely natural happiness in keeping with his nature and faculties; but God did not, in point of fact, give man such a destiny. God game man a destiny infinitely superior to any natural destiny - namely, the happiness of heaven, which consists in that face-to-face vision of God called the Beatific Vision, with the love of it and the joy of possessing it which results from that vision. This destiny is entirely above the claims of man, and is a free gift of God. It is furthermore beyond the reach of man's unaided natural powers, being entirely supernatural.

The Church teaches that, in preparation for, and in keeping with, this supernatural destiny, God gave to Adam the gift of supernatural life, i.e. a life above nature, whereby even in this life his soul was "supernaturalized", capable of a relationship with God altogether higher and holier than anything that could spring from his merely natural endowments. The source and principle of the supernatural life given to Adam was God's sanctifying grace, the most precious of God's gifts, which made our first parents participators in the Divine Nature, so that, after their probation, they were to pass from this world and dwell with God as children with their father. With this sanctifying grace, Adam received the infused virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity, enabling him to know, love, and serve God in a supernatural manner. As suitable complements of His sanctifying grace, God gave Adam the preternatural gifts of integrity, i.e. the interior harmony of the elements of his nature, with his body and senses perfectly subordinate to his mind and will, and these subjected by grace to God, and immortality, i.e. freedom from death. God gave these gifts to Adam to be held by him on condition that he observe the command imposed on him by God. "God made an everlasting covenant with them, and He showed them His justice and His judgments." (Eccl. 17:10) "In what day soever thou shalt eat of it (the tree of knowledge), thou shalt die the death." (Gen. 2:17)

The Catholic Church teaches that God gave man the necessary knowledge of the purpose of life, i.e. his supernatural destiny, the means to attain it, i.e. the supernatural life of grace, and of the law to be obeyed, but that God left man perfectly free to obey or disobey. God does not force even His best gifts on man's free will. Sanctifying grace left Adam's will its natural prerogative of freedom. This free will, while giving Adam his dignity among creatures, could also be the source of his downfall. And so it happened.

God intended all men to receive the same gifts that adorned our first parents. Such was God's plan for all men, and God on His part left nothing undone to assure its happy fulfillment. The fact that men are born into the world in a condition which God never intended is the result of man's free will, which wrecked God's plan.

CATECHISM

15. What position of dignity has man among the things of creation?

Man is the noblest creature of the visible world, and derives his dignity from the fact that he is made in the image and likeness of God.

16. What does the Church teach regarding the nature of man?

The Catholic Church teaches that man is composed of two constituents, body and soul.

17. Which is more important, body or soul?

The more important than the body, because it is the principle of all life in man; moreover, it is spiritual and immortal.

18. What does the Church teach regarding the origin of man's soul?

The Catholic Church teaches that God directly created the soul of Adam, and that God directly creates every human soul.

19. What does the Church teach with regard to the origin of the human body?

The common view of theologians is that the body of Adam was made by God directly and by a special act.

20. Does not the teaching of the Church contradict the conclusions of science which go to show that the human body is evolved from the lower animals?

Truth cannot contradict truth. As God is the author of both reason and His own revelation, and cannot contradict Himself, the truths of real science must harmonize with God's revealed teaching.

21. Are all men descended from Adam and Eve?

Yes, the whole human race is descended from Adam and Eve.

22. Why did God create man?

Man was created primarily for God's external glory.

23. Was this the only reason why God created man?

Besides creating man for His own glory, God created man to make him a sharer of His happiness in heaven.

24. Of what does the happiness of heaven consist?

The happiness of heaven is that possession of God called the Beatific Vision.

25. Has man by reason of his nature any claim to this destiny?

This destiny of man is entirely above the claims of man, and is a free gift of God.

26. Is it within the power of man's unaided nature to reach this destiny?

This destiny of man is beyond the reach of man's unaided natural powers, being entirely supernatural.

27. Since this destiny was beyond Adam's natural powers, did God bestow on him what was necessary to reach it?

The Church teaches that, in preparation for, and in keeping with, this supernatural destiny, God gave to Adam the gift of supernatural fife.

28. What was the source of this supernatural life?

The source and principle of the supernatural life given to Adam was God's sanctifying grace.

29. Did God give Adam any other gifts with the gift of sanctifying grace?

Besides the gift of sanctifying grace, God gave Adam the preternatural gifts of integrity and immortality.

30. Were these gifts of sanctifying grace, integrity, and immortality given to Adam unconditionally?

God gave these gifts to Adam to be held by him on condition that he observe the command imposed on him by God.

31. Was Adam free to retain the supernatural life or reject it?

God gave man the necessary knowledge of the purpose of life (supernatural destiny) and the means to attain it, and of the law to be obeyed, but God left man perfectly free to obey or disobey.

32. Did God intend that all men should enjoy these supernatural and preternatural gifts?

Yes, God intended all men to receive the same gifts that adorned our first parents; such was God's plan for all men, and God on His part left nothing undone to assure its happy fulfillment.