Listen now | From the audiobook Explanation of Catholic Morals - Chapter 58 defines authority as the right to command and obedience as the submission of one's will, acknowledging that while human will naturally resists submission, divine and natural law establish parental authority as fundamental. Disobedience to a parent's just, express, and lawful command is always a sin, with gravity depending on the nature of the refusal and the commanded act. While parents cannot coerce choices regarding a child's state in life, their commands regarding moral conduct and salvation are particularly binding, meaning refusal to obey them in such matters can lead to compounded sin.