Listen now | From the audiobook Explanation of Catholic Morals - Chapter 68 clarifies that the Fifth Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," specifically prohibits the unjust and voluntary taking of human life (murder), not the killing of animals, which are intended for human use. While human life is a sacred gift from God, who alone holds ultimate dominion over it, there are justifiable instances of homicide where God has delegated His authority, such as capital punishment, warfare, and self-defense. These exceptions are not contradictions but rather acknowledgments that a victim may forfeit their right to life through unjust aggression or grave crime, allowing society or an individual to take life as a deterrent or in self-preservation, a principle rooted in divine law and universally recognized.