Do Catholics have an obligation to protect others?

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Hi all,

So I was not able to find an answer using the search function so I thought I would post it to you all.

Do we have a duty to protect others from harm or attacks? Obviously we have the right to self defense, and as a husband and father I have an obligation to protect my family.

I would feel personally obligated to protect somebody in danger, but what do others think? And does the church have a stance on this issue? If so, how far does it extend? Friends, family, strangers?

Thank you all in advance if I am slow to reply.
 
The parable of the good Samaritan comes to mind as an answer to your question.
It was uttered by Jesus Himself so I would assume that yes indeed we have a duty to assist our fellow human beings and not only our immediate family.
This is why we are allowed to join an army to defend our country against foreign aggression also and we pray each and every Sunday for the safe being of those entrusted with our safety.
Peace!
 
I do not know the answer for sure. I do know the Church teaches that those in authority have an obligation to protect their own from physical harm. For example a husband is morally obligated to protect his wife and children or the leader of a country has a moral obligation to defend his country. But in the general case, does a person have an obligation to protect a stranger? I can’t say what the Church teaches. I believe it is, at the least, a very virtuous act.

I am interested in what others may know.
 
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roadphox said:
I would feel personally obligated to protect somebody in danger, but what do others think? And does the church have a stance on this issue? If so, how far does it extend? Friends, family, strangers?
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The positively expressed commandments, Eg Love of neighbor, provide a direction but they do not set a specific measure. Unlike the negative precepts which are absolute in the line between right and wrong.
 
I would like to add, if you could protect another’s life from certain death with almost no cost to yourself but you don’t, then what are you if not a bad person.
 
I believe for many of us that have been in the military it would come as second nature to protect others if we can, even at our own risk.
 
roadphox said:
I would feel personally obligated to protect somebody in danger, but what do others think? And does the church have a stance on this issue? If so, how far does it extend? Friends, family, strangers?
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Depends what you mean. If you see someone being robbed at gunpoint by three men are you morally obligated to rush the three gunmen?
You could help by calling the police. You could help by remembering descriptions etc.
 
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roadphox said:
Do we have a duty to protect others from harm or attacks? Obviously we have the right to self defense, and as a husband and father I have an obligation to protect my family
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Of course… God’s Command to Love thy Neighbor is a Must be Obeyed…

as is exemplified in the Parable of the Good Samaritan

_
 
The Good Samaritan, says many things… but the bottom line it does say God wants us to help one another.

as to question what kind of person are you who can help but doesn’t, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a bad person, just human. Sometimes people are afraid to help, or does not know they can help… I try to put myself in the place of the person who needs help, what would I want if I was that person.

Then I pray, that if I can help someone God will give me the strength and knowledge too help.

God willing I wouldn’t be putting myself in a position that we both end up needing help… you know what I mean.

like @thistle says there are ways to help, and not put yourself into the danger.
 
Thank you!
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You raise a valid point. I would agree that in your example it would be wiser to be a good witness in that scenario than escalate a mugging into something more violent.
 
Thank you, this reply helps a lot.
To further clarify this question came about from having a similar discussion with somebody.

My position was that you should absolutely help others in a dangerous situation. Their position was they had no obligation to help in that situation.

Perhaps we were both thinking a little one dimensionally. As some people have pointed out it is highly situational.

I think the best way I will be able to explain it would be it is not so much a question if when should help, but how best they can help in that situation given their abilities.

Thank you all.
 
You do need to use common sense. At a minimum call 911. Yelling without putting yourself in harm’s way can scare them off. Assisting someone doesn’t have to mean costing your life, especially if there is no immediate threat of harm to the victim. But in the case of a rape or a beating, I’d be more inclined to take a risk to help.
 
As you can see there is no one size fits all answer for every situation.
The virtues inform one another and work together.
Courage is informed by prudence and wisdom. Courage without the other virtues is not really courage, it could be foolishness.
 
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But what about those who haven’t been in the military but are the children of someone who was? I am a child of a military officer (ret 1973-1999) so for me it would and does only come naturally to protect someone against harm even at the risk of my own death. I don’t fear death because I have faced it a lot ( probably as much as someone on the battlefield) in the 36 years I’ve been alive just in a hospital setting for most of it.
 
My point is many in the military we’re trained how to act in a crisis situation. How to be aware of their surroundings before they act. As someone else pointed out, reacting foolishly will likely just cause more casualties. I also didn’t say “only” military. Each individual must know their limits. As I age I know my limits are decreasing, but I do think I’m smarter than many criminal types.
 
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Yes you are correct about this . But I was raised with this as well observe the situation and then "jump in " if necessary and help the person who is in trouble, I am not discounting your experiences or saying that you weren’t trained for them I admire people that are willing to do so . I’m just saying that I would be willing to pay the price for someone else to live.
 
Catholic361 said:
But what about those who haven’t been in the military but are the children of someone who was? I am a child of a military officer (ret 1973-1999) so for me it would and does only come naturally to protect someone against harm even at the risk of my own death. I don’t fear death because I have faced it a lot ( probably as much as someone on the battlefield) in the 36 years I’ve been alive just in a hospital setting for most of it.
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Every situation is different. Sometimes active involvement may end up harming others that would not otherwise have been harmed. A situation must be weighed up first. Rushing headlong into a scenario where gunmen are involved could get innocent people injured or killed. Also we have to consider our own family which could be destroyed if we get killed.
We are not called to be reckless.
 
Yes, at a minimum call 911 first. Use judgement on any further actions.
 
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