The Vatican’s new “10 Commandments” for Drivers

Driver’s 10 Commandments:
The Vatican’s new guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road

As the token Catholic in the group, I couldn’t resist poking a bit of fun at this Vatican document that has recently attracted a lot of press. While wondering why Rome felt it necessary to issue a new edition of the Commandments, I couldn’t help but notice that they left out a few essentials, such as “Thou shalt remember to turn off thy signal after changing lanes.” I invite all you readers to add your favorite road rules to the list! (Apologies to Moses)

On a side note, this document was issued on June 19th by a minor Vatican office called the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. The Vatican is made up of dozens of offices that operate in much the same way as the U.S. cabinet department bureaucracies, and like any bureaucracy, it likes to waste a lot of time creating official statements on almost everything.
The full statement is several pages long and contains some nice sections that challenge all Christians to reach out to those who are often forced to live on the streets, such as the homeless, undocumented immigrants, street orphans and prostitutes. It was issued as a result of a gathering of the European Meeting of National Directors of the Pastoral Care of the Road held in 2003. (I’m trying to imagine that title on a conference nametag and wondering why it took 4 years to issue their conclusions). If you want to read the full document, go to www.vatican.va and do a search for “Pastoral Care of the Road”.

Drivers’ “Ten Commandments”

I. You shall not kill.

II. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

III. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

IV. Be charitable and help your neighbour in need, especially victims of accidents.

V. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

VI. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

VII. Support the families of accident victims.

VIII. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

IX. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

X. Feel responsible towards others.

The document was published in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. It is curious that it was not issued in German, the current pope’s native language. Those guys on the autobahn would not have paid any attention, anyway!

Pax Nobiscum!