The Ten Commandments in Roman Catholicism are considered essential for spiritual good health and growth, and serve as the basis for Catholic social teaching. The Commandments appear in the earliest Church writings; the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that they have "occupied a predominant place" in teaching the faith since the time of Saint Augustine (AD 354–430). The first Church-wide catechism in 1566 provided "thorough discussions of each commandment", but gave greater emphasis to the seven sacraments. Church teaching of the Commandments is largely based on the Old and New Testaments and the writings of the early Church Fathers. In the New Testament, Jesus freed his followers from Jewish law and most of its 613 regulations, but did not exempt them from abiding by the Commandments. Summarized by Jesus into two "great commandments" that teach love of God and love of neighbor, they instruct individuals on their relationships with both. The first three commandments demand respect for God's name, observation of the Lord's Day, and prohibit the worship of other gods. The others deal with the relationships between individuals, such as that between parent and child; they include prohibitions against lying, stealing, murdering, adultery and covetousness. (more...)

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• Pop star Michael Jackson (pictured) dies at the age of 50, after suffering cardiac arrest.
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June 26: Flag Day in Romania; Sunthorn Phu Day in Thailand

• 1409 – In an attempt to end the Western Schism, during which Gregory XII in Rome and Benedict XIII in Avignon simultaneously claimed to be the true pope, the Council of Pisa instead ended up electing a third one, Alexander V.
• 1541 – Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro (pictured) was assassinated in Lima by supporters of his rival Diego de Almagro's son.
• 1918 – World War I: The 26-day Battle of Belleau Wood near the Marne River in France ended with American forces finally clearing that forest of German troops.
• 1945 – At a conference in San Francisco, delegates from 50 nations signed a charter establishing the United Nations.
• 1963 – U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, underlining the support of the United States for democratic West Germany shortly after Soviet-supported East Germany erected the Berlin Wall.

• More anniversaries: June 25 – June 26 – June 27

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