Yes, the Vatican has done so. Special ones for motorists, not to be regarded as binding as the traditional ones, but as guidelines for moral conduct on the highway (to heaven). http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-drive_wedjun20,1,3514032.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican on Tuesday issued a 10 commandments for motorists to keep them on the road to salvation, warning drivers against the sins of road rage, abuse of alcohol or even simple rudeness.
The unusual document from the Vatican's office for migrants and itinerant people also warned that automobiles can be "an occasion of sin," particularly when used to make a dangerous passing maneuver or when used by prostitutes and their clients.
And it suggested prayer might come in handy -- performing the sign of the cross before starting off and saying the rosary along the way. The rosary is particularly well-suited to recitation by all in the car, it said, because its "rhythm and gentle repetition does not distract the driver's attention."
Cardinal Renato Martino, who heads the office, told a news conference that the Vatican felt it necessary to address the pastoral needs of motorists because driving has become such a big part of contemporary life.
He cited World Health Organization statistics that said an estimated 1.2 million people are killed in road crashes each year and up to 50 million are injured.
"That's a sad reality, and at the same time, a great challenge for society and the church," he said.
He noted that the Bible is full of people on the move, including Mary and Joseph, and that his office is tasked with dealing with all "itinerant" people on the roads, from refugees to prostitutes, truck drivers and the homeless.
The document, "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road," extols the benefits of driving, but it laments a host of ills associated with automobiles, including drivers using their cars to show off and the "easy opportunity to dominate others" by speeding.
It warned about the effects of road rage, saying driving can bring out "primitive" behavior in motorists, including "impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, blasphemy, loss of sense of responsibility or deliberate infringement of the highway code."
It called for drivers to obey speed limits and to exercise a host of Christian virtues: charity to fellow drivers, prudence on the roads, hope of arriving safely and justice in the event of crashes.
Rev. Keith Pecklers, a Jesuit professor of liturgy at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, said Martino is responding to an underreported social concern: an increase in traffic deaths in places like Italy and Spain because of speeding, as well as an increase in road rage, aggressive driving and drunken driving in places such as the United States.
"It may be surprising for people because we're accustomed to the church speaking out about sexual matters, capital punishment, immigration," he said. "The point Cardinal Martino is making is that driving is itself a moral issue. How we drive impacts on the lives of ourselves and others."
But for some, the document was reason to poke fun at the Vatican.
"Overtaking is a sin? Well, then I'm a murderer, I'll turn myself in immediately," quipped movie director Dino Risi, whose classic film "The Easy Life" ends with a car crash.
"I think the Vatican has lost its marbles," he added, according to the ANSA news agency.
There was no indication Pope Benedict XVI had even read the document. It was signed by Martino and his secretary, as is customary for lower-level documents from the offices of the Vatican's bureaucracy.
- - -
You shall not kill and 9 other rules
The Vatican's 10 commandments for drivers:
1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.
-- Associated Press
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Well, what better to do than to issue new commandments when you are experiencing no or few problems eh? Personally I'd rather see the Vatican issue a statement to the situation in Palestine but hey, road morals aren't bad either.
VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican on Tuesday issued a 10 commandments for motorists to keep them on the road to salvation, warning drivers against the sins of road rage, abuse of alcohol or even simple rudeness.
The unusual document from the Vatican's office for migrants and itinerant people also warned that automobiles can be "an occasion of sin," particularly when used to make a dangerous passing maneuver or when used by prostitutes and their clients.
And it suggested prayer might come in handy -- performing the sign of the cross before starting off and saying the rosary along the way. The rosary is particularly well-suited to recitation by all in the car, it said, because its "rhythm and gentle repetition does not distract the driver's attention."
Cardinal Renato Martino, who heads the office, told a news conference that the Vatican felt it necessary to address the pastoral needs of motorists because driving has become such a big part of contemporary life.
He cited World Health Organization statistics that said an estimated 1.2 million people are killed in road crashes each year and up to 50 million are injured.
"That's a sad reality, and at the same time, a great challenge for society and the church," he said.
He noted that the Bible is full of people on the move, including Mary and Joseph, and that his office is tasked with dealing with all "itinerant" people on the roads, from refugees to prostitutes, truck drivers and the homeless.
The document, "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road," extols the benefits of driving, but it laments a host of ills associated with automobiles, including drivers using their cars to show off and the "easy opportunity to dominate others" by speeding.
It warned about the effects of road rage, saying driving can bring out "primitive" behavior in motorists, including "impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, blasphemy, loss of sense of responsibility or deliberate infringement of the highway code."
It called for drivers to obey speed limits and to exercise a host of Christian virtues: charity to fellow drivers, prudence on the roads, hope of arriving safely and justice in the event of crashes.
Rev. Keith Pecklers, a Jesuit professor of liturgy at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, said Martino is responding to an underreported social concern: an increase in traffic deaths in places like Italy and Spain because of speeding, as well as an increase in road rage, aggressive driving and drunken driving in places such as the United States.
"It may be surprising for people because we're accustomed to the church speaking out about sexual matters, capital punishment, immigration," he said. "The point Cardinal Martino is making is that driving is itself a moral issue. How we drive impacts on the lives of ourselves and others."
But for some, the document was reason to poke fun at the Vatican.
"Overtaking is a sin? Well, then I'm a murderer, I'll turn myself in immediately," quipped movie director Dino Risi, whose classic film "The Easy Life" ends with a car crash.
"I think the Vatican has lost its marbles," he added, according to the ANSA news agency.
There was no indication Pope Benedict XVI had even read the document. It was signed by Martino and his secretary, as is customary for lower-level documents from the offices of the Vatican's bureaucracy.
- - -
You shall not kill and 9 other rules
The Vatican's 10 commandments for drivers:
1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.
-- Associated Press
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Well, what better to do than to issue new commandments when you are experiencing no or few problems eh? Personally I'd rather see the Vatican issue a statement to the situation in Palestine but hey, road morals aren't bad either.
And as with the biblical ten, I think good persons behave nicely even without the knowledge of the ten commandments and they are probably also doing well on the road so it seems to me, this new set is not needed at all.
