Adultery

Adultery is understood primarily as a violation of love through betrayal of a freely given vow.

The wrong is not merely sexual transgression, but the breaking of trust, fidelity, and mutual care promised to another person. Thus adultery is grounded in the second commandment: to love one’s neighbor as oneself. A union therefore carries moral weight because vows made in love create obligations of honesty, faithfulness, and protection toward the other.