What is the ethical code of the Catholic belief?

Answer 1

Catholic belief is entirely based on the teachings of Jesus Christ as He handed them to His Apostles with St. Peter as their head. Some of them were later written in what the Church has pulled together in 390 A.D. as the New Testament. Others were directly handed down through the Magisterium (teaching authority) of the Church. For a brief synopsis, you can look at the following statements of the Church, particularly Our Blessed Lord's statement on how we are going to be judged (Matt 25:31-see below):

Catholics believe that this short time on earth is the only chance we have to determine where we are going to spend eternity. After you have been in heaven or hell for ten million years, you are going to look back on your incredibly short time on earth and wonder why you squandered a minute of it. This short time on earth is a gift from God to allow us time to make the right decision, to enable us to start following Him, and loving Him with our whole heart, our whole mind, and every bit of strength that he has given us. This means that every single moment from here until death is given to God Almighty. You need to start obeying the Ten Commandments of God, the Seven Precepts of the Church, and practicing the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. The Corporal Works of Mercy are particularly important as these are how you are going to be judged. Also, as your heart must be in them, and you must be free from sin to do any of these, you need to be going to confession weekly, or at the very outside, monthly, and to Mass and Holy Communion as often as possible. Please note that Mass as much as you can get there, but Holy Communion only if you have prepared and are in a state of grace (have been to confession recently).

Ten Commandments of God

Exodus XX

1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
3. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
4. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shalt not commit adultery.
7. You shalt not steal.
8. You shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shalt not covet your neighbor's wife.10. You shalt not covet your neighbor's goods.

Seven Precepts of the Church

1. To assist at Mass and rest from servile work on all Sundays and holidays of obligation.

2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed by the Church;
3. To go to confession at least once a year;
4. To receive the Blessed Sacrament at least once a year, and that about Easter time;
5. To contribute to the support of our pastors according to our means;
6. Not to marry within certain degrees of kindred, nor to marry with solemnity at forbidden times.
7. To join in the missionary spirit and apostolate of the Church.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy

To admonish the sinner,
To instruct the ignorant,
To counsel the doubtful,
To comfort the sorrowful,
To bear wrongs patiently,
To forgive all injuries,
To pray for the living and the dead.

The Corporal Works of Mercy

Matt 25:31

To feed the hungry,
To give drink to the thirsty,
To clothe the naked,
To visit the prisoners,
To shelter the homeless
To visit the sick,
To bury the dead
To give alms to the poor.