Catholic Morality and Tattoos

    One of the most frequent questions I receive from students is on the topic of tattoos and Catholic moral teaching. Although there is no official Church Teaching on the morality of tattoos, in this article I will look at the basic framework of Catholic morality to draw out what I believe to be a well-supported response to the question “What is the morality of tattoos?”  

Sacred Scripture and Tattoos

    Those who are in the camp that one is never morally permitted to get a tattoo will often cite Leviticus 19:28 “Do not lacerate your bodies for the dead, and do not tattoo yourselves. I am the LORD.” At first glance this seems to be a pretty sharp blow to those who desire to get a tattoo, the Bible says not to get a tattoo; therefore, if the case is closed one should not get a tattoo. However, when we take a deeper look into the verse and consider it in the historical and cultural context of the time it was written the verse does not read so sharply.

    During the time of Moses, we find that tattoos were primarily a pagan tradition by which one was marked to be linked with a particular tribe, master, or devotion to a pagan god. Members of a particular tribe would get tattoos to identify themselves with the group, masters would tattoo their slaves to mark them as property, and tattoos dedicated to a particular god or goddess were also common during that time; Therefore, the proper interpretation of Leviticus 19:28 is that one shall not partake in the cultural rituals or customs of the pagans. God desired for the Israelites to be set apart from these groups so that the Jewish culture and devotion to Yahweh the One True God would be preserved from corruption by foreign practices as well as devotion to false gods.

    Thus, God gives the Israelites their own custom for marking their body, and slaves and devoting themselves to the One True God Yahweh. In Genesis chapter 17 God tells Abraham that all males from his lineage and their slaves are to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant God entered into with Abraham. We can conclude that Leviticus 19:28 is not a direct condemnation of tattoos themselves as it is a condemnation for partaking in pagan rituals and marking their bodies with the symbols of foreign tribes and gods or goddesses that were not permitted by and were an abomination to the One True God.

    It should also be noted that in the book of Leviticus the Israelites are given three sets of laws: Civil, Ceremonial, and Moral. Thus, civil and ceremonial laws changed over time while the moral laws such as the 10 Commandments primarily addressed intrinsically evil acts which are always wrong and are unchanging. It would appear that the condemnation of tattoos in the Bible is in regard to the ceremonial laws by which the Israelites were to partake in or were forbidden to partake.

Bodily Mutilation?

    Before I lay out some moral considerations one should discern before getting a tattoo I would like to reply to one more common objection many have against getting a tattoo and that is the objection that tattoos are a form of bodily mutilation. Those who make this claim typically are using too broad of a definition for “mutilation” which traditionally means the destruction of the body and its parts to the point that it or the part no longer functions properly. If one has too broad of a definition of mutilation that spans outside this definition then one will find that ear piercings and circumcision begin to fit under this criteria of which neither has been condemned by the Church. While, the skin is an organ, most forms of tattooing do not render the skin unable to serve its basic functions and thus we can conclude tattoos are not a form of bodily mutilation.

Moral Considerations

    Thus, we can conclude from Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition that getting a tattoo is not an intrinsically evil act nor is it something that was altogether avoided by Christians in the past, rather it was done and can be done in such a way to express devotion to God and the Catholic faith. However, I would like to lay out six moral considerations one should ponder before deciding to get a tattoo. While I do not personally have a tattoo myself the following six criteria are what I use to advise students and friends who are considering getting a tattoo. These criteria are primarily based on the moral framework found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1750 on Intent, Object, and Circumstance

1. The tattoo cannot be blasphemous, heretical, or vulgar nor can it promote these things. Rather the tattoo should be for the sake of giving Glory to God.

2. It should be modest in size and location. The tattoo should not be placed in or near private areas and not serve to be sexually suggestive. Places like hands, neck, face, and head should be avoided so that modesty can be kept while in professional settings.

3. The intent of the one getting tattooed should not be led by the vice of singularity (desire to stand out or have undue attention drawn towards oneself). The intent should not be to get tattooed as an act of rebellion or desire to fit in with a particular group but should be sought as an act of virtue in such a way that one wants to mark their body with a symbol of beauty for the right reasons of promoting truth and goodness. Since we are made in the image and likeness of God any aesthetic added to the body should promote His image and likeness not diminish it.

4. The object should be healthy and thus done in a safe and professional environment. One should do thorough research on the artist and shop they will be getting tattooed at and consider whether or not the artist or shop is affiliated with demonic or satanic practices and/or promotes these things. View the artist's work and see if they have done work in the past that gives glory to the devil or demonic, there have been occasions when artists who practice witchcraft or black magic have cursed their ink.

5. The circumstance must be the right time (age appropriate) and not cause a financial burden since tattoos can be expensive.

6. Pray for at least six months to a year to God, Mary, and your Guardian Angel for eyes to see the truth in regards to whether or not you should get tattooed. If it is not opposed to the will of God for you to get a tattoo then pray for eyes of clarity for which tattoo will best please God and give Him glory.