梵蒂岡第二屆大公會議文獻 - 牧職憲章 (GS) , 14

人的構造

人是由肉體、靈魂所組成的一個單位。以身體而論，將物質世界匯集於一身。於是，物質世界便藉人而抵達其極峰，並藉人而高唱頌揚造物主的聖歌。

故此，人不應輕視其肉體生命，而應承認其肉體的美善而重視之；因爲肉體是天主所造。末日又將復活。但因罪惡的創傷，人才體驗到內體的抗命不從。所以，人性尊嚴要求人在肉體內光榮天主，不允許肉體順從心靈的惡劣偏向。

人認定自己高出於物質事物之上，並否認自己只是自然界微不足道的一個小部份，否認自己只是國家的無名因素，這樣行事是不錯的。人因其內心而凌駕乎「一切之上；人回心自省，便有洞察人心的天主等待着他；同時，人在天主聖目注視下，決定自己的命運，這樣便是回轉到其內心的深處。人承認在自身內，有一個精神的、不死不滅的靈魂，這樣的人並非爲一種由物質條件及社會環境所造成的幻想所愚弄，而是觸及事實的真相。

THE MAKE-UP OF MAN

Though made of body and soul, man is one. Through his bodily composition he gathers to himself the elements of the material world. Thus they reach their crown through him, and through him raise their voice in free praise of the Creator.

For this reason man is not allowed to despise his bodily life. Rather, he is obliged to regard his body as good and honorable since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day. Nevertheless, wounded by sin, man experiences rebellious stirrings in his body. But the very dignity of man postulates that man glorify God in his body and forbid it to serve the evil inclinations of his heart.

Now, man is not wrong when he regards himself as superior to bodily concerns, and as more than a speck of nature or a nameless constituent of the city of man. For by his interior qualities he outstrips the whole sum of mere things. He finds re-enforcement in this profound insight whenever he enters into his own heart. God, who probes the heart, awaits him there. There he discerns his proper destiny beneath the eyes of God. Thus, when man recognizes in himself a spiritual and immortal soul, he is not being mocked by a deceptive fantasy springing from mere physical or social influences. On the contrary he is getting to the depths of the very truth of the matter.