What does it mean that man is made in the 'Image and Likeness of God'?
To be created in the image and likeness of God ('Imago Dei') means that human persons possess a unique spiritual dignity that sets them apart from all other visible creatures. Man alone is capable of knowing and loving his Creator, endowed with spiritual intellect, free will, and the capacity for self-giving love and communion with others. Because every human person reflects God's image, every life has inviolable sacred worth from the moment of conception until natural death, regardless of ability, age, race, or social status.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 355-357
- Genesis 1:26-27
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.