I am not aware of an official, concrete statement specifically on tattoos, but they must follow the general moral principles of the Catholic faith. The first principle is that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. We must be conscious of the great dignity of our bodies. There are, of course, practices that disfigure the body externally, and this goes against the dignity of our body. We are called to proclaim the glory of God through our bodies. As St. Paul wrote, we carry God in our bodies and are meant to glorify Him. Therefore, we must follow this general moral principle. Additionally, we should not expose ourselves excessively through outward exhibition. Tattoos, in this sense, could be seen as against morality, as they contribute to exposing the body too much to others. We are called to follow Christian modesty, as always.
This principle is present in the New Testament, in the writings of the Apostle Paul, in his epistles, and in the writings of the other apostles. The great tradition of the Catholic Church, including the Church Fathers, has always admonished us to maintain modesty in our outward appearance. Another aspect is that as Christians, we should not always follow the fashions of the current generation or conform ourselves to the world. This is also a teaching from St. Paul the Apostle. With these criteria in mind, we can make a sound decision not to follow the excesses of the current fashion, including tattoos.
Dear visitors of Gloria Dei and all who have already written or who will write a personal message to me. I am grateful for your attention, your kindness, for your spiritual support and especially for your sacrifices and prayers for me. God may reward you!
