What is the Catholic belief regarding tattoos and body piercing?
The reasons for the tattoos and body piercing have a lot to do with the possible existence and degree of sin. If your intent was to purposely mark yourself in such a way as to blaspheme Christ, his Mother or any of his friends (the saints), then this would clearly be a sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church in paragraph #2297 teaches that “Except when performed for strictly therapeutic medical reasons, directly intended amputations, mutilations, and sterilizations performed on innocent persons are against the moral law”. To the degree that tattoos and body piercings are body mutilations, they should be avoided. All people have an obligation to keep there body healthy. Tattooing and excessive piercings expose the body to needless infection.
It depends on the image, placement and reasons for the tattoo or piercing. The commonly cited passage in Leviticus is directly in reference to pagan rituals and belief in tattoos as protections from the spirit world. The passages commonly referenced in Corinthians are specifically in reference to sexual/moral purity. So as far as Scripture is concerned it seems that we are left without a clear guide. One might connect the scriptural reference to the body as a Temple of the Spirit and assorted references about defiling the Temple of the Lord. However, one should think this through. Was the Temple without ornament? Was there no painting, wall hanging, gold or silver? If one uses the Temple argument, that person must then accept valid decoration, even carved into the stone of the temple, as it were. Crosses, images of the saints or patriarchs, these would be hard to forbid in the Temple of the Lord. Prudence, then, is the key factor in this situation. Images should be chosen that would be
