Many prelates in the Church stand against a person’s right to bear arms and, by extension, to defend himself.  This comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of the natural law. The Ten Commandments, which express the natural law, encompass more than what is strictly stated. Within the fifth commandment we are not only forbidden to take a life unjustly, by the negative principle, but we are also instructed to do what is necessary to preserve our lives.  It is not sinful for an individual to possess the means of defending his life and limb, and the lives of those dependent on him, and he is commanded to do so if possible.
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