Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume I › Book I. On the General Principles of the Christian Life › Treatise III. On Those Things which Dispose Toward Human Acts, or on Habits › Dissertation I. On Virtues › Part II. On Virtues in Particular › Section II. On Supernatural Moral Virtues › Chapter II. On Supernatural Moral Virtues in Particular › Article II. On Justice › § III. On the Potential Parts of Justice

point — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Point III. On Piety

394.

I. Notion of Piety. The name piety in Sacred Scripture sometimes denotes religion itself;1 likewise the affection of mercy.2 But in the sense of some special virtue it is defined: a moral virtue inclining man to show due duty and honor to parents and country, insofar as they are principles of our being and governance. It is said:

  1. To show due duty and honor. By these words is indicated the material object of this virtue.

  2. To parents and country. By these words is indicated the terminus to whom of this virtue; and by the name of parents are primarily indicated father and mother, as properly and immediately the authors of our life; secondarily also our blood relatives, who in part are remotely the authors of our life, and all who share the blood of the authors of life and thus represent them to us. By the name of country are also understood fellow citizens and all friends of the country, on account of the intimate connection (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 101, a. 1).

  3. Insofar as they are principles of our being and governance. Thus is indicated the proper reason or cause why due duty and honor must be shown.

1 1 Tim. 4:7.

2 Ecclus. 2:13.

The Virtue of Piety

395.

II. Object of Piety. 1. The material object is all acts by which we show due duty and honor to them. These are acts of love, reverence, obedience, and assistance, whether with respect to body or with respect to soul.

  1. The remote formal object is the reason of debt on account of the received benefit of origin and governance. Therefore St. Thomas says: "Man is made debtor in different ways to others, according to their different excellence and the different benefits received from them. But in both respects God holds the highest place, who is both most excellent and is for us the first principle of being and governance; secondarily, however, the principles of our being and governance are parents and country, from whom and in which we were born and nourished. And therefore, after God, man is debtor above all to parents and country. Hence, just as it pertains to religion to show worship to God, so in a secondary degree it pertains to piety to show honor to parents and country" (II-II, q. 101, a. 1). The proximate formal object is the special moral goodness shining forth in rendering this debt.

The Virtue of Piety

396.

III. Opposed Vices. One sins against piety either by omission of prescribed acts or by commission of contrary acts; these are contained under the common, though ambiguous, name of impiety. Acts of commission are hatred, irreverence, and disobedience.

The Virtue of Piety