Cardinal and Theological Virtues

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(No Transcript)
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Cardinal and Theological Virtues in the Catholic
Church
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CARDINAL VIRTUES
The cardinal virtues are the four primary moral
virtues. The English word cardinal comes from the
Latin word cardo, which means "hinge." All
other virtues hinge upon these four virtues. The
cardinal virtues can be practiced by anyone,
religious or non-religious. (Scott P. Richert)
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Cardinal Virtues

• There are 4 cardinal virtues
• a) Prudence
• b) Justice
• c) Fortitude
• d)Temperance

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Prudence

• Practical judgment.
• Prudence asks the question, What is the right
  thing to do in this particular situation?
  (common sense).
• An example of prudence is organizing your study
  time before an exam.
• Staying home before a final instead of going to
  a football or basketball game is prudent.

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Justice

• Justice is the virtue that reminds us that the
  people with whom we share our world have rights
  and that, as much as possible, all people deserve
  to have basic needs met.
• In other words, justice is the virtue that
  explicitly ranks our own good as equal to the
  common good, the good of all people.

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Fortitude

• Fortitude is simply a fancy term for the virtue
  that the cowardly lion requests from the wizard
  of Oz-courage.
• The challenge is to stand up for what is right in
  the face of peer pressure or in circumstances
  when we are being called upon to step out of our
  usual patterns of behavior. Without the courage
  to act, all the other virtues are useless.
• It ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy
  in the pursuit of the good.

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Temperance

• Temperance is the virtue that refers to
  self-control in general.
• As justice is the virtue of social harmony and
  balance, so temperance is the virtue of personal
  harmony and balance. Temperance advocates a
  wholesome personal lifestyle.
• Freedom requires self control. If we are
  incapable of regulating the amount of food we eat
  or the amount of alcohol we consume, then we are
  not free.

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THE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES

• The Theological Virtues are gifts of God through
  grace.
• (Scott P. Richert)

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Theological Virtues

• Theological virtues are rooted in God and reflect
  Gods presence in our lives.
• The 3 Theological virtues are the following
• a) Faith
• b) Hope
• c)Love (Charity)

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Faith

• Faith is the virtue by which we recognize that
  God exists and that Gods very existence holds
  moral implications for us.
• Faith is believing in God and being faithful to
  him.
• Faith requires openness and trust.
  Faith-in-action involves trying to discover what
  is Gods will and then acting accordingly.

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Hope

• Hope is trusting in God, in everything that
  Christ has promised, and in the help of the Holy
  Spirit.
• Hope is intimately tied to responsibility. It is
  future oriented and means taking seriously the
  consequences of our actions.
• Jesus provides hope that, no matter how hopeless
  our current circumstances appear and despite
  trials and setbacks, in the end all will be well.
• Never Give up!

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Love

• Love is the theological virtue representing the
  core of the Christian moral life. Love is the
  virtue that places concern for God, manifest
  especially through concern for others, above
  everything else.
• The Catechism defines love in the words of the
  medieval theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas, To
  love is to will the good of another.

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Love (cont.)

• Every other virtue that we might practice
  represents some dimension of love every time we
  practice a virtue, we are giving expression to
  love. Pretty much love is the core virtue and
  when we practice any virtue, we are practicing
  love.
• Moral laws are norms for love moral principals
  are the principles of love. Sin indicates a
  failure to love.
• Moral decision making is the process of
  practicing the art of love.

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Source

• Back to Virtue Peter Kreeft 1992