The Catechism of the Catholic Church mandated by Pope St. But, before we get to Aquinas's helpful insights into human nature, it is important to see what the Catechism teaches about the capital vices. Gregory the Great, which deal with the realities of evil thoughts, deadly sins, capital sins, or (what finally becomes settled terminology) the seven capital vices.

Thomas did not know the work of Evagrius of Pontus (Antirrhêtikos, or Talking Back), he did know Cassian's Institutes and the Moralia of St. In such cases, virtue is not implanted in the faculties of soul or in the passions. Sins of omission might be only materially evil and virtues only materially good when commanded by pride or one of the capital vices. Can a specific moral virtue be the result of ignorance or even weakness in another virtue? By accident this can happen if humility results. Is there an overall principle at all for undermining virtue? It seems not, since some sins occur as a result of ignorance or weakness. However, committing grave sin does not mean one has lost all affection for God, just as disobeying one's parents does not ipso facto mean definitively hating one's parents. The arrogantly proud person reaches a point of not wanting to respect the limits of the natural law implanted in his soul by God or the divine precepts that are taught by revelation and associated with the theological virtues. What underlines all the vices is pride because pride influences all the mortal sins, since to choose spiritual, bodily, or material goods against reason tears one away from one's ultimate end, either directly by contempt of God or indirectly by preferring spiritual or material goods to God in such a way that envy of another's good brings sadness that tears away from a union with God. A s the desire for happiness underlies the desire for natural virtue, so the desire for God underlies the supernatural virtues, such that charity becomes the form or inspirer of all the virtues.

Virtues and vices catholic church