From the Latin virtus, the concept of virtue refers to a positive quality that allows the production of certain effects. There are different uses of the term related to strength, courage, power of action, effectiveness of a thing or integrity of mind.
A virtue is a stable quality of the person, natural or acquired. There are intellectual virtues (related to intelligence) and moral virtues (related to good). Intellectual virtue is formed by the capacity for learning, dialogue and reflection in the search for true knowledge; within its limits, it is possible to distinguish between theoretical reason and practical reason.
Moral virtue, in turn, is moral action or behavior. It is the habit considered good and ethical. Justice (giving others what is due), fortitude (ability to resist temptation), prudence (acting with right judgment) and temperance (moderating the attraction of pleasures) are the cardinal virtues. In everyday language, virtue is used to refer to the qualities of any person: “Having patience is one of my virtues”, “Franco Fagioli has many virtues as a singer, including agility and the ability to act” The theological virtues, supernatural or infused are those that, according to Christian doctrine, God gives to man to act as his Son. The Seven Christian Virtues After classifying the seven capital sins, the Church has identified seven virtues that help believers to stay away from evil. Spearheaded by Pope Gregory the Great, the main objective of the initiative was to encourage the people to fulfill the commandments of the Bible, through various sermons that described the second visit of Jesus Christ to Earth, as well as the infernal punishments that awaited them. the infidels. . With a deep knowledge of the sacred scriptures, he helped in the drafting and organization of the seven virtues, which are detailed below: * faith: focuses on belief in matters related to God, which cannot be seen. It is opposed to the sin of pride, which consists of trusting more in one’s own abilities than in the divine. It is symbolized by a woman holding a cross, a chalice, or both, while Saint Peter stands at her feet; * hope: it is about trusting that good will overcome evil and that the control of the future will be in the hands of a merciful God. Its corresponding sin is envy, the desire to possess the strange for lack of hope in the future. It is symbolized by a winged woman with her hands pointing skyward.
* charity: it consists of caring for others and always being willing to support them. On the contrary, anger seeks the pain of others. It is symbolized by a woman surrounded by children and nursing one of them, and with Saint John the Evangelist at her feet; also, you can have a burning heart in your hands; * strength: is synonymous with determination to fight to the end. It opposes the sin of sloth. Her symbol is a woman who may have a sword, shield, or staff, or stand by a pillar (referring to the collapse of the Philistine temple by Samson, who stands at her feet); * justice: it is achieved by treating people fairly, unlike lust, which disproportionately leads to the valuation of people and things. It symbolizes a woman with a sword and scales in her hands, and at her feet the Emperor Trajan; * prudence: it is about being moderate and taking care of the economy. He opposes gluttony, which leads people to give in to their desires without considering the consequences. Her symbol is a two-headed woman, who holds a serpent and a mirror and holds her feet at Solon; * temperance: identify the things that are truly essential for life, as opposed to greed, which consists of the excessive desire for possessions. It is symbolized by a woman holding vases or a sword, while Scipio Africanus poses at her feet.
