The Virtue of Patriotism

Mahalo to Sue

Virtues in General

Most of you are probably familiar with what are called the three theological virtues, i.e. Faith, Hope, and Charity. They are called theological because they focus on God.

But there are also other virtues, called intellectual and moral. The moral virtues are classified as acquired and infused. So, for example, the infused moral virtues are Christian prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, and those which accompany them, such as meekness and humility - humility being the basis of all of the virtues, even the theological virtues.

The Virtue of Patriotism

But rather than explain what you should be able to find in most good Catholic Catechisms or other sources, with the 4th of July now just a few weeks away, it seems timely to focus on the Virtue of Patriotism, especially since many people probably do not even know that Patriotism is a virtue.

Rather than re-invent the wheel, as the expression goes, here is what one source tells us about the Virtue of Patriotism:

“It is not to be understood that the Church disregards the ties which bind men to their country, or undervalues the virtue of patriotism. The division of men into different nations enters into the scheme of Providence. To each nation has been assigned a special task to accomplish in the working out of God's purposes. A man owes a duty to his nation no less than to his family.”

“One who omits this duty has failed in a primary moral obligation. Moreover, each nation has its own character, and its own special gifts. It will usually be found that a man attains to high virtue, not by neglecting these gifts, but by embodying the best and noblest ideals of his own people.” (The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume III, The Church, XI, Universality of the Church; emphasis added.)

This same source also explains that:

“By civil allegiance is meant the duty of loyalty and obedience which a person owes to the State of which he is a citizen. The word allegiance is a derivative of liege, free, and historically it signifies the service which a free man owed to his liege lord. In the matter in hand its meaning is wider, it is used to signify the duty which a citizen owes to the state of which he is a subject.”

“That duty, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, rests on nature itself and the sanctions of religion. As nature and religion prescribe to children dutiful conduct towards the parents who brought them into the world, so nature and religion impose on citizens certain obligations towards their country and its rulers.”

“These obligations may be reduced to those of patriotism and obedience. Patriotism requires that the citizen should have a reasonable esteem and love for his country. He should take an interest in his country's history, he should know how to value her institutions, and he should be prepared to sacrifice himself for her welfare. In his country's need it is not only a noble thing, but it is a sacred duty to lay down one's life for the safety of the commonwealth.” (The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume III, Civil Allegiance; emphasis added.)


When all is said and done, all people, most especially those who call themselves “Catholics”, should be able to recognize patriotism as a virtue, regardless in which country they live. Virtue is the opposite of vice. So, then, when one recognizes the fact that the division of men into different nations enters into the scheme of Providence, one automatically recognizes that it is part of the Holy Will of God that different nations exist because to each nation has been assigned a special task to accomplish in the working out of God's purposes according to the above source.

The term nation comes from the Middle English nacioun (nation), from the Latin natio (birth, race, nation), and the French nasci (to be born). It is usually defined as: 1) a politically organized nationality; 2) a community of people composed of one or more nationalities with its own geographical territory and government; 3) the territory of a country.”

But how is the geographical territory of a particular nation/country delineated, defended, and secured and made distinct from contiguous other nations? By borders. But remember that the citizen should have a reasonable esteem and love for his country - in other words, the citizen should practice the Virtue of Patriotism.

By the same taken, one who fails to practice the Virtue of Patriotism (faithfulness), automatically practices the vice of faithlessness for his country which is sinful. This explains why such faithlessness identifies such a person as a traitor, despite all of the pagan secular humanist sophisms to the contrary!

If the citizens of any country or nation find themselves ruled by a tyrannical government, then it is within the Virtue of Patriotism for that country that its citizens exercise the true Virtue of Patriotism by trying to organize themselves in order to replace such a government, preferably by peaceful means if at all possible.