In the great confusion of the modern-day world, many distinctly Catholic terms have been greatly profaned. These misused terms are employed to build up the smoky façade of a healthy Church in order to distract Christians from the truth of this matter. That is, the Church is very ill due to the poisonous choke-hold of the internal enemies of the Church. These wolves in shepherd’s clothing openly embrace liberal and modernist ideals in the name of conforming the Church to fit the needs of modern man. A term which, while being purposely ambiguous, has come to be an excuse for every progressive movement in the church. One of the most misused and ill-defined terms is Charity. As a theological virtue, this should be employed to lead man to God; instead, this word is bastardized by weak-willed individuals in place of the better defined terms of tolerance, joy, patience, prudence, and benevolence. Even still, without true charity behind these virtues, they lose their heroic value and contribute to the great disparity of the world. With charity left in this ill-defined state, more souls will be lost under the timidity-induced pretext of being charitable. Man has undermined the charity granted to him by valuing the opinions of man above the law of God which will ultimately lead to the self-destruction of the Church and the damnation of many souls.
True Charity has been abandoned in favor of an anthropocentric attraction which, because it is not based on achieving a final end, will ultimately lead to the decline of civilization as a whole from the virtue of Christianity to the depravity of a fallen world. Charity, in its truest form, is defined by God because it naturally flows from His goodness. As such, it is the life force for all of the other virtues. Pope St. Gregory the Great penned to the Bishop of Constantinople “if charity the mother of virtues abides in your heart towards us, you will never lose the branches of good works, seeing that you retain the very root of goodness” (Barmby, trans., 1859). In his work on the Faith and the Creed, St. Augustine states that charity is rooted in the truth. Further, he condemns those who would break charity saying that “by false doctrines concerning God heretics wound faith, by iniquitous dissensions schismatics deviate from fraternal charity, although they believe what we believe” (Salmond, trans., 1887). The saints, fathers, and doctors of the Church all seem to agree that charity is a source of Christian perfection. Even when the apostles penned the gospels and early epistles, they acknowledge the importance of love.
Charity, which rightfully comes from God, must be defined in human terms and put into practice by the faithful of the Holy Catholic Church. In the modern word, charity has been greatly weakened by opposing definitions and an obsessive approach to achieving political correctness in a world ordered on temporal social justice. Man fears correcting his brother because he wishes to remain charitable. Sadly, this is a confusion of charity, for it is a spiritual work of mercy to admonish the sinner. God is forgotten from the very actions which should bring Him the greatest honor and glory. Charity is not a weak emotion which is carried out simply by being nice to everyone the Christian soul encounters. Charity is a strong, heroic virtue which inspired numerous saints and confessors of the past toward the end of the salvation of souls. If the true definition of charity is not reclaimed by those of the True Faith, then many souls will be lost in an attempt at tolerance.
Charity is a difficult word to define because it represents an abstract thought which flows directly from the perfections of God. Charity is often confused with other terms, such as benevolence and tolerance. Because it is such a misused term, very few people have a clear idea to what this word actually represents. Charity is listed among the three theological virtues, yet often it is reduced to action. According to the Oxford English dictionary, charity is “1. The voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need; 2. An organization set up to provide help and raise money for those in need; and, 3. Kindness and tolerance in judging others (Oxford University Press, 2014).” The first two definitions of this word are actually natural fruits to the virtue of charity, not the virtue itself. The third definition lacks distinction and remains an incomplete explanation. It is then necessary to look towards Catholic sources in order to find a good definition of this term. Looking toward Catechisms – the Roman Catechism, Baltimore Catechism, and Catechism of the Catholic Church, respectfully – the definitions are as follows:
But as our Lord and Savior has not only declared, but has also proved by His own example, that the Law and the Prophets depend on love, and as, according to the Apostle, charity is the end of the commandment, and the fulfilment of the law, it is unquestionably a chief duty of the pastor to use the utmost diligence to excite the faithful to a love of the infinite goodness of God towards us, that, burning with a sort of divine ardor, they may be powerfully attracted to the supreme and all-perfect good, to adhere to which is true and solid happiness, as is fully experienced by him who can say with the Prophet: What have I in heaven? And besides thee what do I desire upon earth?
This, assuredly, is that more excellent way pointed out by the Apostle when he sums up all his doctrines and instructions in charity, which never falleth away. For whatever is proposed by the pastor, whether it be the exercise of faith, of hope, or of some moral virtue, the love of our Lord should at the same time be so strongly insisted upon as to show clearly that all the works of perfect Christian virtue can have no other origin, no other end than divine love (Catechism of the Council of Trent, Preface, question X).
Charity is a Divine virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God (Baltimore Catechism, #109).
Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God… the practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity, which "binds everything together in perfect harmony;" it is the form of the virtues; it articulates and orders them among themselves; it is the source and the goal of their Christian practice. Charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love, and raises it to the supernatural perfection of divine love (CCC 1822 & 1827).
Thus, from these explanations, it can be seen that charity, as a virtue, is the expression of the duty of man toward God. Because God is Love, charity is an imitation of this love toward man and the just return of this love toward God.
There are obvious contradictions between the definitions of the Church and those of man. This would become even more evident if the definitions of the word love were to be examined as well. The words charity and love are often used interchangeably in spiritual works, but for the sake of brevity and clarity, love will not be defined here. Instead, it will be noted that when the word love is used, it will most often refer to the duty of man toward God. Man’s influence, whether realized or not, has seeped into the Church throughout the past several hundred years, contributing to the overarching philosophy of the Church today. Pope emeritus Benedict, in Caritas in Veritate (2009), rightfully penned that “[t]o defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in life are therefore exacting and indispensable forms of charity.” Charity is rooted in the Love of God for His Creation. The love of souls and Truth naturally flows from this root. Charity is not, therefore, a form of concupiscence or attraction. Neither is it simply benevolence, for benevolence flows naturally from charity, but it cannot be viewed as synonymous with charity. Charity is a heroic and theological virtue which should permeate every action of the Christian soul.
Charity has as its seat the human will. Charity can be influenced by the emotions, but it must reside in the “rational will” otherwise it would not be a virtue (Sollier, 1910). Charity has as its end and its origin the Love of God; however, because man is made in the image and likeness of God, it natural that charity will also apply to him (Sollier, 1910). True charity, or love, rightfully uses the emotions and sentiments of a human person to direct the heart and soul toward the final good, who is God. Charity is not based in emotion, rather it is based in the will which is informed by the intellect. It is a virtue which speaks to the higher powers of man and has dominion over the lower faculties of man. Affection is a sentiment which belongs to charity, but it does not possess a supernatural power. Benevolence animates and flows from charity, but it is not charity. Benevolence might be viewed as a fruit of charity. There are times that charity must exist without the warmth of benevolence for the good of the soul. Finally, concupiscence prompts hope and it is the longing of the soul for the good (Ming, 1908). In its strictest sense, it is the desire of the soul for a good by the lower faculties of man, which often causes this longing to become disordered (Ming, 1908). In First Timothy (1:5), St. Paul writes that the end of the commandment, that is the law, “is charity from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith.” Real love is a natural extension of the virtue of charity; thus, it is not merely affection, benevolence, or concupiscence. Charity has a higher purpose than mere affection or kindness. It is a means through which man might find his final end, his final good.
In the last one hundred years, or so, there has been a change in the view of charity from the supernatural to an over-emphasis on social charity. Social charity, which is a manifestation of true charity toward the end of teaching souls about God, is a way of relieving the soul of her worries in order to allow her focus on loving God. “Social charity, moreover, ought to be as the soul of this order, an order which public authority ought to be ever ready effectively to protect and defend. It will be able to do this the more easily as it rids itself of those burdens which, as We have stated above, are not properly its own” (Pius XI, 1931). When the focus of social charity is changed from teaching souls the love of God to only providing for the temporal needs, then these actions lose their divine origin. They become reduced to benevolence. The care for the temporal needs of a person does have its place in true charity, but only in so far that the soul be saved from the grip of sin and damnation.
Charity has faced many challenges because of this shift in philosophy. When benevolence becomes the highest good, the drive for the Love of God is lost. This runs the risk of reducing all aspects of religion to mere sentiment, which is what Pius X describes in Pascendi (1907):
Moreover, the first actuation, so to say, of every vital phenomenon, and religion, as has been said, belongs to this category, is due to a certain necessity or impulsion; but it has its origin, speaking more particularly of life, in a movement of the heart, which movement is called a sentiment… In presence of this unknowable, whether it is outside man and beyond the visible world of nature, or lies hidden within in the subconsciousness, the need of the divine…excites in a soul with a propensity towards religion a certain special sentiment, without any previous advertence of the mind: and this sentiment possesses, implied within itself both as its own object and as its intrinsic cause, the reality of the divine, and in a way unites man with God. It is this sentiment to which Modernists give the name of faith, and this it is which they consider the beginning of religion.
This reduction of religion to mere sentimentalism introduces the idea of religious indifference, which is opposite of true Christian charity. In a sense, after the French Revelation, the concept of charity was made synonymous with the idea of fraternity. Then, because this idea was a false doctrine introduced to weaken the strength of Christian philosophy, it was reduced to political correctness and kindness. No longer could the Christian soul correct an erring brother, for it was uncharitable to do so. This should not bode well for the truly Christian soul, for even Our Savior corrected the erring brother which sharp, but true words.
In order for charity to exist, Christians must adhere to the principles of the True Faith. The Athanasian Creed begins with the words “Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith; Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.” This should drive the Christian to convert all souls for Christ, but modern philosophy has degraded this necessity. “This Vatican Council likewise professes its belief that it is upon the human conscience that these obligations fall and exert their binding force. The truth cannot impose itself except by virtue of its own truth, as it makes its entrance into the mind at once quietly and with power” (Paul VI, 1965). The idea of religious freedom comes from a bastardization of true charity. This is clearly illustrated further in Dignatitus Humanae (1965) “religious freedom, in turn, which men demand as necessary to fulfill their duty to worship God, has to do with immunity from coercion in civil society.” Man should not be coerced to worship God, it is true, but man must realize his duty to worship his Creator. It is the proper end for man to give back to God what belongs to Him. Man, born sons of wrath, must be taught to fear the Lord in order to love Him. In the Psalms and Proverbs, the poets and prophets repeatedly state that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. To truly fear the Lord is to know Him properly. To realize His goodness and infinite power, the soul must make the choice to be docile before His might and love Him or to love their own pride. There is no coercion in performing this act of justice when understood properly. Reducing religion to that which belongs in the human conscience strips this duty of charity.
Charity as defined by God is considered a theological virtue because it is the “habit or power which disposes us to love God above all creatures for Himself, and to love ourselves and our neighbors for the sake of God” (Ryan, 1908). Charity is strongly united to and inspired by the Truth. It, like the Truth, cannot be compromised for any reason. If it is compromised, then the supernatural habit must have been lost. If man truly knows God, then he must love God. It is through charity that man is able to truly serve God in this world. The habit of this heroic virtues is illustrated clearly by the example of numerous confessors and martyrs who, for love of God and their own souls, as well as the souls of others, witnessed publicly on behalf of the Truth. Martyrdom is a perfection of charity because it is only through the Love of God that man is willing to give up his life. In order to live true Christian lives, man must possess this virtue. Without love, works and powers of this world are dead, as St. Paul pens to the Corinthians (c.f. 1 Corinthian 13). Thus, it must be realized that charity animates the soul toward the greater good, God.
The natural end of true charity is God. Charity is set up in opposition to sin, death, and hell. It was through the greatest act of charity that redemption was wrought. In order for man to find full communion with God, he must obey God in all things and believe all of the truths which the Catholic Church teaches. Charity, married so closely to Truth, proves that error has no rights. If someone believes error, then that person is at risk of losing his immortal soul. To Love God is to seek Him in all things, for it is to know Him that man learns to love Him. It can be said that the “mind cannot rise to the contemplation of the Deity, whom nothing approaches in sublimity, unless it be entirely disengaged from the senses, and of this in the present life we are naturally incapable” (Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part 1, Article I.). It is through the higher powers of man that he can learn of God. When this knowledge is achieved, it must compel man toward the conversion of sinners for love of God, as God would have all men for Himself. Charity is an imitation of God in one of the highest forms possible. Man must strive to do the holy will of God “for the love of God” so to live in full the “vital union with Christ” (Boylan, 1946). Rightly applied charity is the center for the path of Christian Perfection because it is through charity that all other virtues are given life. Because the action of Calvary was a form of perfect charity, practicing charity is a share in the redemptive nature of the Cross.
From this examination of charity, it can be gleaned that the sentiments attached to the word are sorely lacking compared to the true definition of charity. Charity is an attribute and an imitation of the Supreme Being. It is vitally important for man, as a whole, to return to living that true charity which is defined by God. If charity continues to be abandoned and ignored, especially by the shepherds and princes of the Church, then many souls will perish. It is the leaders of the Church, as well as individual Christians, who will be held accountable for the lack of true Christian charity. Further, it will be the bishops who will be held accountable for the countless lost souls which are damned due to the lack of the charity. In the end, when before the judgment seat of God, very few will be able to affirmatively answer the question of Love of God which will be put before them. Christians should prayer earnestly that their charity increase daily. Adapting the words of the man whose son was possessed by a demon, “Lord, I do love thee; teach me to love thee more.” Charity, which is defined by God through the Church, is an integral part of salvation.
Baltimore Catechism. Retrieved http://catholicism.about.com/od/baltimorecatechism/f/Question_109_BC.htm
Barmby, J. Trans. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360207031.htm
Benedict XVI. (2009). Caritas in veritate. Retrieved from http://www.newadvent.org/library/caritas-in-veritate.htm
Catechism of the Catholic Church. Retrieved http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a7.htm
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Paul VI. (1965). Dignitatis humanae. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651207_dignitatis-humanae_en.html
Pius X. (1907). Pascendi dominici gregis. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_x/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_19070908_pascendi-dominici-gregis_en.html
Pius XI. (1931). Quadragesimo anno. Retrieved http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_pi11qa.htm
Ryan, J.A. (1908). Charity and Charities. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved May 15, 2014 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03592a.htm
Salmond, S.D.F. Trans. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 3. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1304.htm
Sollier, J. (1910). Love (Theological Virtue). In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved May 15, 2014 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09397a.htm
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