Summa Theologiae Moralis, vol. I: De Principiis

S. Th. II-II, q. 26, a. 6-13; q. 31, a. 3; de Virt. q. 2, a. 9.

911. Notions. — The order is attended according to greater proximity to the principle. Now the principle of love is twofold, one objective: God; the other efficient: the one loving. Therefore a twofold order in charity is to be attended: a) according to proximity to God; b) according to proximity or union to the one loving.

Now threefold chiefly is the union distinguished:

1st of blood, arising from the bond of blood, and founded on the goods of life and family: this is specifically different inasmuch as it is between parents and children, — or between spouses, — or between blood relations, — or between in-laws;

2nd spiritual, arising from the bond of religion and founded on spiritual and eternal goods; which also contains several species: between members of the Church, — between members of a community, — between pastor and sheep, — between preacher or confessor and convert or penitent, etc.;

3rd civil, arising from the political bond and founded on social goods, of which again there are many species: between citizens, co-inhabitants, communities, benefactor and recipient of benefits, etc.

912. General principle. In the order of charity, those who are objectively better, and those who are intensively and appetitively closer, are more to be loved. — The order is attended according to greater proximity to the principle. But the principle of love is twofold, one objective: God; the other efficient: the one loving. Therefore those who are nearer and more united to God or to us are more to be loved. And indeed:

1) Those who are better or more holy are more to be loved in one way, namely objectively or directly, i.e. with the love which follows goods already possessed: for by the love of complacence we must rejoice in the greater good possessed by them, and by the love of benevolence we must wish them the greater beatitude to which they have right. For they are nearer to God and therefore more worthy, and according to this we must also show them greater reverence, worship and honor.

2) Those who are more united to us, other things being equal, are more to be loved in all other ways:

a) Intensively: for love is the movement of the lover toward the loved; but the principle of movement influences more powerfully those things which are nearer to it than those which are more remote; therefore the closer some are to the one loving, the more vehemently they are to be loved "and therefore man loves them with a more intense affection for that good to which he loves them, than the better for a greater good".

b) Also by esteem: for thus those are more to be loved who are loved under more titles, and by modes or friendships, all of which are commanded by charity (to which they are ordered as to an end, as was said n° 901). But those united to us are united to us by more titles and loves; others however only by the common union of charity, because they can arrive at beatitude. Therefore out of charity we ought to esteem more and prefer those who are more united to us.

c) Hence they are also more to be loved objectively but indirectly: for the good of virtue in man can be increased and diminished, and therefore we can out of charity wish that those nearer to us be better than others, and so arrive at greater beatitude. — They are therefore more to be loved with the love of benevolence and desire by which we wish others the good not yet possessed, and with the love of mercy and beneficence by which we procure good for them (I Tim. V, 8; Gal. VI, 10; Is. LVIII).

Whence simply and absolutely those more united are more to be loved.

913. Special principles. I. In goods proper to some union, that one is to be preferred who according to this union is nearer to us, and therefore in those things which pertain to nature we ought to love more blood relations, in those which pertain to civil intercourse fellow citizens are to be preferred, and in military matters fellow soldiers.

II. In goods common to any union, whether eternal or temporal, those who are absolutely nearer, i.e. who are united to us by a more potent union, are to be preferred.

Now per se spiritual union prevails over civil; but over both prevails that of blood, as united to nature, and therefore prior and more immovable, and founded on greater benefits; for charity does not change the order of nature but perfects it. Hence a son is bound to leave military service or religious life, if it is necessary, to convert or support his parents.

914. Order among blood relations. — In general, ordinarily and per se among various blood relations help must be given 1) to the wife who is so intimately united with the husband that they are one flesh; 2) to the children to whom according to nature parents must provide; 3) to the father who is the nobler principle of generation; 4) to the mother; 5) to brothers and sisters; 6) to other blood relations and in-laws. After these come friends, benefactors, superiors and persons more useful to the state.

It is said: in general, ordinarily and per se, for a) in extreme necessity the parents seem to be preferred to all others, because since they gave life, their life, if necessary, is most to be preserved; b) from particular circumstances it is lawful to invert this order: thus a good and diligent mother is more to be loved than a bad and wasteful father, likewise a singular friend or distinguished benefactor than more distant blood relations; c) it is lawful to change the order by reason of office or special obligation: thus a parish priest is generally bound more to the instruction of parishioners than of blood relations, however not in extreme necessity.

915. Remarks. — 1st Parents, because more like to God, are objectively and with reverence more to be loved than wife and children; but these more by esteem and intensively and with beneficence, because more united. By the same reason benefactors more objectively than those whom we benefit; on the contrary those whom we benefit more intensively than benefactors.

2nd A father as father is per se more to be loved than a mother as such, because he is the nobler principle of generation; but under another respect (and another love) the mother can be more to be loved, e.g. if she loves more, as naturally easily happens, because she has often done more for the son (at least at the beginning) and knows better that he is her son than the father, and keeps and nourishes the offspring born with her. Whence S. Thomas, III Sent., d. 29, q. 1, a. 7, ad 4: "the mother puts more of her own in the son than the father, but more of what is the son is put by the father than by the mother".

3rd In these and all the aforesaid rules, equal necessity in the same order of goods is always supposed in all; in unequal necessity help must first be given to the one who suffers greater, e.g. an infant is to be baptized rather than confessions heard.

4th The inversion of the order of charity is not mortally evil unless it is a question of extreme necessity; — or unless it is very notable and is done without any reason. Inversion is not notable between son, wife and parents; but well between entirely strangers and very close relations.

5th In heaven a) the order of charity remains between God and us, where God will be loved above all things simply; — b) as to the order between us and our neighbor objectively we shall love more the better, less however the less good, in perfect conformity to the divine will; c) as to various neighbors simply we shall love more those nearer to God (as nearer to us), because every other union to the neighbor ceases in heaven and the whole blessed life consists in the immovable ordination of the mind to God; whence those are more loved there and are held nearer by us who are nearer to God. And although some are also loved under more titles and ways (because grace does not destroy natural love), incomparably however to all these reasons is preferred the reason of love which is taken from proximity to God. On the contrary on earth where we need the help of others (Q. D. de Virt. 2, a. 9, ad 12; II-II, q. 26, a. 13).