Whether Penance Is a Special Virtue?
Objection 1: It would seem that penance is not a special virtue. For
it seems that to rejoice at the good one has done, and to grieve for
the evil one has done are acts of the same nature. But joy for the
good one has done is not a special virtue, but is a praiseworthy
emotion proceeding from charity, as Augustine states (De Civ. Dei
xiv, 7, 8, 9): wherefore the Apostle says (1 Cor. 13:6) that charity
"rejoiceth not at iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth." Therefore,
in like manner, neither is penance, which is sorrow for past sins, a
special virtue, but an emotion resulting from charity.
Obj. 2: Further, every special virtue has its special matter, because
habits are distinguished by their acts, and acts by their objects.
But penance has no special matter, because its matter is past sins in
any matter whatever. Therefore penance is not a special virtue.
Obj. 3: Further, nothing is removed except by its contrary. But
penance removes all sins. Therefore it is contrary to all sins, and
consequently is not a special virtue.
_On the contrary,_ The Law has a special precept about penance, as
stated above (Q. 84, AA. 5, 7).
_I answer that,_ As stated in the Second Part (I-II, Q. 54, A. 1, ad
1, A. 2), habits are specifically distinguished according to the
species of their acts, so that whenever an act has a special reason
for being praiseworthy, there must needs be a special habit. Now it
is evident that there is a special reason for praising the act of
penance, because it aims at the destruction of past sin, considered
as an offense against God, which does not apply to any other virtue.
We must therefore conclude that penance is a special virtue.
Reply Obj. 1: An act springs from charity in two ways: first as being
elicited by charity, and a like virtuous act requires no other virtue
than charity, e.g. to love the good, to rejoice therein, and to
grieve for what is opposed to it. Secondly, an act springs from
charity, being, so to speak, commanded by charity; and thus, since
charity commands all the virtues, inasmuch as it directs them to its
own end, an act springing from charity may belong even to another
special virtue. Accordingly, if in the act of the penitent we
consider the mere displeasure in the past sin, it belongs to charity
immediately, in the same way as joy for past good acts; but the
intention to aim at the destruction of past sin requires a special
virtue subordinate to charity.
Reply Obj. 2: In point of fact, penance has indeed a general matter,
inasmuch as it regards all sins; but it does so under a special
aspect, inasmuch as they can be remedied by an act of man in
co-operating with God for his justification.
Reply Obj. 3: Every special virtue removes formally the habit of the
opposite vice, just as whiteness removes blackness from the same
subject: but penance removes every sin effectively, inasmuch as it
works for the destruction of sins, according as they are pardonable
through the grace of God if man co-operate therewith. Wherefore it
does not follow that it is a general virtue.
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