EVANGELII GAUDIUM - page 32

32
dead. In this sense, the Second Vatican Council
explained, “in Catholic doctrine there exists an
order or a ‘hierarchy’ of truths, since they vary in
their relation to the foundation of the Christian
faith”.38 This holds true as much for the dogmas
of faith as for the whole corpus of the Church’s
teaching, including her moral teaching.
37. Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that the
Church’s moral teaching has its own “hierar-
chy”, in the virtues and in the acts which proceed
from them.39 What counts above all else is “faith
working through love” (Gal 5:6). Works of love
directed to one’s neighbour are the most perfect
external manifestation of the interior grace of
the Spirit: “The foundation of the New Law is in
the grace of the Holy Spirit, who is manifested in
the faith which works through love”.40 Thomas
thus explains that, as far as external works are
concerned, mercy is the greatest of all the vir-
tues: “In itself mercy is the greatest of the vir-
tues, since all the others revolve around it and,
more than this, it makes up for their deficiencies.
This is particular to the superior virtue, and as
such it is proper to God to have mercy, through
which his omnipotence is manifested to the
greatest degree”.41
38 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on
Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio, 11.
39 Cf. S. Th., I-II, q. 66, a. 4-6.
40 S. Th., I-II, q. 108, a. 1.
41 S. Th ., II-II, q. 30, a. 4: “We do not worship God with
sacrifices and exterior gifts for him, but rather for us and for our