Pope Francis on Wednesday opened a new chapter in his ongoing catechetical series on vices and virtues, shifting his reflection to the origins and nature of virtue itself and underscoring its value for human formation. 

“Virtue is a habitus of freedom. If we are free in every act, and every time we are required to choose between good and evil, virtue is what enables us to have a tendency towards the right choice,” the Pope observed in his weekly general audience held in St. Peter’s Square.

The Pope did not read Wednesday’s address, instead relying on an aide to deliver the remarks on his behalf. The Holy Father has been assisted in his public remarks since late February, when the Vatican announced he was suffering from “mild flu” symptoms. 

Building upon the notion of virtue as an integral, and innate, characteristic that enables humans to differentiate between good and evil, the Pope noted that “it is not an improvised or somewhat random good that falls from heaven sporadically” but “a goodness that stems from a slow maturation of the person, to the point of becoming an inner characteristic.” 

The Holy Father pointed to the saints, arguing that they should not be thought of as “the exceptions of humanity” or “a sort of restricted circle of champions who live beyond the limits of our species” but as “those who become themselves fully, who fulfill the vocation proper to every man or woman.” 

“Therefore,” the Pope continued, “the exercise of the virtues is the fruit of long germination, requiring effort and even suffering.”

The Holy Father also stressed the importance of developing virtuous actions and attitudes against the backdrop of what he characterized as “these dramatic times of ours in which we often have to come to terms with the worst of humanity.” 

“In a distorted world, we must remember the form in which we were shaped, the image of God that is forever imprinted upon us,” Francis continued. 

“What a happy world it would be if justice, respect, mutual benevolence, broadmindedness and hope were the shared normality and not instead a rare anomaly,” the Pope observed. 

Yet it is precisely because “the human heart can indulge evil passions,” which in turn “can pay heed to harmful temptations disguised in persuasive garb,” that the Pope reminded the faithful that the human being is “not a free territory for the conquest of pleasures, emotions, instincts, passions.” 

Emphasizing again that “the human being is made for goodness,” the Pope underscored that cultivating virtue, the “mirror image” of vice, is built upon “open-mindedness” and the “wisdom that can learn from mistakes,” a gift that comes from the Holy Spirit.  

“The Holy Spirit acts in us who have been baptized, working in our soul to lead it to a virtuous life,” the Pope said. “How many Christians have reached holiness through tears, finding they could not overcome some of their weaknesses! 

“But they experienced that God completed that work of good that for them was only a sketch. Grace always precedes our moral commitment.”