Archbishop Coakley hails ‘forgotten virtue’ of patriotism
August 15, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in an address to the recent Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, paid tribute to patriotism, which he described as a forgotten virtue, and distinguished it from nationalism.
“Patriotism is not, first and foremost, a political virtue,” said Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City. “It is a religious one. It flows from the Fourth Commandment, honor your father and mother, and it can rightly be understood as a form of familial love extended outward.”
Noting that St. Thomas Aquinas “classified patriotism under the virtue of piety, which he treats as a part of justice,” Archbishop Coakley added:
Honor your country as you honor your parents: with gratitude, with loyalty, and with honesty that never mistakes flattery for love. Put God first and let your patriotism flow from that priority rather than compete with it. Teach your children that love of country is a debt of gratitude, not a slogan, and gratitude is an attribute of a Christian man.The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
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