The Beatitudes align with which group of virtues?

• A. The natural virtues alone.
• B. The theological and cardinal virtues.
• C. The infused virtues (not theological or cardinal).
• D. The social virtues.

Answer: (B)

The Beatitudes express a life shaped by grace through infused virtues. They point to dispositions and actions that come from God’s help, not just from human effort or natural abilities. In Catholic teaching, infused virtues are supernatural habits given by the Holy Spirit (including the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity) that enable Christians to live in the Kingdom. The Beatitudes describe attitudes—like meekness, mercy, purity of heart, and a hunger for righteousness—that are cultivated and sustained by this divine grace, not by natural virtues alone. They aren’t simply about the cardinal (natural) virtues or a mix of theological and cardinal virtues, and they aren’t primarily about social conduct; they depict a life animated by grace that goes beyond what natural virtues can achieve.