---
title: "Summa Theologica, First Half"
author: "Thomas Aquinas"
translator: "Fathers of the English Dominican Province"
languages: [en]
shelf: "Medieval"
section: 927 of 1210
url: https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-summa-theologica-first-half/927/
cite: "Thomas Aquinas, tr. Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Summa Theologica, First Half, section 927. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-summa-theologica-first-half/927/"
---

# Summa Theologica, First Half

*Thomas Aquinas, tr. Fathers of the English Dominican Province*

God and creation, human action, law and grace, then faith, hope, charity and justice.

## 927. II–II · Question 30: Of Mercy (four Articles)

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-summa-theologica-first-half/927/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-summa-theologica-first-half/927/#p-N

[¶0] OF MERCY (FOUR ARTICLES) [*The one Latin word "misericordia" signifies either pity or mercy. The distinction between these two is that pity may stand either for the act or for the virtue, whereas mercy stands only for the virtue.]

[¶1] We must now go on to consider Mercy, under which head there are four points of inquiry:

[¶2] (1) Whether evil is the cause of mercy on the part of the person pitied?

[¶3] (2) To whom does it belong to pity?

[¶4] (3) Whether mercy is a virtue?

[¶5] (4) Whether it is the greatest of virtues?