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Part III: Spiritual and General Questions · 25

The highest virtue of all

Faith Q&A › Many Years with People's Questions › Part III

The question

What is the highest virtue of all?.

The answer

The virtue which encompasses all virtues is that of love since on love depend all the Law and the Prophets.

But the basis of all the virtues, the basis on which every good work is built, is the virtue of humility, because every virtue that is not based on humility can lead to self-righteousness and false glory, by which the individual can perish.

Even love itself, which is the greatest virtue, can cause man to perish, if it is not built on humility. In this case it couldn't actually be called 'love', in the exact meaning of the word.

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Thrice-Blessed Pope Shenouda III of Blessed Memory

Thrice-Blessed Pope Shenouda III of Blessed Memory, Many Years with People's Questions, Part III: Spiritual and General Questions. Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. Translated by Mrs. Glynis Younan, London. Revised by Mrs. Wedad Abbas. Second edition. Revised COEPA 1997. ISBN 977-00-2738-3.