How does Catholicism define righteousness?

[meltzerboy]

Who would be regarded as a righteous person according to Catholic teaching? Is a righteous person holy, saintly, a person who commits fewer sins, a repentant sinner, a moral individual in thought and deed, one who is a believer, one who practices the faith, all or none of the above, or some other kind of person?

 

[dmelosi]

Who would be regarded as a righteous person according to Catholic teaching? Is a righteous person holy, saintly, a person who commits fewer sins, a repentant sinner, a moral individual in thought and deed, one who is a believer, one who practices the faith, all or none of the above, or some other kind of person?

I would define it as someone who searches for the truth believing that is the most important thing they can do in their life.

A righteous person is someone who to the best of their God given ability strives to be the best that they can be.

I think God grades on a curve based on each person’s given ability.

I believe that if a person does this they will become Catholic.

 

[pablope]

Who would be regarded as a righteous person according to Catholic teaching? Is a righteous person holy, saintly, a person who commits fewer sins, a repentant sinner, a moral individual in thought and deed, one who is a believer, one who practices the faith, all or none of the above, or some other kind of person?

1 John 3:8 defines righteousness as “He who does right is righteous, as he [Christ] is righteous”.

Also from James 1…19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
.

 

[DasErlibnis]

Maybe “knowing the good, doing the good” according to the will of God.

…but I’m guessing. It’s probably searchable in the Catechism.

 

[dailey]

1 John 3:8 defines righteousness as “He who does right is righteous, as he [Christ] is righteous”.

Also from James 1…19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
.

Thanks for posting this. I really need to hear it tonight.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Who would be regarded as a righteous person according to Catholic teaching? Is a righteous person holy, saintly, a person who commits fewer sins, a repentant sinner, a moral individual in thought and deed, one who is a believer, one who practices the faith, all or none of the above, or some other kind of person?

As I understand, righteousness is one who lives as God lives, loves as God loves, and does as God does.

 

[NeedImprovement]

Who would be regarded as a righteous person according to Catholic teaching? Is a righteous person holy, saintly, a person who commits fewer sins, a repentant sinner, a moral individual in thought and deed, one who is a believer, one who practices the faith, all or none of the above, or some other kind of person?

What a question meltzerboy -

I thought I might find a nice terse *cut and dry * definition of righteousness by Father John Hardon, S.J., in his Modern Catholic Dictionary but under “righteousness” , it refers the reader to his definition of the *Theology of Justification *. So ,to compliment some of the great definitions already posted, here’s a Catholic definition of righteousness in its comprehensive context :
Modern Catholic Dictionary ; Father John Hardon:

{ RIGHTEOUSNESS: See JUSTIFICATION, THEOLOGY OF. }

JUSTIFICATION, THEOLOGY OF.

The process of a sinner becoming justified or made right with God. As defined by the Council of Trent. “Justification is the change from the condition in which a person is born as a child of the first Adam into a state of grace and adoption among the children of God through the Second Adam, Jesus Christ our Savior” (Denzinger 1524). On the negative side, justification is a true removal of sin, and not merely having one’s sins ignored or no longer held against the sinner by God. On the positive side it is the supernatural sanctification and renewal of a person who thus becomes holy and pleasing to God and an heir of heaven.

The Catholic Church identifies five elements of justification, which collectively define its full meaning. The primary purpose of justification is the honor of God and of Christ; its secondary purpose is the eternal life of mankind. The main efficient cause or agent is the mercy of God; the main instrumental cause is the sacrament of baptism, which is called the “sacrament of faith” to spell out the necessity of faith for salvation. And that which constitutes justification or its essence is the justice of God, “not by which He is just Himself, but by which He makes us just,” namely sanctifying grace.

Depending on the sins from which a person is to be delivered, there are different kinds of justification. An infant is justified by baptism and the faith of the one who requests or confers the sacrament. Adults are justified for the first time either by personal faith, sorrow for sin and baptism, or by the perfect love of God, which is at least an implicit baptism of desire. Adults who have sinned gravely after being justified can receive justification by sacramental absolution or perfect contrition for their sins. (Etym. Latin justus, just + facere, to make, do: justificatio.)