ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Cardinal and Theological Virtues (Raphael)

Imagine you are trying to be a really good person, but you don't know how. There are some important qualities that you should have in order to be a good person. These qualities are called virtues. There are two types of virtues: cardinal virtues and theological virtues.

Cardinal virtues are like building blocks. They are the four most important virtues that help you to build up your character to become a good person. The four cardinal virtues are:

1. Prudence - This means being careful and wise about making good choices.
2. Justice - This means treating people fairly and doing what is right.
3. Temperance - This means being in control of yourself and not doing things that are bad for you, like eating too much or drinking too much.
4. Fortitude - This means having courage and being strong, even when things are hard.

Theological virtues are like the icing on the cake. They are the three most important virtues that help you to live your life the way God wants you to. The three theological virtues are:

1. Faith - This means believing in God and trusting in his plan for you.
2. Hope - This means having confidence that things will get better, even when they seem really bad.
3. Love (also known as Charity) - This means caring for others and treating them with kindness and respect, even if they don't deserve it.

The artist Raphael painted a picture called "The Cardinal Virtues" which shows four women representing the four cardinal virtues holding symbols of what they stand for. The picture also has three men representing the three theological virtues. The picture reminds us that it is important to have all seven virtues in our lives if we want to be good people.