Piety is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and is related to the virtue of justice. St. Thomas Aquinas writes, “Piety denotes the reverence which we give to our faith and to our country. And since God is the Father of all, the worship of God is also called piety…therefore the gift whereby a man, through reverence for God, works good to all, is fittingly called piety.” (Sum., II:II, 68, Art. 4)
The virtue of piety, which can be understood most easily as giving due reverence to God, should not be confused with “popular piety,” which refers to external expressions of devotion that are unique to specific places and environments. The virtue of piety describes a person’s fulfillment of their duty to God and the precepts of the Church; popular piety describes other practices that enliven their desire to fulfill that duty.
LPi