Piety is like pity, says Pope Francis

In The Divine Comedy, Dante manipulates the word pity (pietà in the Italian). For Virgil piety "means essentially a dutiful or obedient compliance to a larger responsibility—one that in fact entails the abandonment of one's own personal or inner self." But for Dante pietà means pity or compassion. In Inferno, we have seen distinctions between piety and pity, most notably in Canto 20: "In this place piety lives when pity is dead." Despite this difference, Pope Francis says that piety is like pity.

In 2016 at a Jubilee General Audience at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, the Pope said piety is not necessarily about devotion but more like "pity."

"When we hear this word," he said, "we think of a certain religiosity or devotion, but tis meanign is much richer; like our word 'pity,' it has to do with compassion, with mercy."

The Pope added that we must be careful not to identify piety with a pietism which is just a superficial emotion. Also, pity should not be confused with the compassion some have for pets while remaining indifferent to the suffering of others.