By Raymond de Souza, KHS, KofC, Church Militant - Patriotism is a natural virtue and a consequence of the Fourth Commandment of God's Law: Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother. The virtue of piety requires rendering due homage to God, one's homeland and one's parents. The word "patriot" comes from the Latin patria, meaning "fatherland," which in turn comes from pater, "father." Just as the knight was called to honor and love his parents, he was also called to honor and love the country in which he was born and raised.