The Principle of “Ordo Amoris”: First Love Locally, By James Reed

In an interview with Fox News, vice president J. D. Vance referred the ancient Christian principle of ordo amoris: to first love locally, after loving God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o98Po0lWZxE&t=274s. Vance said: "As an American leader, but also just as an American citizen, your compassion belongs first to your fellow citizens. That doesn't mean you hate people from outside of your own borders, but there's this old-school [concept]—and I think it's a very Christian concept, by the way—that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then, after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world." This is a principle that has been forgotten by liberalised Christians, and especially the globalist Pope, so it is worthwhile giving some philosophical context.

In a world of vast obligations and competing moral demands, the concept of ordo amoris, or the "order of love," offers a deeply rooted framework for understanding our responsibilities. Popularized by medieval Catholic thought by St Augustine in City of God (426 AD), put with roots further back in Plato and Aristotle, ordo amoris teaches that love and duty begin at home, extending outward in widening circles—first to family, then to community, and finally to the broader world. Rather than a rejection of universal compassion, this principle provides a practical and ethical guide for directing one's care where it is most immediately needed.

Vance's invocation of ordo amoris has sparked discussion, with some arguing that prioritising local ties over distant obligations is a narrow or even exclusionary stance. Yet, a closer examination of the concept reveals its profound wisdom. Love is most effective when it is rooted in the tangible realities of everyday life. A parent must care for their children before they can serve their neighborhood, just as a community must strengthen itself before it can offer meaningful aid to those beyond its borders. This does not mean neglecting those in need elsewhere, but rather recognising that strong families and communities are the foundation from which greater acts of service can emerge.

This understanding aligns with human nature and historical experience. The most enduring charitable efforts often begin at the local level, where personal relationships cultivate genuine concern and lasting support. A nation that fosters strong communities will naturally become more generous and capable of extending aid to others. Without a firm grounding in ordo amoris, the risk arises of abstract and impersonal forms of charity that, while well-intentioned, lack the depth and effectiveness of care that comes from direct, personal commitment.

Even within Christian teaching, the command to love one's neighbor does not negate the order in which love is most effectively practiced. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10; 25-37) illustrates an immediate and tangible act of kindness within a given moment, but it does not imply that one must abandon all concern for one's own household. Pope Benedict XVI echoed this sentiment in Deus Caritas Est (2005), where he emphasized that love must be structured and ordered, beginning with those closest before extending outward.

Rather than viewing ordo amoris as an exclusionary principle, it should be embraced as a model for sustainable and meaningful charity. A world built on strong families, cohesive communities, and well-ordered priorities is one that is better equipped to extend love and justice to all. Prioritising those closest to us is not a limitation on compassion, but the very foundation that allows it to flourish on a greater scale.

Use of the concept of ordo amoris, can be made to give a Christian nationalist argument against mass immigration of the world, so naturally the Left are once more going into hysterics.

https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/first-love-locally-jd-vance-and-ordo-amoris/