Guilt vs. Shame
Guilt means “a feeling of culpability for offenses” and is the opposite of righteousness. Shame is “a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute” and is the opposite of glory. Now righteousness is necessary for glory, though not vice versa. For example, glory and happiness are almost synonymous; but “rectitude of the will” is required for happiness, Aquinas says (ST, II-I, 4, 4); on the other hand, one may be miserable though righteous. By contraposition, guilt is always accompanied by shame, as any sin places a stain on the soul, dirtying it, thereby causing disgrace and contempt by others or oneself. But shame need not entail guilt; for example, failure in business may be shameful but it need not involve breaking any law; or indulging in heavy drinking may be shameful but it is not necessarily immoral.