CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. – In its ideal content, Christian perfection consists in the complete realization of the Christian life in contrast to its beginnings, that is, the fullness of goodness in the supernatural moral order (Phil. 3:15; Col. 3:14; 1 Cor. 2:6; Jas. 1:4). A person is called “perfect” who practices, to the highest possible degree according to the measure of grace communicated to him, that complex of virtues which constitutes the patrimony of Christian teaching.
The general concept of perfection is therefore common to the classical definition of Aristotle (Metaph., 5, 16): “τὸ τάξα τὸ ἔδει μηδὲν ἐλλείπειν.” Jesus used the word “perfect” twice: at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, revealing the fullness of the new evangelical law in comparison to the old, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect...” (Mt. 5:48; cf. M.-J. Lagrange, *Evangile selon St Matthieu*, Paris 1921, p. 118), and in the invitation he addressed to the rich young man: “If you wish to be perfect...” (Mt. 19:21) “one thing is lacking to you” (Mk. 10:21; Lk. 18:22).
The Christian use of the term “perfect,” τέλειος, does not derive from the esoteric mysteries of pagan syncretism in which the word τέλειος was used, nor from the philosophical usage in the context of morality (cf. τέλειος ἀρετή of Aristotle, *Ethica Nicomachea*, V, 1, 15), but from the usage of the Old Testament. In it, the Septuagint translates with τέλειος the Hebrew word tāmim, which denoted perfection (Deut. 18:13; 1 Kgs. 8:61; 11:4; Wis. 9:6) more in the sense of legal, external perfection than of inner perfection, though not excluding it (cf. Fr. Platt, *Perfection*, in *Enc. of Rel. and Eth.*, IX, 728 ff.).
Absolute perfection belongs to God alone, who is goodness itself. All other beings can attain only a relative, limited perfection.
There are various ways of presenting Christian perfection depending on the point of reference. Thus, if what has been said so far is emphasized, Christian perfection is the fullness of good, and it implies in the person who possesses it all that good which befits his nature elevated by grace in the supernatural order. This fullness would ideally imply the absence of every sin and a conduct entirely conformed to the condition of a child of God (Eph. 5:8; 1 Cor. 6:19), a thing which cannot be realized without a special privilege. The Church holds that such a privilege was conferred upon the Blessed Virgin Mary (C. Pesch, *Praelect. theol. dogm.*, 4th ed., Freiburg in Br. 1914, V, no. 173 ff.).
Man can strive for it by diminishing to the greatest extent possible even semi-deliberate venial sins, and positively by beginning in the best way the good that is commanded and counseled according to circumstances (cf. O. Zimmermann, *Lehrbuch der Aszetik*, Freiburg in Br. 1929, p. 18).
Many Fathers, especially St. Gregory of Nyssa (PG 44, 1200), present Christian perfection under the aspect of “imitation of God.” Since God is the exemplary cause of every perfection, Holy Scripture also presents him as the supreme norm: “Be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Eph. 5:1). Such imitation can obviously be only analogical and moral. In practice, it presupposes a profound meditation on the attributes of God, on which to model one’s life. Thus, the providence of God can serve as an incentive to the consideration of the last things, his providence to care for the persons and things entrusted to each one, his long-suffering in bearing with sinners invites sentiments of mercy, etc. (cf. *De divinis moribus*, a work attributed to St. Thomas).
Others propose as a synthesis of Christian perfection the full and complete conformity to the will of God, according to the saying: “Omne tulit punctum, patitur qui semper agitque quae vult quoque modo vult Deus et quia vult,” in the “imitation of Jesus Christ” and of the saints. Indeed, no one like Christ has expressed in himself the highest ideal of every virtue. Since Jesus is the divine Person of the Word, he acted in all things as befits God in a human nature. The imitation of his examples and his criteria is therefore the surest path to holiness. Holy Scripture explicitly teaches this truth: “Listen to him” (Mt. 17:5; Mk. 9:7; Lk. 9:35; 2 Pet. 1:17), “Come, follow me” (Mt. 8:22; 9:9, 21; Mk. 2:14; 9:7; 10:21). Even Paul invites the faithful to imitate him, as he has imitated Christ (1 Cor. 4:16; Gal. 2:20). The imitation of the saints, that is, of those Christians who, by their heroic virtues and the miracles worked by God to bear witness to their holiness, have been canonized, is also beneficial for the attainment of Christian perfection.
The perfection of the Christian life must be judged by the virtues, especially by charity (Sum. Theol., II-II, q. 184, a. 1). Such is the teaching of Christ (Mt. 23:35; Mk. 12:31), who said that supernatural charity would be the mark by which his true disciples would be recognized (Jn. 17:21). Charity indeed holds the primacy in the spiritual life (1 Cor. 12:31; 1 Tim. 1:5), it is the bond of perfection (Col. 3:14), the fullness of the law (Rom. 13:8-10), and every other virtue, if not accompanied by charity, is “nothing” (1 Cor. 13:1-13).
Consequently, the life of the faithful will be all the more perfect the more charity informs all his human acts in the most universal, actual, and intense manner, and the more numerous are the elicited acts of this same virtue, both with regard to God (the primary object of diligence) and toward neighbor and oneself, loved for the love of God (secondary object: Sum. Theol., II-II, q. 23; 5; q. 25 a. 12; q. 26 a. 1-4).
Charity must be both affective and effective; however, Christian perfection is primarily deduced from affective charity, which is that by which one loves God for his own sake with a pure affection of benevolence and friendship (v.). The soul that loves in this manner takes delight in God and in the things of God, in his attributes, in his infinite goodness, and unites itself to him through a life of praise, admiration, and gratitude, even to the point of immersing and losing itself in him (cf. St. Francis de Sales, *Traité de l’amour de Dieu*, ch. 6). Effective charity, that is, the constant resolve to obey God, to fulfill his will in all things and to please him in every way, and the execution of this resolve, is the effect of the former, demonstrating its genuineness (Mt. 7:15-27; Lk. 6:43-49; Jn. 14:15-21) and is a valid criterion for judging true charity toward God.
The other theological virtues, faith and hope, are intimately united to charity, both preparing for it and increasing II. They are infused into the wayfarer man to render him capable of attaining his supernatural end, which is realized through charity. The more charity increases in a soul, the more the virtues of faith and hope grow in strength and splendor. Divine love indeed gives the soul a new knowledge and taste for heavenly things: the supernatural truths, the object of faith, become almost connatural, so that the just person lives by them, preferring them to all else. At the same time, the demands of divine love extend to ever higher and more difficult things and engage the faithful more deeply on the path of renunciation and great works of good, so that he must increase in hope in God and in abandonment to him, the only sufficient helper for every heroic undertaking (S. Schifini, *De virtutibus infusis*, Freiburg in Br. 1904, nos. 219-224, 285-91).
As regards the moral virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, and their subordinate virtues), they enter into the composition of Christian perfection as integral elements, both by removing the impediments that would render the exercise of charity impossible or at least difficult—since charity cannot order acts to the ultimate end unless they are pleasing to God—and by ensuring that even those other acts of human life not elicited by the theological virtues may be placed under the sway of charity. Charity can in fact effectively inform the various virtuous human acts and direct them all toward the attainment of the ultimate end, by which they become meritorious (Council of Trent, sess. VI, c. 10: Denz.-U., 803, 809, 836, 842). It is thus understood why spiritual masters attach special importance to certain virtues, such as humility, poverty, chastity, etc., even though by their intrinsic nature they are not among the highest; these are virtues that remove the greatest impediments to the exercise and triumph of divine charity in a soul. Likewise, it is clear why in the theological virtues all must strive with the utmost diligence, whereas in the moral virtues it is not necessary that each person attend to them equally, but rather a greater variety of exercise is permitted according to the diverse conditions of life and circumstances. The theological virtues indeed tend to the ultimate end *omnia, semper, quantum fieri potest appetendum*; the moral virtues, however, tend to *media ad hunc finem*, means that do not all have the same importance in themselves, nor the same fixedness for each individual (cf. J. de Guibert, op. cit. in bibl., n. 77).
The evangelical counsels also enter into the composition of Christian perfection, both those in the broader sense—i.e., works of supererogation (which are not commanded even under a light precept)—and those in the strict sense—i.e., perfect poverty, chastity, and obedience. The former (such as frequent Communion, forgiving not only enemies but repaying them with special favors and benefits, embracing humiliations that could lawfully be avoided, etc.), when united with fidelity in the fulfillment of one’s state of life and the commandments, indicate in the soul a great mastery of charity, so that in fact no great perfection is attained without them. The latter, however, mark out a special path, so that their practice is not in itself necessary for the attainment of Christian perfection. The entire observance of these counsels places the soul on the surer and more effective path toward its attainment, while being more in conformity with the examples of the Savior and His Mother (cf. *Sum. Theol.*, 2a-2ae, q. 186, a. 7); hence, their profession forms part of the canonical state of Christian perfection recognized by the Church.