HOLINESS. - Separation from the profane, considered in God or in creatures. As an attribute of God, it is the divine essence itself insofar as it is transcendent, infinite perfection. Theologians distinguish in God ontological holiness (God as the Supreme Good toward which all things tend) and moral holiness (God insofar as He loves Himself as the Supreme Good).
Holiness entails the complete absence of sin. A distinction is likewise drawn between ontological and moral holiness in creatures. The first is predicated of them in relation to God, insofar as in their being they are consecrated to Him: "holy" is then equivalent to "sacred." Such are all things or persons set apart from profane uses and dedicated to the Divinity (such as altars, objects of worship, religious). Moral holiness, on the other hand, belongs only to free beings; and it consists in their conformity of will with the divine will.
In the supernatural moral order, holiness further entails an interior transformation, produced by the infused habit of sanctifying Grace (v.), by the virtues and the gifts (v.). The soul is assimilated to God and is united to Him as a friend. It has the rights of an adopted daughter and is a partaker of the divine inheritance through a special indwelling (v.) of the Most Holy Trinity. Such holiness has higher degrees the more the perfection (v.) of the soul grows.
All the faithful are called to holiness, at least in a general way. This truth is established by Sacred Scripture (Mt. 5:48; Lk. 14:25; Phil. 4:8; I Cor. 7:29-31; Eph. 1:4; II Tim. 3:10; I Pt. 1:15; I Io. 2:15; Apoc. 22:11), by the holy Fathers (St. Augustine, Sermo 96, 7; PL. 38, 588; St. Basil, Sermo de renunciatione saeculi; PG 31, 628), by constant tradition (cf. Pius XI: AAS, 15 [1922], pp. 49-63). Indeed, God cannot but will for all that which is fullness of goodness, the fulfillment of His will, divine likeness, imitation of Christ (cf. O. Zimmermann, Aszese, 2nd ed., Freiburg im Br. 1929, § 48, p. 255). Not all, however, are called to the same degree of holiness; for God does not grant the same graces to all (cf. Sum. Theol., 1st-2nd, q. 112 a. 4; F. Suárez, De Gratia, I. IX, cap. 6, n. 9), nor do all have the same dispositions, preparation and correspondence (cf. Pius XI, loc. cit., p. 55). Since, however, all can attain that perfection which God wills from them, doubting the possibility of holiness is reproved by the Fathers as a grave temptation (cf. J. Alvarez, Opera spiritualia, I, Lyon 1608, 3, 1; Pseudo-Macarius, De orat., n. 12; PG 34, 861).
The Church, having from Christ the mandate of teaching, proposes in various ways what is the surest manner of concretely attaining holiness, especially in particular documents concerning Christian spirituality, in the approval of the Constitutions of religious Orders, in canonizing the saints, in condemning errors.
From this teaching it follows that holiness consists practically in the exercise of the virtues in a heroic degree. For this it is required that the faithful perform many acts of all the Christian virtues (whoever sinned against one, even though possessing the others, cannot be a saint) in a degree higher than the common one of good people, habitually, even in arduous circumstances, amid difficulties and impediments, and constantly. For how long? Certainly for a fairly prolonged span of time (P. Lambertini [Benedict XIV], De beatificatione etc., I. III, cap. 39, n. 5). Some reckon it, approximately, at ten years. One cannot have heroic virtue and therefore holiness without the use of mortification (v.), both internal and external.
The virtues in a heroic degree do not differ from the common ones, except in degree. For the infused and acquired virtuous habits are the same, and the readiness, ease and alacrity proper to one who acts heroically are not essential but qualitative differences (Sum. Theol., 3rd, q. 7 a. 2; F. Suárez, In 3 divi Th., q. 7, a. 2). For holiness, infused contemplation is not required (P. Lambertini, loc. cit., 26, n. 8). In the present condition of humanity, fallen through original sin, holiness does not exclude some fall into venial sins of frailty (Denz-U, 833). The saints, however, fall into them less than others, with less voluntariness, and as they progress in perfection they increase in purity. This desire for purity leads them to practice frequent confession. Many saints confessed daily. Thus St. Catherine of Siena, Catherine of Sweden, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Peter Claver, Charles Borromeo, Louis Bertrand, Alphonsus de' Liguori, St. Leonard of Port Maurice (cf. B. Saint-Jure, Commissar de N.-S. J.-C., III, cap. 10, § 9).
Holiness is born from a twofold principle, divine and human. God gives the Grace, and man the cooperation. Since God never fails on His part, in order to attain holiness the most active human cooperation is required, contrary to what the quietists and semi-quietists said, who led to an erroneous and pernicious passivity (Denz-U, 471, 1221). One must know how to unite passivity, that is, docility to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, with activity. A certain method of ascetic life is useful, one that orders the means to be used in order to attain progressively the various virtues.
Spiritual theology teaches various methods, according to the diversity of vocations, of the ways that lead to God, of the various temperaments and states of development of souls. Among the most useful means for attaining holiness there should be recommended especially at the beginning the use of a good spiritual direction, which must lead souls to a life of prayer, that is, of elevation to God in the most varied forms; to an intense sacramental life, with the careful practice of penance and of the Most Holy Eucharist; and finally to a life of mortification and self-denial, by which the faithful succeeds in making the efforts necessary for holiness and in overcoming obstacles. Among the means always recommended by the saints, the habit of recollection, silence and retreat is important, with the shunning of worldly vanities, which allow elevation to heavenly things and the consideration of eternal values. In general the masters of the spiritual life advise beginning the work of one's own sanctification as early as possible, in the period of youth (F. Charmot, La direction spirituelle, Paris 1934, pp. 30-56).
Although all are called to holiness and therefore each one must desire it, religious and ecclesiastics are bound to it in a special way (CIC, cann. 124-26). The recent pontiffs have in a particular way illustrated the nature of priestly holiness, demonstrating that, by virtue of their office and of the sacred Order, priests must shine before the faithful, pure from every fault and with no mediocre virtues.
In holiness the greatest good is attained. Through it the individual is made good, filled with holy thoughts and desires, with holy love, ready for the greatest undertakings, rich in a superior beauty, already happy on earth by foretasting something of the joys of heaven, with intimate jubilation proceeding from God's indwelling in him, with the possession of true freedom and security, and therefore of peace. Holiness then radiates for the benefit of one's neighbor; for no one aids humanity more than the saints. The saint helps, bears with others, forgives, invites to good. The perfect, in their passing, give rise to new virtuous examples. Through their merit God remains appeased and sends down more graces upon the human race. Finally, holiness brings about a greater glory of God. The saint accomplishes God's glory objectively, insofar as he is a masterpiece of His, that is, an effect of the divine creative and redemptive activity; and subjectively, since his whole being is consumed in the praise, service, and love of God. The saint is like a canticle to the divine goodness. The seven petitions of the Our Father have in the saint their fullest realization. Therefore holiness, by bringing divine sonship to its maximum, is true and intimate friendship with God, and is praised by Scripture as the precious pearl, the hidden treasure, the Kingdom of God (O. Zimmermann, op. cit., § 52, pp. 276-78).
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Arnaldo M. Lanz