Faith, Hope and Love are referred to in Catholic Theology as the Theological Virtues because they have as their end as God alone. The Cardinal Virtues concern themselves with human duty in moral judgment.
Since it is God whom Catholics believe in, faith, hope and love are considered supernatural virtues because they reach beyond the natural aim and end of man requiring believers to reach into a supernatural understanding.
The Infusion of Faith, Hope and Love
The infusion of faith helps Catholics to believe all that revelation has been revealed. They believe that without infused faith, the soul cannot have a true faith in that which is not seen although it has been seen by other believers.
In The Three Ages of the Interior Life, Father Reginald Garrigou Lagrange speaks to this point when he says, "Infused faith is like a higher sense of hearing for the audition of a spiritual symphony which has God for its composer."
The Infusion of an Intimate and Superhuman Light
Without the infusion of faith, some believe that an intellectual human being can study the scriptures and other revelatory materials, but he will still not come to a firm conclusion of faith or belief. One can believe in revelation only after it has been infused supernaturally into the soul.
Other theologians have described it as an infusion of an intimate and superhuman light, because the object of faith goes well beyond faith and reason, which is theologically natural and rational. But faith might be viewed as a supernatural and transluminous phenomenon.
The Supernatural Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity
In Catholic Theology, the other two supernatural virtues of hope and charity are compared to two wings. With the belief that hope supernaturally infused within the believer, Catholics desire to attain to God. For the Catholic, this is not a natural state, but a supernatural one and they believe that Christians must rely on God to infuse this desire within, as it is only He who comes to help those who ask for spiritual help.
In The Three Ages of the Interior Life, Father Reginald Garrigou Lagrange explains, “Charity is a superior and more disinterested love of God.” It's suggested that the supernatural and theological virtue of charity makes believers love God not for themselves, but for Himself – because of His infinite goodness. Charity makes believers love God as a friend, and it is by this charity that Christians may receive sanctifying grace to avoid the commission of mortal sins.
In Catholicism, there are venial and mortal sins. Venial sins are defined as sins which do not break the charity between God and the soul, whereas, mortal sins are serious and do separate the soul from the charity of God.
The Cardinal Virtues carry a great deal of importance in this discussion, as well as, Moral Theology, Mystical Theology and Ascetical Theology.
Sources:
- A Catholic Dictionary, by William E. Addis and Thomas Arnold, M.A.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church .
- The Three Ages of the Interior Life by Fr. Reginald Garrigou Lagrange.
