Why are Faith, Hope and Charity called virtues?
A. Faith, Hope and Charity are called virtues because they are not mere acts, but habits by which we always and in all things believe God, hope in Him, and love Him. Q. What kind of virtues are Faith, Hope and Charity? A. Faith, Hope and Charity are called infused theological virtues to distinguish them from the four moral virtues — Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance. Q. Why do we say the three theological virtues are infused and the four moral virtues acquired? A. We say the three theological virtues are infused; that is, poured into our souls, because they are strictly gifts of God and do not depend upon our efforts to obtain them, while the four moral virtues — Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance — though also gifts of God, may, as natural virtues, be acquired by our own efforts. Q. Why do we believe God, hope in Him, and love Him? A. We believe God and hope in Him because He is infinitely true and cannot deceive us. We love Him because He is infinitely good and
