Pretty sure the Church teaches that all vocations can be holy. Not just cloistered religious.Pax Domini, +
If you are discerning priesthood or religious life, I strongly suggest you read St. Alphonsus Liguori’s book, “The Great Means to Salvation and Perfection.” In that book he says that people going into the parish priesthood should live holier than the normal person. Now, it is absolutely true, that when you enter seminary you do progress in sanctity/holiness significantly (due to daily mass, religious instruction, spiritual direction, and Divine Office) and then you can be ordained. But ask yourself if you are really are one of those people who lives holier than the rest. Evangelization is extremely important, but are you going to loose your own soul trying to save others? What is the point of becoming a diocesan priest in a parish if even you may not make it to heaven? So, consider the cloistered religious life. This may turn people off who have a strong desire to evangelize but St. Alphonsus says in his book, “The Great Means to Salvation and Perfection,” that if you want to ensure your salvation in the best means possible, than enter a consecrated religious life. I strongly suggest one of the cloistered monasteries. See priests living in the world, outside of the cloisters, really don’t live that much holier, now a days, than the normal population. They are supposed to live holier, but they frequently fall into sin. In a consecrated religious life, you have the support of the community all your life and the protection of the cloistered walls to keep sin out and worldly influences away. ** You honestly have a much greater chance of living holy in the cloister.** So consider it, if you do enter the consecrated religious orders (especially the cloisters) you have a really good chance of making it heaven. St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Alphonsus both say that you don’t have to live holier than most to enter the consecrated religious life, it is the place you can go though to live much more holy.Just my thoughts.
Also read St. Alphonsus Liguori’s other book on the Religious Life. Good luck in your discernment. Ad Jesum per Mariam, Michael.
It depends entirely on how faithfully the life is lived out.