Saint Thomas Aquinas
By Timothy G. Greene
Europe was slowly
emerging from the dark ages by the early 1200’s. Population growth was increasing steadily with long hot
summers and short mild winters. There
was a growing restlessness throughout the land, especially in Italy where there
seemed to be something like a precursor to the renaissance, with a rising
interest in the finer things of culture like art and music. However, it could not yet be realized
due to the fact that most people lived in poverty and could never look forward
to advancement because of the Feudalistic system in which all of Europe was
trapped.
Feudalism, by definition
meant a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the
holding of land in exchange for service of labor, a most inefficient form of
government, in which nobles owned the land and vassals were the managers, with
a multitude of serfs who would work the land. The surfs, little better than slaves, lived harsh lives,
while the noble class lived in castles and indulged themselves in their great
wealth. There was much warfare
between the nobles; it was a world of seemingly endless corruption and
violence. Yet in 1225 in the
kingdom of Naples, would be born to a noble family of the castle Roccasecca a
son who would be named Thomas Aquino, who would become one of the greatest
thinkers of all time. Thomas’
father was the Count Landulf of Aquino and his mother Theodora Countess of
Theate were related to the Hohenstaufen dynasty of the Holy Roman empire. (Britannica) All of Thomas’ brothers would take up military careers like
their father, however Thomas was clearly of a different sort, his goal in life
was to become a Dominican priest, much to the dismay of his family.
Thomas began his early
education at Monte Cassino but after the military conflict that broke out
between the Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX spilled into the abbey in
1239, Thomas’ parents enrolled him in the Studium Generate University recently
established by Frederick in Naples.
(Columbia Encyclopedia)
During his study at the university Thomas would meet an influential
figure named Petrus de Ibernia. From
this Dominican teacher Thomas would learn mathematics, astronomy, music and
most of all Ibernia would convince Thomas to join the Dominica order. Thomas’ parents would not be pleased
with this, a Benedictine yes, but never a Dominican. When Thomas was on his way to Paris for more schooling his
parents had his brothers kidnap him while he had stopped to take a drink at the
spring. He was imprisoned in the
family castle for up to two years, and his two sisters, Marotta and Theodora,
attended to his needs, but tried in vain to weaken his will. After a time the sisters were converted
to Thomas’ view point. The most
dramatic episode of his imprisonment came when his brothers sent a temptress to
his quarters. As soon as Thomas
saw this girl’s intention; which was to seduce him, he rushed to the fire place
and grabbed a burning stick and forced her out. He then closed the door and drew a cross on the door with the
charred end of the stick. (Fr. Christopher Rengers, O.F.M., Cap)
When he fell asleep that
night, he had a dream that two angels came and placed a cord around his waist
saying, “On God’s behalf we gird you with the girdle of chastity, a girdle
which no attack will ever destroy.” (Lives of the Saints, Richard P.
McBrian) For the rest of his life
Thomas would remain free from any such temptations. Finally his family released him and after some traveling he
would eventually end up in Cologne, where he would study under St. Albert the
Great, from 1248 to 1252. It is
not known for certain but Thomas was probably ordained at Cologne. This large quiet young man was dubbed
the dumb ox by fellow students at Cologne. He was so quiet and non committal that no one seemed much
impressed by him at first, but after getting to know him better his genius
became evident. St. Albert the
Great had said regarding Thomas, “Today you call this man a dumb ox, but one
day the bellowing of this ox will resound throughout the world.” (Fr.
Christopher Rengers, O.F.M., Cap)
Of this St. Albert the
Great was quite correct, because Thomas Aquinas would become a Doctor
Universalis, or Doctor of the Catholic Church. Thomas Aquinas is held in the Catholic Church to be the
model teacher for those studying for the priesthood. The works that he is best known for are the Summa
Theologica, and the Summa Contra Gentiles. As one of the 33 Doctors of the Church, he is considered to
be the greatest theologian and philosopher. Pope Benedict XV declared, “This Dominican order acquired
new luster when the church declared the teaching of Thomas to be her own and
that Doctor, honored with the special praises of the Pontiffs, the master and
patron of Catholic schools.”
(Oxford Encyclopedia) Thomas was the foremost proponent of natural
theology, and the father of Thomasism.
His influence on western thought is considerable, and much of modern
philosophy was conceived as a reaction against, or as an agreement with his
ideas, particularly in the area of ethics, natural law, metaphysics, and
political theory. Thomas was
influenced by many of the great philosophers, but by far he was most influenced
by Aristotle of ancient Greece (384 BC to 322 BC), who was the inventor of
formal logic, which is the science of valid inference. (Philosophy, Christian,
11th edition) Aristotle
was a seeker of truth and Thomas would use many of his methods in his teaching.
In Naples, 1273 Thomas
was celebrating the Mass of St. Nicholas when, according to some, he heard
Christ speak to him. Christ asked
him what he desired, being pleased with his meritorious life. Thomas replied, “Only you Lord. Only you.” (Lives of the Saints,
McBrien) After this exchange
something happened, but Thomas never spoke of it or wrote it down. Because of what he saw, he abandoned
his routine and refused to continue his work. When asked if he would return to work, Thomas’ response was,
“I cannot, because all that I have written seems like straw to me.” Thomas’ behavior seemed to be affected
by a supernatural experience of God.
Later in 1274, Pope Gregory X convened the Second Council of Lyon to be
held on the 1st of March, and requested that Thomas attend. On his way to the council riding on a
donkey along the Appian Way, he struck his head on a branch of a fallen tree
and became seriously ill. He was
escorted to Monte Casino to convalesce.
After resting for a while he set out again, but stopped at the
Cistercian Fossanova Abbey after again falling ill. He died on March 7th 1274 while giving commentary
on the Song of Songs.
Fifty years after the
death of Thomas, on July 18, 1323, Pope John XXII, seated in Avignon,
pronounced Thomas a saint. In a
monastery in Naples, near the Cathedral of Saint Januarious, a cell in which
Thomas supposedly lived is still shown to visitors. His remains were placed in the Church of the Jacobins in
Toulouse in 1369. Between 1789 and
1974, they were held in Basilique de Saint Sernin, Toulouse. In 1974 they were returned to the Church
of the Jacobins, where they have remained ever since.
In 1879 Pope Leo XIII
decreed that all Catholic seminaries and universities must teach Thomas’
doctrines, and where Thomas did not speak on a subject, the teachers were urged
to teach conclusions that were reconcilable to his thinking. (Encyclopedia
Britannica, Britanica.com) In
1880, Saint Thomas Aquinas was declared patron of all Catholic educational
establishments.
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