John, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to all the venerable brother patriarchs, archbishops and bishops, as well as to his beloved sons abbots, priors, deans, archdeacons, archpriests, and other prelates of the churches to whom this letter will reach, greetings and apostolic blessing.
The Lord sent redemption to His people [1], when the Word of God was conceived with the cooperation of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin, mysterious nuptial chamber, and became flesh and dwelt among us [2], instructing us by His word, teaching us by His example, manifesting heaven to us, revealing His mysteries to us, confirming His doctrine by the miracles He had done, confirming all things by the testimonies of the Holy Word, who announced that these things would happen.
Finally, offering Himself to God His Father on the altar of the Cross as a victim for an odor of sweetness [3], He washed away our sins with His sacred Blood [4], He descended into the underworld and plundered hades, He rose from the dead on the third day [5], He appeared to His disciples for forty days and spoke of the Kingdom of God [6], He ascended to heaven under the admiring eyes of His disciples [7], He led the captives and made gifts to men [8].
He let them know that the gate of Heaven, hitherto closed, was finally open in heaven to those who believed in Him. Heaven is therefore open to the faithful, to the humble, and especially to those who have voluntarily consecrated themselves, by the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, to God from whom the foolish have turned away. “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away”[9], because those who dominate their own affections tend with some violence towards higher realities.
2. It is thus that Blessed Thomas Aquinas, of the Order of Friars Preachers, doctor of sacred theology, a man of noble family, but of an even greater nobility of soul, of illustrious fame, of a most worthy life, capable, even before puberty, of attentive meditation and deliberation, received the habit of the Order of Preachers [at the age of 19], remaining even more firm in this design, when he withstood the obstacles set before him by his own father opposed to his happy decision.
After his religious profession, he soon made such progress in knowledge, life, and virtue that he was ordained a priest while still young and began to teach theology in Paris, the most famous city of all, where he occupied with great esteem, for several years of his career, the chair of Master, which was a great honor for himself, for his Order, and for the University of Paris.
Indeed, by his virtuous life he acquired a reputation, he produced a sure doctrine with works written in such a short time, but which had a great diffusion and aroused legitimate admiration, so that the words of the Psalm truly apply to him: “Thou waterest the hills from thy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of thy works” [10].
This is the theme the saint chose to begin his teaching on Sacred Scripture. It is said that it was given to him by a revelation, after he had said his prayers, at the time when he believed himself unfit for teaching because of his youth, when he was wondering what he was going to propose as the theme for his inaugural class.
3. And because he did not want to remain idle, but to cultivate the land [11], he wrote works on the first sciences and on the various parts of philosophy, also on the Holy Scriptures, both the New and the Old Testament, and many other works for the glory of God, for the increase of faith, and the instruction of students, all clear, with science, reputation, and wisdom, not without the infusion of a special gift of grace. Indeed, for prudent men, learning is easy [12], and the absolute sign of one who is wise is the ability to teach [13].
4. This sage was able to accomplish such a work because he turned away from all ambition for earthly goods and aimed for heavenly goods. He certainly spent all his time studying the things of God and renouncing earthly goods to obtain eternal goods.
And he began with the things of God so as to fortify himself in the things of the School, because, each day, before going up to the lectern to give his lesson or to do other things, he celebrated a Mass and heard another one, or if he did not celebrate, heard two entire ones. In the Masses and also in other acts of prayer, to which he was assiduous, he revealed, by the shedding of tears, the docility and devotion of his soul to God, from Whom nothing is hidden.
5. In any case, with the brilliance of his chastity, he illuminated, in pious moderation, that humility which he kept and that same attentive sobriety which he maintained, in such a way that many thought he had kept the virginity of his flesh intact.
This was affirmed by a pious confessor of the aforesaid Order, after having heard him at length in confession, which he gave in public and in the presence of all, on the day of his death, this credible testimony which has come down to us: I have heard the general confession of this holy man, of which I testify, for he came to me pure as a child of five years old, because he never knew corruption in his flesh.
Moreover, this man of God, contented himself with the food and the common clothing of the monks; he was of a gentle character, a delicate kindness, a pious mercy, submissive to humility and adorned with so many other virtues; he had no regard for honors, and kept cautiously away from cohabitation with women.
He was not haughty, and showed no desire to dominate, nor to dispute, for even in disputes he kept himself from boasting and kept quiet in discussions, avoiding pedantic language, even when the syllogistic dispute was used as a resource by others.
This is why this servant of God was concerned with divine works and was in everything exquisite. He excelled in scholarship, was moving in preaching, devout in prayer, profound in writing, and devoted himself to all this with assiduity, so that apart from natural necessities, or the hour of rest, he had no free time left.
6. Finally, the day approached when he was to pass from this world to the Lord; after having conquered and triumphed over the world, he was received into everlasting eternity, the country [14], “for the fruit of good labors is glorious” [15]. Coming from Naples, where he was then teaching as a Doctor, as always with great fame, he went by the coast to the Council of Lyons, to which, it is said, he had been invited because of his eminent knowledge, by Our Predecessor of happy memory, Pope Gregory X.
When, a few days before the Council, he arrived at Fossa Nova Monastery, of the Cistercian Order, in the diocese of Terracina, he felt a little ill and piously asked to be taken to the Monastery. Entering the monastery, filled with the Spirit of God, he then pronounced these words: “This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.” [16]
This turned out to be true, as evidenced by the tomb in which his holy body was buried. It was there that his illness began to worsen and gradually cause him to lose strength. Although his illness lasted for many days, he bore it without any sign of impatience, but with an even soul, keeping total humility, bearing the illness with a serenity which alleviated his infirmity; he strove to please God by obedience, and performed his duties himself.
And it won the respect of those who did not serve him, for he gave all an example of patience to imitate; this is why the brothers of this same Fossa Nova Monastery, who served God with great devotion, seeing in this holy man the virtues of religion, willingly offered him their services, because they saw him accomplishing them with total resignation in his bodily infirmity.
Some of them gladly carried pieces of wood from the forest on their shoulders, others anything that could be useful to him, because they did not think it appropriate that the animals should carry the things which were necessary to him, and that they should give this assistance to him who had the prerogative of so many virtues.
7. And when, in that same infirmity by which he died, he took for nourishment of his soul, as viaticum, the most holy body of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, his soul, accustomed to taste the sweetness of God, melting with him in sweet love, shed a profusion of tears.
And among the various beautiful words he uttered, his faith and devotion inspired him with the following, which he uttered in front of the entire community of this monastery and in the presence of many brothers of the Order of Preachers and the Order of [Friars] Minors, who assisted him:
I have taught many things on the subject of the Most Holy Body of Our God, Our Lord Jesus Christ and on the other sacraments, on the many things I have written on faith in Jesus Christ and on the Holy Church Roman, to which I submit and expose everything for correction.
He then received, alongside this same living Sacrament, the other sacraments of the Church, with due veneration and with an outpouring of tears, and three days later he fell asleep in the Lord, in whom he believed, whom he loved and cherished with all the tenderness of his soul.
The faithful and prudent servant [17], is not obstinate in his own ways, nor in his own senses or in his beginner’s prudence, and he is not haughty with his knowledge which comes from his opinion, because he who pursues majesty will be overwhelmed by glory [18].
The Doctor also acted with wisdom and humility, in the fidelity of his devotion, submitted, as we have said, all his doctrine, oral and written, to the rule of the faith of the Church herself, spoken by the mouth of Peter, whose stability he knew would never be shaken by the winds of human agitation; for after having recognized the Divinity of Christ in these terms:
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” [19], Peter deserved to hear these words: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church” [20]; and in another place: “I have prayed for you Peter, that your faith should not fail” [21]; now, if Christ prays for Peter, it is for His Church that He intercedes.
He can be declared a saint.
8. For it is true, worthy and becoming that he whom God has covered in this life with so many graces and gifts, once taken up into heaven, He declares him holy in the eyes of men; He makes him shine again after his departure from this life, although even before we have kept the memory of more than one marvel, by so many great miracles, so many dazzling prodigies, that these words of the Psalm can rightly be applied to him:
Know that the Lord has brought to light His saint [22], and so his life has witnessed his miracles, and his miracles have witnessed his life[23]. For the glory of God, the exaltation of the saint and the edification of the faithful, We have inscribed in this Bull, among the many the miracles, certain ones attested by appropriate witnesses.
[1] Ps 110:9.
[2] Jn 1:14.
[3] Cf. Eph 5:2 and Phil 4, 28.
[4] Cf. the Exultet at the Easter Vigil.
[5] Cf. 1 Cor 15:4 and the Apostles’ Creed.
[6] Acts 1:3.
[7] Cf. Acts 1:9.
[8] Eph 4:8.
[9] Mt 11:12; see Luke 16:16.
[10] Psalms 103:13.
[11] Cf. Gen 2:5.
[12] Prov. 14:6.
[13] De sancti Thomae prudentia in consiliis dandis cf. De Tocco, Vita, c. 35; A. M. Jacquin
O.P., Le prudentissime Frère Thomas, [the prudence of Br. Thomas] Friborg 1924.
[14] Cf. Dan. 12:3.
[15] Wis 3:15.
[16] Psalms 131:14.
[17] Mt 24:45.
[18] Prov. 25:27.
[19] Mt 16:16.
[20] Mt 16:18; Lk. 22:32.
[21] Lk 22:32.
[22] Psalms 4:3.
[23] Jn 1:8.
Pope John XXII
On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the canonization of the Angelic Doctor, FSSPX.News is publishing several texts showing the place of the Common Doctor in theology and in the teaching of the Church. This text is the papal bull Redemptionem misit of Pope John XXII for the canonization of St. Thomas Aquinas.
This document is of major importance for the Church. This canonization opened a very wide path to the doctrine of the holy Doctor which would not cease to be fruitful throughout the ages and would be always more strongly recommended by the popes.