Hoje é o dia da festa de São Tomás de Aquino, patrono deste blog. Dentre vários sites que vi comemorando a data, vi um que faz uma compilação do que vários papas falaram sobre o Doutor Angélico.
Vou colocar aqui no blog.
Vocês vão me permitir colocar o texto em inglês, pois estou sem nenhum tempo para traduzir e não gostaria de traduzir o que os papas disseram sobre São Tomás de forma apressada.
Texto retirado do site do
Thomas Aquinas College.
The following is a compilation of various popes’ comments
regarding the importance of the works of St. Thomas Aquinas to Catholic
education. It is excerpted and adapted from the essay
The Formation of the Catholic Mind by the College’s founding president,
Dr. Ronald P. McArthur.
What does the Church, to whom Christ has entrusted His concerns for us, teach concerning theological doctrines?
1.
Pope John XXII, speaking about St. Thomas, said
before his canonization that “his life was saintly and his doctrine
could only be miraculous … because he enlightened the church more than
all the other doctors. By the use of his works a man could profit more
in one year than if he studies the doctrine of others for his whole
life.”
2.
St. Pius V
declared him a Doctor of The Church, saying he was “the most brilliant
light of the Church,” whose works are “the most certain rule of
Christian doctrine by which he enlightened the Apostolic Church in
answering conclusively numberless errors … which illumination has often
been evident in the past and recently stood forth prominently in the
decrees of the Council of Trent.”
3.
Benedict XIII
wrote to the Order of Preachers that they should “pursue with energy
your Doctor’s works, more brilliant than the sun and written without the
shadow of error. These works made the Church illustrious with wonderful
erudition, since they march ahead and proceed with unimpeded step,
protecting and vindicating by the surest rule of Christian doctrine, the
truth of our holy religion.”
4.
Leo XIII
stated that “this is the greatest glory of Thomas, altogether his own
and shared with no other Catholic Doctor, that the Fathers of Trent, in
order to proceed in an orderly fashion during the conclave, desired to
have opened upon the altar together with the Scriptures and the decrees
of the Supreme Pontiffs, the
Summa of St. Thomas Aquinas whence they could draw counsel, reasons and answers.”
Again from Leo XIII: “This point is vital, that Bishops expend every
effort to see that young men destined to be the hope of the Church
should be imbued with the holy and heavenly doctrine of the Angelic
Doctor. In those places where young men have devoted themselves to the
patronage and doctrine of St. Thomas, true wisdom will flourish, drawn
as it is from solid principles and explained by reason in an orderly
fashion … Theology proceeding correctly and well according to the plan
and method of Aquinas is in accordance with our command. Every day We
become more clearly aware how powerfully Sacred Doctrine taught by its
master and patron, Thomas, affords the greatest possible utility for
both clergy and laity.
5
. St. Pius X said that the chief of Leo’s
achievements is his restoration of the doctrine of St. Thomas. For he
“restored the Angelic Doctor … as the leader and master of theology,
whose divine genius fashioned weapons marvelously suited to protect the
truth and destroy the many errors of the times. Indeed those principles
of wisdom, useful for all time, which the holy Doctors passed on to us,
have been organized by no one more aptly than by Thomas, and no one has
explained them more clearly.” Indeed, Pius said, those who depart from
the teaching of St. Thomas “seem to effect ultimately their withdrawal
from the Church … As we have said, one may not desert Aquinas,
especially in philosophy and theology, without great harm; following him
is the safest way to the knowledge of divine things.… If the doctrine
of any other author or saint has ever been approved at any time by us or
our predecessors with singular commendation joined with an invitation
and order to propagate and to defend it, it may be easily understood
that it was commended only insofar as it agreed with the principles of
Aquinas or was in no way opposed to them.” Theology professors “should
also take particular care that their students develop a deep affection
for the
Summa … In this way and no other will theology be
restored to its pristine dignity, and the proper order and value will be
restored to all sacred studies, and the province of the intellect and
reason flower again in a second spring.”
6.
Benedict XV stated
that “the eminent commendations of Thomas Aquinas by the Holy See no
longer permit a Catholic to doubt that he was divinely raised up that
the Church might have a master whose doctrine should be followed in a
special way at all times.”
7.
Pius XI
said that “indeed, We so approve of the tributes paid to his almost
divine brilliance that we believe Thomas should be called not only
Angelic but Common or Universal Doctor of the Church. As innumerable
documents of every kind attest, the Church has adopted his doctrine for
her own.… It is no wonder that the Church has made this light her own
and has adorned herself with it, and has illustrated her immortal
doctrine with it … It is no wonder that all the popes have vied with one
another in exalting him, proposing him, inculcating him, as a model,
master, doctor, patron and protector of all schools … Just as it was
said of old to the Egyptians in time of famine: ‘Go to Joseph, so that
they should receive a supply of corn to nourish their bodies, so to
those who are now in quest of truth We now say: ‘Go to Thomas’ that they
may ask from him the food of solid doctrine of which he has an
abundance to nourish their souls unto eternal life.”
8.
Bl. John Paul II
said: “[T]he Church has been justified in consistently proposing Saint
Thomas as a master of thought and a model of the right way to do
theology….
“[T]he Magisterium has repeatedly acclaimed the merits of Saint
Thomas’ thought and made him the guide and model for theological
studies.… The Magisterium’s intention has always been to show how Saint
Thomas is an authentic model for all who seek the truth. In his
thinking, the demands of reason and the power of faith found the most
elevated synthesis ever attained by human thought, for he could defend
the radical newness introduced by Revelation without ever demeaning the
venture proper to reason.”
9.
Pope Benedict XVI
said, “In his encyclical Fides et Ratio, my venerated predecessor, Pope
John Paul II recalled that ‘the Church has been justified in
consistently proposing St. Thomas a master of thought and a model of the
right way to do theology’ (No. 43).
“It is not surprising that, after St. Augustine, among the writers
mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, St. Thomas is quoted
more than any other — some 61 times! He was also called the Doctor
Angelicus, perhaps because of his virtues, in particular the loftiness
of his thought and purity of life.
“In short, Thomas Aquinas showed there is a natural harmony between
Christian faith and reason. And this was the great work of Thomas, who
in that moment of encounter between two cultures — that moment in which
it seemed that faith should surrender before reason — showed that they
go together, that what seemed to be reason incompatible with faith was
not reason, and what seemed to be faith was not faith, in so far as it
was opposed to true rationality; thus he created a new synthesis, which
shaped the culture of the following centuries.”
Since Sacred Theology uses philosophy as a handmaid, the Church’s
duty does not end with a judgment upon Theology alone, but extends to
philosophy as well.
1.
Pius XII
said that “… the Angelic Doctor interpreted [Aristotle] in a uniquely
brilliant manner. He made that philosophy Christian when he purged it of
the errors into which a pagan writer would easily fall; he used those
very errors in his exposition and vindication of Catholic truth. Among
the important advances which the Church owes to the great Aquinas this
certainly should be included that so nicely did he harmonize Christian
truth with the enduring peripatetic philosophy that he made Aristotle
cease to be an adversary and become, instead, a militant supporter for
Christ … Therefore, those who wish to be true philosophers … should take
the principles and foundations of their doctrine from Thomas Aquinas.
To follow his leadership is praiseworthy: on the contrary, to depart
foolishly and rashly from the wisdom of the angelic Doctor is something
far from Our mind and fraught with peril … For those who apply
themselves to the teaching and study of Theology and Philosophy should
consider it their capital duty, having set aside the findings of a
fruitless philosophy, to follow St. Thomas Aquinas and to cherish him as
their master and their leader.”
2.
St. Pius X
said that “all who teach philosophy in Catholic schools throughout the
world should take care never to depart from the path and method of
Aquinas, and to insist upon that procedure more vigorously every
day...We warn teachers to keep this religiously in mind, especially in
metaphysics, that to disregard Aquinas cannot be done without suffering
great harm.”
3.
Benedict XV said that “along with our
predecessors We are equally persuaded that the only philosophy worth our
efforts is that which is according to Christ. Therefore the study of
philosophy according to the principles and system of Aquinas must
certainly be encouraged so that the explanation and invincible defense
of divinely revealed truth may be as full as human reason can make of
it.”
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Viva São Tomás, para mim, simplesmente o maior filósofo (que me perdoe quem acha que foi Aristóteles) e maior teólogo ( que me perdoe quem acha que foi Santo Agostinho) de todos os tempos.