Brain traces: Lying, Nazis, Aquinas, Trinitarians, St. Victor, Bonaventure

by homer

Pope John Paul II:

Consequently, no evil done with a good intention can be excused.
…
If acts are intrinsically evil, a good intention or particular circumstances can diminish their evil, but they cannot remove it. They remain “irremediably” evil acts; per se and in themselves they are not capable of being ordered to God and to the good of the person.
…
Consequently, circumstances or intentions can never transform an act intrinsically evil by virtue of its object into an act “subjectively” good or defensible as a choice. [ Pope John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, n. 78, 81.]

It is not moral to commit even a small sin, in order to obtain a great benefit, nor to avoid a great harm. God said to Saint Catherine of Sienna that one should not commit the smallest sin, not even to redeem the whole world from Hell.

Saint Catherine of Siena: “The light of discretion (which proceeds from love, as I have told thee) gives to the neighbor a conditioned love, one that, being ordered aright, does not cause the injury of sin to self in order to be useful to others, for, if one single sin were committed to save the whole world from Hell, or to obtain one great virtue, the motive would not be a rightly ordered or discreet love, but rather indiscreet, for it is not lawful to perform even one act of great virtue and profit to others, by means of the guilt of sin.” [The Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena, n. 42. In this quote, God is speaking to St. Catherine by means of a private revelation.]

Definition of ENCOMIUM

:  glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise; also :  an expression of this
From New Advent:
They have been completely superseded by the celebrated critical edition published by the Friars Minor at Quaracchi, near Florence. Any scientific study of Bonaventure must be based upon this edition, upon which not only Leo XIII (13 December, 1885) and Pius X (11 April, 1904), but scholars of all creeds have lavished the highest encomiums. Nothing seems to have been omitted which could make this edition perfect and complete. In its preparation the editors visited over 400 libraries and examined nearly 52,000 manuscripts, while the first volume alone contains 20,000 variant readings. It was commenced by Father Fidelis a Fanna (d. 1881) and completed by Father Ignatius Jeiler (d. 1904): “Doctoris Seraphici S. Bonaventuræ S. H. B. Episcopi Cardinalis Opera Omnia, — edita studio et cura P. P. Collegii S. Bonaventura in fol. ad Claras Aquas [Quaracchi] 1882-1902”. In this edition the works of the saint are distributed through the ten volumes as follows: the first four contain his great “Commentaries on the Bookof Sentences”; the fifth comprises eight smaller scholastic works such as the “Breviloquium” and “Itinerarium”; the sixth and seventh are devoted to his commentaries on Scripture; the eighth contains his mystical and ascetic writings and works having special reference to the order; the ninth his sermons; whilst the tenth is taken up with the index and a short sketch of the saint’s life and writings by Father Ignatius Jeiler.

facile princeps

[fah-ki-le pring-keps; English fas–uh-lee prin-seps]
1.
easily the first or best.

Writings

Why is Bonaventure called the “seraphic doctor,” other than as a one-up on the Angelic Doctor?
http://www.franciscan-archive.org/bonaventura/

Hugh of St. Victor:

(Michael Gorman)

Hugh of St. Victor (b. ca. 1097-1101; d. 1141) was a canon regular who entered the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris. Probably a student of William of Champeaux, he became a leading master in the abbey’s school. His writings encompass a wide range of commentaries, treatises, and mystical works. The two most important are De sacramentis christianae fidei, the first theological summa, and Didascalicon, which proposed an influential framework for scientific inquiry and biblical interpretation. Hugh’s works (along with some inauthentic works) can be found in Migne (P.L. 175-77) and are being critically edited at the Hugo von Sankt Viktor-Institut in the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt. Hugh was a master in a school and counts as a scholastic author, even though he comes before the rise of university scholasticism and before the Latin West’s rediscovery of the integral Aristotle. A careful thinker, he often pauses to indicate which things are known, which things are matters for speculation, and which things cannot be settled. The greatest testimony to the breadth of his mind is that of Bonaventure in the De reductione artium ad theologiam (n. 5, ed. Quar. V 321b). According to Bonaventure (who introduces Hugh in Paradisio XII.133), the three branches of theology are doctrine, morals, and mysticism; their best practitioners were Augustine, Gregory, and Dionysius, and they were succeeded by Anselm, Bernard, and Richard on account of their reason, preaching, and contemplation; “but Hugh had all of these.”

In Hierarchiam celestem commentaria

(Commentary on the Celestial Hierarchy), a commentary on the work by pseudo-Dionysius, perhaps begun around 1125.[8] After Eriugena‘s translation of Dionysius in the ninth century, there is almost no interest shown in Dionysius until Hugh’s commentary.[9] It is possible that Hugh may have decided to produce the commentary (which perhaps originated in lectures to students) because of the continuing (incorrect) belief that the patron saint of the Abbey of Saint Denis, Saint Denis, was to be identified with pseudo-Dionysius. Dionysian thought did not form an important influence on the rest of Hugh’s work. Hugh’s commentary, however, became a major part of the twelfth and thirteenth-century surge in interest in Dionysius; his and Eriugena’s commentaries were often attached to the Dionysian corpus in manuscripts, such that his thought had great influence on later interpretation of Dionysius byRichard of St Victor, Thomas Gallus, Hugh of Balma, Bonaventure and others.[10]

Sleep is an image of death

from http://newsite.augustiniancanons.org/liturgy/liturgy-of-the-hours/

I. The Strucutre of the Divine Office

Hugh of St. Victor in his work “Eruditiones Theologicae” has a book (II) on “De officiis ecclesiasticis” (on the ecclesiastical offices), where he explains the structure of the Divine Office. It is interesting to hear the voice of the 12th century on the subject. He begins with the hour of Prime, viz. from the hour “the householder sent workers into his vineyard” (c.1). In the hour of Terce we reunite again in church to praise God, and to offer and present ourselves to the service of God with the recitation of three psalms for the three following hours (1). At the hour of Sext, we come together again to sing psalms in honor of God, and saying three psalms we commend ourselves to the divine protection for the three successive hours, viz. the 7th, 8th and 9th (2). Once again we come together for the hour of None, and reading three psalms we establish ourselves in the service of God for the three successive hours, i.e. we fortify ourselves against the wiles of the enemy for the 10th, 11th and 12th hour (3). Vespers: “at the beginning of the night, viz. at the setting of the sun, we offer an evening sacrifice when we reunite ourselves for His praise (4). Hugh of St. Victor recalls the custom, until recently in vogue, of reciting psalms, reflecting the five senses of man which daily impede him in good. “Therefore at the beginning of the night, when we prepare for sleep, which is a kind of image of death, and is exposed to many dangers, we ask forgiveness for faults committed with our five senses; for this we sing five psalms.” (5)

 

From the Trinitarian Liturgy of the Hours for December:

(the complete list of months is here: http://www.trinitari.org/Inglese/L’ordine/Documenti%20-%20Liturgie%20delle%20ore%20proprio%20dell’Ordine.html#)

Lovingly and ceaselessly he beseeched the Lord to show him what Order he should join. As the time approached to celebrate his first Mass, he asked the Lord Bishop of Paris, the Abbot of St. Victor of Paris and his mentor, Prevostin, to attend. On the day of the celebration, all the important figures of Paris were present for the occasion. During the Mass, when he got to the consecration of the sacred species, he begged the Lord to show him what Order he should enter for his salvation, if God so willed. Then, when he lifted his eyes to heaven, he saw the majesty of God, and the Lord Jesus holding in his hands two men with chains on their legs: one was black and misshapen, the other while and emaciated. Since he was delaying so long during the consecration of the sacred species, those who were present, namely the Bishop, the Abbot, Master Prevostin and all others were astounded and kept asking each other what was happening. But, looking up toward heaven, the Bishop, the Abbot and Master Prevostin saw the same vision and glorified the Lord. Then they roused him, and regaining himself, he continued the celebration.

Once the Mass was ended, they questioned him as to what he had seen. He admitted that he had seen the vision and praised the Lord; likewise, those who had also seen it admitted that they had. After reflecting on the meaning of the vision, John, the Bishop of Paris and the Abbot of St. Victor drafted the Rule of Life and the other directives in conformity with the members of the new Order were to live. Later, the Lord Bishop and the others, wishing that the Rule be confirmed by the Lord Pope, wrote to the Lord Pope saying that he could believe the bearer of the letter, and that what he had seen was true. The Bishop gave the letter to Master John of Provence, who quickly as he was able, began his journey and headed toward Rome. But, on the way, he came to a certain place called Cerfroid. Four hermits living there questioned him as to where he was going and why he was heading for Rome. Since they persisted in questioning him, he explained the reason to them. They rejoiced at what they heard, and, providing that he succeeded in his cause of establishing the Order, they offered themselves and all they had to God and the Order. In short, Master John, arriving at the Apostolic See, had an audience with the Lord Pope, and showing him his letters of recommendation, told and explained the vision that he had seen. The Pope did not want to believe him and considered him and considered him and the bishop fools for testifying to such things. John set out for Paris. Not long thereafter, the same vision which Master John had seen appeared to the Lord Pope as he celebrated Mass. He regretted that he had not granted Master John’s petition, and sent messengers to call him back, if they could find him. The Lord Pope said, “May the Lord send him back to me”.

 

[PAUSE]

Check out the Trinitarians’ other school

http://www.htsfreeschool.co.uk/news/

And this, by Juan Carreño di Miranda:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carreno-de-miranda_Orden_de_los_Trinitarios.jpg

 

Let’s Watch “Of Gods and Men”

http://www.cruxnow.com/life/2015/11/20/can-muslims-and-christians-coexist-of-gods-and-men-offers-an-answer/?s_campaign=crux%3Asocialflow%3Afacebook

 

Where is footnote 4?

http://www.trinitari.org/Inglese/L’ordine/Costituzioni%20-%20Capitolo%20I.html

 

Answers in Genesis on the “Lying to the Nazis” problem:

https://answersingenesis.org/morality/a-righteous-lie/

A Righteous Lie?

https://answersingenesis.org/contradictions-in-the-bible/a-righteous-lie/

Journal of Social Philosophy tries:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.1467-9833.2010.01507.x/asset/j.1467-9833.2010.01507.x.pdf;jsessionid=5C089594B15E6514ED0DAC06F8C1FCB3.f03t02?v=1&t=ih80fpq5&s=61a27fff19047095840cff8e06ef3d27f4452299

Catholic.com takes a stab:

http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/is-lying-ever-right

An articulate  blog post on the limits of the hypothetical:

https://ronconte.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/lying-to-nazis-to-save-jews/

Are there any other places where this occurs in cimena?

The Hand of God saves a priest:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/escaped-syrian-priest-was-saved-by-the-hand-of-god/#ixzz3s2hDVL5O