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 THEOLOGY

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THEOLOGY

vents us from placing these writings in the second of the above-mentioned classes, since their aim is the instruction of the Christian people, though princi- pally the educated laymen. It is true these works belong exclusively, even less than the catechetical, to moral theology, since their subject-matter embraces the whole of the Christian doctrine, yet the morally destructive tendencies of Atheism and the new moral questions brought forward by the conditions of our times, impressed upon writers the importance of moral instruction in manuals of Cathohc faith. The last decades in particular prove that this side of theology has been well taken care of. Various questions bear- ing on Christian morals were extensively treated in monographs, as e. g., the social question, the signifi- cance of money, the Church's doctrine on usury, the woman question, etc. To quote single works or to enter on the different subjects in detail would exceed the limits of this article.

The third hne along which we noted an advance was called the pastoral, that is, instruction which has as its special aim the education and aid of pastors and confessors. That this instruction is necessarily, though not exclusively, casuistic, was mentioned above. The scarcity of priests, which was keenly felt in many places, occasioned a lack of time neces- sary for an all-round scientific education of the candi- dates for the priesthood. This circumstance exjjlains why scientific manuals of moral theology, for decades, ■were merely casuistic compendia, containing indeed the gist of scientific investigations, but lacking in scientific argumentation. The correctness of eccle- siastical doctrine had been insured and facilitated by the approbation with which the Church distinguished the works of St. Alphonsus. Hence, many of these compendia are nothing else than recapitulations of St. Alphonsus's "Theologia moralis", or, if following a plan of their own, betray on every page that their authors had it always ready at hand. Two works may here find mention which enjoyed a wider circula- tion than any other book on moral theology and which are frequently used even to-day: the Scavini's "Theok)gia moralis universa", and the shorter "Compendium theologiie moralis" by Jean-Pierre Gury, together with the numerous revisions which appeared in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and North .\merica.

We must not, however, deceive ourselves by conclud- ing that, owing totheecclesiastical approbation of St. Alphonsus and his moral writings, moral theology is now settled forever and, so to speak, crystallized. Nor does this approbation assure us that all individual questions have been soh-ed correctly, and therefore the discussion of certain moral questions remains still open. The Apostolic See itself, or rather the Sacred Penitentiary, when asked, "Whether a pro- fessor of moral theology may quietly follow and teach the opinions which St. Alphonsus Liguori teaches in his Moral Theology", gave indeed an affirmative answer on 5 July, 183i; it added, however, "but those must not be reprehended who defend other opinions supported by the authoritj- of reliable doctors". He who would conclude the guarantee of absolute correctness from the ecclesia-stical approbation of the saint's works, would make the Church contradict herself. St. Thomas of .Vquin was at least as solemnly approved for the whole field of theology as St. Alphon- sus for moral theology. Yet, e. g, on the subject of the efficacy of grace, which enters deeply into morals, St. Thomas and St. Alphonsus defend wholly contra- dictory opinions; both cannot be right, and so may be freely discusi^ed. The same may be said of other questions. In our own days, Antonio Ballerini above all made a simple use of this freedom of dis- cussion, first in his annotations to Gury's "Compen- dium", then in his "Opus theologicum morale", which was reca.sl and edited after his death bv Domi-

nic Palmieri. It rendered an eminent service to casuistry; for though we cannot approve of every- thing, yet the a\itliority of various opinions has been carefully sifted and fully discussed.

Latelj', attempts have been made to develop moral theology along other lines. The reformers assert that the casuistical method has choked every other and that it must give place to a more scientific, systematic treatment. It is evident that a merely casuistical treatment does not come up to the demands of moral theology, and as a matter of fact, during the last decades, the speculative element was more and more insisted on even in works chiefly casuistic. Whether the one or the other element should prevail, must be determined according to the proximate aim which the work intends to satisfy. If there is ques- tion of a purely scientific ex-]ilanation of moral theology which does not intend to exceed the limits of speculation, then the casuistical element is without doubt speculative, systematic discus.sion of the questions belonging to moral theology; casuistry then serves only to illustrate the theoretical explana- tions. But if there is question of a manual which is intended for the practical needs of a pastor and confessor and for their education, then the solid, scientific portion of general moral-theological ques- tions must be supplemented by an extensive casuis- try. Nay, when time and leisure are wanting to add ample theoretical explanations to an extensive casuistical drill, we should not criticize him who would under these circumstances insist on the latter at the expense of the former; it is the more necessary in actual practice.

.Slater, A Shnrt History of Moral Theology (Xew York. 1909); BorQriLT,.>.N, Theologia moralis fun,iom,:ilnlis, i:ir.i ed., Bruges, 190;f), Intri.ilui-tii.; BuccERONi, Comm, i,l,}r. ,/, ,i,ilura Iheologia morally (Hon.,-, I'.IIO); Schmitt, Zur l/esrh. >l.; I'robaliilismus (1904); .Mairiiach. Die kalhol. Mornl. ,hre M,lho,l,n. (IrundstiHe und Aufgaben (2nd ed. 1902); Mevenberq. Die kath. Moral ata Angeklagle (2nd ed. 1902); Krawctzki, Einleitung in das Slu- dium der kaih. Morallheologie (2nd. ed. 1S9S); Geriqk, Die wis-' senschaftliche Moral und ihre Lehrweise (1910).

Atra. Lemkuhl.

HI. P.\sTORAL Theology, the science of the care of souls. This article will give the definition of pastoral theology, its relations to other theological sciences, its history, sources, and contents.

A. Definition. — Pastoral theology is a branch of practical theologj'; it is essentially a practical science. All branches of theolog)-, whether theoretical or prac- tical, purpose in one way or another to make priests "the ministers of Chri.st, and the dispen.sers of the mysteries of God" (I Cor., iv, 1). Pastoral theology presupposes other various branches; accepts the apolo- getic, dogmatic, exegetic, moral, juridical, ascetical, liturgical, and other conclusions reached l)y I he eccle- siastical student, and scientifically applies these vari- ous conclusions to the priestly ministry.

B. Relation to Other Theological Sciences. — Dogmatic theology establishes the Church as the de- pository of revciiled truth and sysl('m;itizes the de- posit of faith which Christ entrusted to His Church to hand down to all generations; pastoral theolog teaches the priest his part in this work of Catholic and Christian tradition of revealed truth. Moral theology explains the laws of God and of the Church, the means of grace and hindrances thereto; pastoral theology teaches the practical bearing of these laws, means, and hindrances upon the daily fife of the priest, alone and in touch with his people. Canon law collects, correlates, and co-ordinates the laws of the Church; pastor.al theology apphes those laws to the care of souls. In brief, pastoral theology begins where the other theologiial sciences leave off; takes the results of them all and makes these results effect- ive for the salvation of souls through the ministry of the priesthood established by Christ.

C. History. — The name pastoral theology is new;