Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/727

 THOMAS

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THOMAS

)rrs('n(pd for their degrees (see Vaughan, " Life and Lahours of St. Thomas of Aquin ", 2 vols., London, IS71-7'2, I, .\xi). William of St-.\mour extended the li.spiite beyond the original question, violently at- acked the Friars, of whom he was evidiently calous, and denied their right to occupy chairs n the university. Against his book, "De periculis lovissimorum temporum" (The Perils of the Last rimes), St. Thomas wrote a treatise "Contra im- jugnantes reUgionem", an apology for the reli- gious orders (Touron, op. cit., II, cc. vii sqq.). The )ook of William of St-Amour was condemned by Alexander IV at Anagni, 5 October, 1256, and the jope gave orders that the mendicant friars should be idmitted to the doctorate.

,\bout this time St. Thomas also combated a langcrous book, "The Eternal Gospel" (Touron, op. •it., II, cxii). The university authorities did not )bey immediately; the influence of St. Louis IX and ■leven papal Briefs were required before peace was irmly established, and St. Thomas was admitted o the degree of Doctor in Theology. The date of lis promotion, as given by many biographers, was 1.3 October, 1257. His theme was "The Majesty of !^hrist". His text, "Thou waterest the hills from hy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the ruit of thy works" (Ps. ciii, 13), said to have been uggested by a heavenly visitor, seems to have been )rophetic of his career. A tradition says that St. ionaventure and St. Thomas received the doctorate 111 the same day, and that there was a contest of luniihty between the two friends as to which should le promoted first. From this time St. Thomas's ife may be summed up in a few words: prajang, )reaching, teaching, writing, journeying. Men were nore anxious to hear him than they had been to hear Ubert, whom St. Thomas surpassed in accuracy, iicidity, brevity, and power of exposition, if not in iniversality of knowledge. Paris claimed him as ler own; the popes wished to have him near them; he xluflia of the order were eager to enjoy the benefit if his teaching; hence we find him successively at Vnagni, Rome, Bologna, Orvieto, Viterbo, Perugia, n Paris again, and finally in Naples, always teaching md writing, living on earth with onepa.ssion,an'ardent leal for the explanation and defence of Christian ruth. So devoted was he to his sacred task that vith tears he beggetl to be excused from accepting he Archbishopric of Naples, to which he was ap- Kiinted by Clement IV in 1265. Had this appoint- ncnt been accepted, most probably the "Summa heologif-a" would not have been written.

Yielding to the requests of his brethren, he on ipveral occasions took part in the dehberations of he general chapters of the order. One of these ■hapters was held in London in 126.3. In another leld at Valenciennes (1259) he collaborated with Vlliertiis Magnus and Peter of Tarentasia (afterwards 'ope Innocent V) in formulating a system of studies vhich is substantially preserved to this day in the ■tu'tia qrneralia of the Dominican Order (cf. Douais, )p. cit.). It is not surprising to read in the biogra- )hies of St. Thomas that he was frequently abstracted incl in ecstasy. Towards the end of his life the ■rstasies became more frequent. On one occasion, it Naples in 1273, after he had completed his treatise )n the KiK'harist, three of the brethren saw him lifted n ecsta.sy, and they heard a voice proceeding from he crucifix on the altar, saying "Thou hast written veil of me, Thom.os; what reward wilt thou have?", riiomas replied, "None other than Thvself, Lord" Priimmer, op. cit., p. 38). Similar declarations are laid to have been made at Orvieto and at Paris. )n 6 December, 1273, he laid a.side his pen and would kt\{o no more. That day he experienced an unusu- lUy long ecsta.<?y during ^Ia.ss; what was revealed to lim we can only surmise from his reply to Father

Reginald, who urged him to continue his writings: " I can do no more. Such secrets have been revealed to me that all I have written now appears to be of little value" {tnodica, Priimmer, op. cit., p. 43).

The "Summa theologica" had been completed only as far as the ninetieth question of the third part (De partibus poenitentia;). Thomas began his immediate preparation for death. Gregory X, having convoked a general council, to open at Lyons on 1 May, 1274, invited St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure to take part in the deliberations, commanding the former to bring to the council his treatise "Contra errores Grsecorum" (Against the Errors of the Greeks). He tried to obey, setting out on foot in January, 1274, but strength failed him; he fell to the ground near Terracina, whence he was conducted to the Castle of Maienza, the home of his niece the Countess PVanccsca Ceccano. The Cistercian monks of Fossa Nuova pressed him to accept their hospital- ity, and he was conveyed to their monastery, on entering which he whispered to his companion: "This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I havechosenit" (Ps.cx.xxi, 14). When Father Reginald urged him to remain at the castle, the saint replied: "If the Lord wishes to take me away, it is better that I be found in a religious house than in the dwelling of a lay person." The Cistercians were so kind and attentive that Thomas's humihty was alarmed. "Whence comes this honour", he ex- claimed, "that servants of God should carry wood for my fire!" At the urgent request of the monks he dictated a brief commentary on the Canticle of Canticles.

The end was near; extreme unction was adminis- tered. When the Sacred Viaticum was brought into the room he pronounced the following act of faith: " If in this world there be any knowledge of this sacra- ment stronger than that of faith, I wi.sh now to use it in affirming that I firmly believe and know as certain that Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary, is in this Sacra- ment." Then he added: "I receive Thee, the price of my redemption, for Whose love I have watched, studied, and laboured. Thee have I preached; Thee have I taught. Never have I said anything again.st Thee: if anything was not well said, that istobeattrib- uted to my ignorance. Neither do I wish to be obstinate in my opinions, but if I have written any- thing erroneous concerning this sacrament or other matters, I .submit all to the judgment and correction of the Holy Roman Church, in whose obedience I now pass from this life" (Priimmer, op. cit., p. 48). He died on 7 March, 1274. Numerous miracles attested his sanctity, and he was canonized by John XXII, 18 July, 1323. The monks of Fossa Nuova were anxious to keep his sacred remains, but by order of Urban V the body was given to his Dominican brethren, and was solemnly translated to the Domini- can church at Toulouse, 28 Januarj', 1369. A mag- nificent shrine erected in 1628 was destroyed during the French Revolution, and the body was removed to the Church of St. Sernin, where it now reposes in a sarcophagus of gold and silver, which was solemnly blessed by Cardinal Desprez on 24 July, 1878. The chief bone of his left arm is preserved in the cathedral of Naples. The right arm, bestowed on the L'niver- sity of Paris, and originally kept in the St. Thomas's Chapel of the Dominican church, is now preserved in the Dominican Church of S. Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome, whither it was transferred during the PVench Revolution.

A description of the saint as he appeared in life is given by Calo (Priimmer, op. cit., p. 401), who 8.ays that his features corresponded with the greatness of his .soul. He was of lofty stature and of heavy build, but straight and well proportioned. His complexion was "like the colour of new wheat":