ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, (1225?-74)

The Roman Catholic church regards St. Thomas Aquinas as its
greatest theologian and philosopher. Pope John XXII canonized him
in 1323, and Pius V declared him a doctor of the church in 1567.
Leo XIII made him patron of Roman Catholic schools in 1880.

Thomas Aquinas, or Thomas of Aquino, was born in about 1225 in the 
castle of Roccasecca, near Naples. His father was the count of Aquino. 
The boy received his early education at the abbey of Monte Cassino 
before attending the University of Naples. While at the university 
Thomas came under the influence of the Dominicans, an order of 
mendicant preaching friars. In spite of the opposition of his family, 
he joined the order. His brothers captured him and imprisoned him at 
Roccasecca. After two years he escaped.

The Dominicans then sent Thomas to Cologne to study with Albertus 
Magnus, the most learned man of the time. In 1252 Thomas was in Paris 
composing his 'Commentaries on the Books of Sentences of Peter the 
Lombard'. He was later admitted as master of theology at the 
University of Paris. In 1259 the pope called Thomas to Rome. He spent 
the rest of his life lecturing and preaching in the service of his 
order, chiefly in Italian cities and in Paris. He died on March 7, 
1274, while traveling to a church council at Lyons.

A revival of learning had begun in Western Europe toward the end of 
the 11th century. By the 13th century many universities had been 
founded. They were linked to the church, and the chief subjects taught 
were theology and the liberal arts. The teachers were called Schoolmen 
or Scholastics. Thomas was recognized in his lifetime as the greatest 
of the Schoolmen and was known as the "angelic doctor."

The Schoolmen accepted Christian doctrines as beyond dispute, but they 
also studied the ancient Greek philosophers. Until the 13th century 
they relied on Plato as interpreted by St. Augustine of Hippo. 
Aristotle's treatises on logic were also admitted into the schools, 
but his other works, which were known in their Arabic translations, 
were forbidden because of their pantheistic tendencies. Albertus 
Magnus introduced Thomas to the works of Aristotle, which were 
beginning to be translated from the original Greek. Thomas set himself 
the tasks of harmonizing Aristotle's teachings with Christian 
doctrine.

Thomas held that there are two sources of knowledge: revelation
(theology) and reason (philosophy). He held that revelation is a 
divine source of knowledge and that revealed truths must be believed 
even when they cannot be fully understood. His literary output was 
enormous. At times he dictated to several scribes on different 
subjects. His chief works are 'Summa Contra Gentiles' and 'Summa 
Theologiae'. 
