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Pars 7, Cap. 3

Breviloquium · Pars VII: De statu finalis iudicii

Textus Latinus
p. 283

Capitulum III. De antecedentibus ad iudicium, cuiusmodi sunt suffragia ecclesiastica.

De suffragiis autem ecclesiasticis hoc tenendum est, quod suffragia Ecclesiae prosunt mortuis, suffragia, dico, quae Ecclesia pro mortuis facit, sicut sunt sacrificia, ieiunia, eleemosynae et aliae orationes et poenae voluntarie assumtae pro eorum culpis celerius et facilius expiandis. — Prosunt autem mortuis, non quibuscumque, sed « mediocriter bonis », utpote illis qui sunt in purgatorio; « non valde malis », scilicet illis qui sunt in inferno; « nec valde bonis4 », scilicet his qui sunt in caelo, quin potius e converso eorum merita et orationes suffragantur Ecclesiae militanti, cuius membris multa beneficia impetrant Beati. — Prosunt autem secundum magis et minus vel pro diversitate meritorum in mortuis, vel pro caritate vivorum, quae magis sollicitatur pro aliquibus quam pro aliis; et hoc vel ad poenarum mitigationem, vel celeriorem liberationem, secundum quod supernae providentiae dispensatio melius eis viderit expedire.

Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quoniam primum principium, cum sit optimum, ac per hoc summae severitatis contra malum, debet pariter summae suavitatis esse ad bonum; et ideo, cum ratione severitatis iustitiae iusti, in quibus est reatus culpae, debeant post hanc vitam in purgatorio tormentari5, debent etiam ratione suavitatis misericordiae relevari et habere auxilium et munimen, maxime quia in miseria sunt constituti et suis operibus et meritis non possunt amplius se iuvare. Disponere igitur debuit regimen divinae providentiae, suffragia eis conferri ab his qui possunt, salva tamen rectitudine iustitiae, a qua nec debet nec potest dulcedo divinae misericordiae dissentire nec aliquatenus separari. Quoniam igitur rectitudo iustitiae exigit conservationem honoris divini, regiminis universi et qualitatis meriti humani; ideo superni et primi principii providentia summa disposuit, haec suffragia valere defunctis secundum dulcedinem misericordiae et rectitudinem iustitiae, servantis honoris divini dignitatem, universi regimen et humani meriti qualitatem.

Primo igitur, quoniam in huiusmodi suffragiis servari debet iustitia, quae divini praecipue est conservativa honoris; et honor divinus nihilominus exigit opera satisfactoria et poenalia sibi persolvi pro culpis: hinc est, quod per illa opera habent suffragia fieri, per quae potissime fit satisfactio, et honor recompensatur Deo. Quoniam igitur huiusmodi sunt tres partes satisfactionis: ieiunium, oratio et eleemosyna, et altaris sacrificium, in quo maxime redditur honor debitus Deo propter praesentiam illius qui in sacrificio illo offertur: hinc est, quod suffragia Ecclesiae consistunt in huiusmodi operibus satisfactoriis et maxime in Missis celebrandis; secundum quod Gregorius in quarto Dialogorum6 insinuat, aliquos propter Missarum beneficia de poenis magnis celerrime liberatos. Ac per hoc pompa exsequiarum et accuratio funeris et huiusmodi non debent inter suffragia Ecclesiae computari. Propter quod et sanctus p. 284 Augustinus dicit in libro de Cura pro mortuis agenda1, quod « curatio funeris, conditio sepulturae et pompa exsequiarum magis sunt solatia vivorum quam subsidia mortuorum ».

Amplius, quoniam debet ibi servari iustitia conservativa ordinis et regiminis universi; et haec exigit, ut in communicatione influentiarum salvetur ordo et symbolum2 inter ea, a quibus et in quae influentiae illae manant; ac per hoc inferius non debeat influere in id quod est supra, neque in id quod est per omnimodam distantiam elongatum: hinc est, quod suffragia Ecclesiae non possunt valere his qui sunt in inferno, quia sunt a corpore Christi mystico penitus separati; unde nulla spiritualis influentia ad eos pervenit nec eis prodest, sicut nec influentia capitis prodest membris a corpore amputatis. — Hinc est etiam, quod non prosunt Beatis, quia sunt omnino superiores secundum statum, et iam in termino existentes non possunt ad altiora conscendere; sed magis e converso ipsi prosunt nobis et eorum orationes — nam et hoc meruerunt in carne — ideo disposuit ordo divinus, ut etiam ipsis Sanctis Dei orationes offerantur, ut et ipsi suffragentur nobis3 ad divina beneficia impetranda. Non prosunt ergo eis ecclesiastica suffragia, sed magis nobis prosunt sua. — Restat igitur, quod prosunt solis iustis, qui sunt in poenis purgatoriis. Nam ipsi ratione poenae et impotentiae se iuvandi sunt vivis inferiores, ratione vero iustitiae ceteris membris Ecclesiae sunt coniuncti; ita ut merito eis Ecclesiae sanctae merita possint propter symbolum et ordinem suffragari.

Postremo, quoniam debet in his servari iustitia, quae pensat exigentiam meritorum; hinc est, quod suffragia illa, quae communiter fiunt pro defunctis, licet omnibus bonis valeant pro modulo suo, his tamen amplius valent, qui magis meruerunt, ut sibi prodessent et valerent, dum erant in statu viae4. Illa vero, quae specialiter fiunt pro aliquibus; quia intentio facientis est recta et secundum Deum procedit, et ecclesiastica institutio absque dubio non est cassa: ideo plus valent illis, pro quibus determinate fiunt, licet etiam aliis aliquo modo communicentur. Nec tamen possunt ita aliis subvenire, sicut illi principali personae, pro eo quod, licet sint spiritualia5, tamen divina iustitia pro maiori culpa maiorem exigit emendam et pro pluribus culpis plures emendas. Unde exemplum de lumine, quod aequaliter illuminat ad unam mensam sedentes, non placet, quia huiusmodi suffragia potius assimilari habent pretiis redemptivis quam huiusmodi influentiis diffusivis. — Quantum autem cuilibet determinate valeant, ille certitudinaliter definire habet, cuius est in reatibus et poenis et suffragiis pondus attendere et numerum et mensuram6.

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English Translation

Chapter III. On the things antecedent to the judgment, of which sort are the ecclesiastical suffrages.

Now concerning the ecclesiastical suffrages this must be held: that the suffrages of the Church profit the dead — suffrages, I say, which the Church makes for the dead, such as sacrifices, fasts, almsgivings and other prayers and punishments voluntarily undertaken for the more speedy and easier expiation of their faults. — But they profit the dead, not any whatsoever, but the « moderately good », namely those who are in purgatory; not the « very wicked », that is, those who are in hell; « nor the very good4 », that is, those who are in heaven — rather, on the contrary, their merits and prayers give suffrage to the Church militant, for whose members the Blessed obtain many benefits. — But they profit according to more and less, either on account of the diversity of merits in the dead, or on account of the charity of the living, which is more solicitous for some than for others; and this either for the mitigation of their punishments or for a swifter deliverance, according as the dispensation of the supernal providence shall have seen it better to be expedient for them.

Now the reason for the understanding of the aforesaid is this: since the first principle, being the best, and by this very fact of the highest severity against evil, ought equally to be of the highest sweetness toward the good; and therefore, since by reason of the severity of justice the just, in whom there is the liability of fault, ought after this life to be tormented in purgatory5, they ought also by reason of the sweetness of mercy to be relieved and to have help and protection, most of all because they are set in misery and by their own works and merits can no longer help themselves. The governance of divine providence therefore had to dispose that suffrages be conferred upon them by those who are able, saving nevertheless the rectitude of justice, from which the sweetness of the divine mercy neither ought nor can dissent nor in any way be separated. Since therefore the rectitude of justice requires the preservation of the divine honor, of the governance of the universe and of the quality of human merit; therefore the supreme providence of the supernal and first principle disposed that these suffrages avail the departed according to the sweetness of mercy and the rectitude of justice, which preserves the dignity of the divine honor, the governance of the universe and the quality of human merit.

First therefore, since in suffrages of this kind justice must be preserved, which is above all preservative of the divine honor; and the divine honor nonetheless requires that satisfactory and penal works be paid out to it for faults: hence it is that suffrages have to be made through those works by which satisfaction is made most of all, and honor is recompensed to God. Since therefore of this kind are the three parts of satisfaction: fasting, prayer and almsgiving, and the sacrifice of the altar, in which most of all the honor due to God is rendered on account of the presence of Him who is offered in that sacrifice: hence it is that the suffrages of the Church consist in satisfactory works of this kind, and most of all in the celebration of Masses; according as Gregory in the fourth book of the Dialogues6 intimates that some, on account of the benefits of Masses, were most swiftly delivered from great punishments. And through this the pomp of funeral rites and the careful ordering of a burial and things of this kind ought not to be reckoned among the suffrages of the Church. On account of which the holy p. 284 Augustine also says in the book On the Care to be Had for the Dead1 that « the ordering of a burial, the manner of interment and the pomp of funeral rites are consolations of the living rather than aids of the dead ».

Further, since there must be preserved there a justice preservative of the order and governance of the universe; and this requires that in the communication of influences there be preserved the order and the symbolum2 between the things from which and into which those influences flow; and through this that the lower ought not to flow into that which is above, nor into that which is removed by an utter distance: hence it is that the suffrages of the Church cannot avail those who are in hell, because they are wholly separated from the mystical body of Christ; whence no spiritual influence reaches them nor profits them, just as neither does the influence of the head profit members cut off from the body. — Hence it is also that they do not profit the Blessed, because they are altogether superior in state, and, already existing in the term, cannot ascend to higher things; but rather, on the contrary, they themselves profit us, and their prayers do so — for this too they merited in the flesh — therefore the divine order disposed that prayers be offered to God for those Saints themselves also, so that they too may give suffrage to us3 for the obtaining of divine benefits. Ecclesiastical suffrages therefore do not profit them, but rather theirs profit us. — It remains therefore that they profit the just alone, who are in purgatorial punishments. For these, by reason of their punishment and of their impotence to help themselves, are inferior to the living, but by reason of justice they are joined to the other members of the Church; so that deservedly the merits of holy Church can give them suffrage on account of the symbolum and the order.

Lastly, since there must be preserved in these things a justice which weighs the requirement of merits; hence it is that those suffrages which are made in common for the departed, although they avail all the good according to their measure, avail these more amply, who merited the more that they should profit and avail them, while they were in the state of the way4. But those which are made specially for certain persons — because the intention of the one making them is right and proceeds according to God, and the ecclesiastical institution is without doubt not void: therefore they avail more those for whom they are determinately made, although they be also in some way communicated to others. Nor yet can they come to the aid of others in the way they do that principal person, for the reason that, although they be spiritual things5, nevertheless divine justice requires a greater amends for a greater fault and more amends for more faults. Whence the example of the light, which equally illumines those sitting at one table, does not satisfy, because suffrages of this kind have rather to be likened to redemptive prices than to diffusive influences of this kind. — But how much they avail each one determinately, He has to define with certitude whose it is to attend to the weight and the number and the measure in liabilities and punishments and suffrages6.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 4
    De hac triplici distinctione cfr. IV. Sent. lit. Magistri, d. XLV. c. 2, ubi allegat August., Enchirid. c. 109. n. 29. Ibid. in Comment. a. 2. agitur de suffragiis Ecclesiae pro defunctis, et a. 3, de suffragiis Sanctorum pro vivis.
    On this threefold distinction cf. IV Sent., the Master's text, d. XLV, c. 2, where he adduces Augustine, Enchiridion c. 109, n. 29. In the same place, in the Commentary, a. 2 treats of the suffrages of the Church for the departed, and a. 3 of the suffrages of the Saints for the living.
  2. 5
    Ed. 1 addit et expiare. Mox pro munimen I K L O iuvamen. Inferius, vocibus dulcedo misericordiae cum M S interseruimus divinae; pro superni I K O supremi.
    Edition 1 adds et expiare. Shortly after, for munimen I K L O read iuvamen. Below, between the words dulcedo misericordiae, together with M S, we have inserted divinae; for superni I K O read supremi.
  3. 6
    Cap. 55. De praecedente cfr. IV. Sent. d. 15. p. II. — Superius voci debitus ex G H I K L M V ad iunximus Deo.
    Chapter 55. On what precedes cf. IV Sent. d. 15, p. II. — Above, to the word debitus we have joined Deo from G H I K L M V.
  4. 1
    Cap. 2. n. 4. — Superius pro accuratio F P curatio.
    Chapter 2, n. 4. — Above, for accuratio F P read curatio.
  5. 2
    Scilicet commercium sive convenientia. Eodem sensu ait Aristot., II. de Generat. et corrupt. text. 25. (c. 4.): In habentibus [elementis] symbolum facilis est transitus [transmutatio]. — Mox ex I K L M substituimus a quibus pro in quibus. Subinde post ac per hoc B addit cum, et aliquanto inferius post spiritualis influentia edd., excepta 2, addunt capitis.
    That is, commerce or agreement. In the same sense Aristotle says, On Generation and Corruption II, text 25 (c. 4): In things [elements] having a symbolum, the transition [transmutation] is easy. — Shortly after, from I K L M we have substituted a quibus for in quibus. Thereupon, after ac per hoc B adds cum, and somewhat below, after spiritualis influentia, the editions, edition 2 excepted, add capitis.
  6. 3
    Pro nobis I K O U V minus idoneis.
    For nobis I K O U V read minus idoneis.
  7. 4
    Cfr. IV. Sent. lit. Magistri, d. XLV. c. 2, verba August., Enchirid. c. 109. n. 29, allata. — Superius voci exigentiam 1 praemittit secundum.
    Cf. IV Sent., the Master's text, d. XLV, c. 2, the words of Augustine, Enchiridion c. 109, n. 29, there adduced. — Above, before the word exigentiam edition 1 places secundum.
  8. 5
    Vide supra Quaest. de perfect. evang. q. 4. a. 3. ad 9. — Post personae K L O addunt pro qua fuerint (L fiunt).
    See above, the Disputed Questions on Evangelical Perfection, q. 4, a. 3, ad 9. — After personae K L O add pro qua fuerint (L fiunt).
  9. 6
    Sap. 11, 21: Omnia in mensura et numero et pondere disposuisti.
    Wisdom 11:21: Thou hast ordered all things in measure and number and weight. ---
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