St. Thomas and Philosophical Pluralism
To read Pope St. Pius X, Pope Leo XIII, and many other popes regarding the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, one would get the impression that the Church held his writings in the highest regard next to Scripture, and his scholastic philosophy as worthy of perpetual observance and study. Leo XIII wrote, "The Fathers of Trent made it part of the order of the conclave to lay upon the alter, together with the code of sacred Scripture and the decrees of the supreme Pontiffs, the Summa of Thomas Aquinas, whence to seek counsel, reason, and inspiration." Pope Leo ordered Thomistic philosophy to be taught and observed throughout the Church. St. Pius X, confirming Leo XIII, said, "We, therefore, declare that all the ordinances of Our predecessor on this subject [Thomistic scholastic philosophy] continue fully in force, and, as far as may be necessary, We do decree anew, and confirm, and order that they shall be strictly observed by all." St. Pius added, "there is no surer sign that a man is tending to Modernism than when he begins to show his dislike for the scholastic method."
How does St. Thomas fare in the post-Vatican II Church? An article in the National Catholic Reporter of January 25, 2002, provides an example of how respect for scholasticism has waned. The article, "Ratzinger explains how condemnation was right then, wrong now" was written by Gregory Baum, emeritus professor of religious studies at McGill University in Montreal. It regards a nota of the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith of July 1, 2001, that lifts the condemnation of 40 propositions drawn from the philosophical work of Antonio Rosmini pronounced in 1887, and then explains how the magisterium can do this without involving itself in an internal contradiction.
Then-Cardinal Ratzinger explains that there is no contradiction. According to Baum, Ratzinger admits that "a superficial reading" of these events suggests "an intrinsic and objective contradiction" in the magisterium. But "an attentive reading," he explains, interprets the decree post obitum "in the light of its historical context and thus reveals its true meaning." Baum continues:
What was the historical context of the 40 condemnations in 1887? Ratzinger mentions the effort of Leo XIII in his encyclical Aeterni Patris (1879) to unify the theological education of the clergy by making neo-Thomism the church's official philosophy. Ratzinger says that many passages in Rosmini's writings were ambiguous and, when read from a neo-Thomistic perspective, were clearly erroneous, implying a contrary point of view, and hence rightly deserved ecclesiastical condemnation.
Today the situation is different. First, according to Ratzinger, serious research has shown that if Rosmini's ambiguous and obscure passages are interpreted in the light of his own philosophical work, which is, of course, the only honest way of reading a philosophical text, then their meaning is not contrary to the Catholic tradition. Second, in his encyclical Faith and Reason of 1998, John Paul II has welcomed philosophical pluralism in the church and, in fact, mentioned with great respect Antonio Rosmini among several Catholic thinkers of the 19th century. That is why, at the present time, lifting the condemnations decreed in 1887 is justified.
In other words, if we avoid Thomism and adopt philosophical pluralism, old condemnations simply vanish! Should we regard this approach as in keeping with Popes Leo XIII and St. Pius X? Rather, this incident proves the prophetic wisdom of Pope Leo, who wrote, "But as men are apt to follow the lead given them, this new pursuit [modern philosophy] seems to have caught the souls of certain Catholic philosophers, who, throwing aside the patrimony of ancient wisdom, chose rather to build up a new edifice... For a multiform system of this kind...has a foundation open to change, and consequently gives us a philosophy not firm, and stable, and robust like that of old, but tottering and feeble."
We should hope and pray that Pope Benedict comes to a more traditional regard for Thomism. His latest indication, however, is not encouraging. In his encyclical Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict wrote, "... Saint Thomas Aquinas, using the terminology of the philosophical tradition to which he belonged..." This seems to keep St. Thomas in the "old" bucket. Pray hard.
Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us!
Gregory Baum article, http://www.encyclopedia.com/printable.aspx?id=1G1:82803373
Leo XIII, encyclical Aeterni Patris
St. Pius X, encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis
