Saint Thomas Aquinas
the teacher of faith and reason
Who was Saint Thomas Aquinas?
- He was born in 1224 or 1225 in Roccasecca, near Aquino, in Italy. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, June 2, 2010
- He became a Dominican friar, even though his family opposed it. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, June 2, 2010
- He showed that faith and reason go together. His best-known work is the Summa Theologiae. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, June 2, 2010
- Also called
- The Angelic Doctor vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010 · The Common Doctor (Doctor communis) vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- From
- Roccasecca, near Aquino, in Italy vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- Occupation
- Dominican friar, teacher of theology and writer vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- Feast day
- January 28: Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
The path of Saint Thomas Aquinas
- Before Jesus. When he was a boy, his parents sent him to study at the Abbey of Monte Cassino. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- Before Jesus. In Naples he met the Dominicans, the Order of Saint Dominic, and wanted to become one of them. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- Before Jesus. His family was against it. In 1245, once he came of age, he was free to follow his vocation. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- With Jesus. He studied in Paris and in Cologne under Saint Albert the Great, and the two became close friends. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- With Jesus. He taught theology in Paris. His classes were so full that students could hardly fit. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- With Jesus. Pope Urban IV asked him to write the texts for the liturgy of Corpus Christi. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- Afterward. In December 1273 he stopped writing. He understood that all he had written was “like straw.” vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- Afterward. He died on March 7, 1274, at Fossanova, on his way to a council in Lyon. Roman Martyrology, January 28; vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010; vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 16, 2010
Words of Saint Thomas Aquinas
“Charity is the friendship of man principally with God, and with the beings that belong to God” Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 23, a. 1 (in Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010)
In the Summa Theologiae, explaining what charity is.
“To love is to will the good of another” Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I-II, q. 26, a. 4 (in Catechism 1766)
In the Summa Theologiae, speaking about love.
“God alone satisfies” Saint Thomas Aquinas, Exposition of the Creed, c. 15 (in Catechism 1718)
Explaining the Creed.
“If the brother of a king lived far away, he would surely long to live by his side. Well, Christ is our brother: so we must desire his company and become of one heart with him” Saint Thomas Aquinas, Sermons on the Creed (in Benedict XVI, general audience of June 16, 2010)
Preaching on the Creed in Naples, in Lent of 1273.
What they were like
- He had outstanding gifts of mind. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- He valued friendship, with Saint Albert the Great and with Brother Reginald, his secretary. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- His soul was deeply Eucharistic. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
The greatest thing they did
- He showed that there is a natural harmony between the Christian faith and reason. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
- John Paul II wrote that the Church holds him up as a master of thought. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
Not to be confused with
- Thomas: Thomas the Apostle was one of the Twelve, in the time of Jesus. Saint Thomas Aquinas lived about twelve centuries later. Matthew 10:3; vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
In the Church today
Feast day: January 28, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (memorial). General Roman Calendar; Roman Martyrology, January 28
In art, recognized by: A sun on his chest This is how Christian art shows him; A book and a quill pen This is how Christian art shows him
What people ask
Why is he called the Angelic Doctor?
Perhaps for the height of his thought and the purity of his life, says Benedict XVI. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
What is the Summa Theologiae?
His best-known work. It speaks of God, of man’s journey toward God, and of Christ, who is the way. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 23, 2010
What did he mean by “straw”?
Benedict XVI explains it this way: all we can think about the faith is surpassed by the greatness of God. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
Did he write hymns?
The Eucharistic hymns of Corpus Christi are attributed to him. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
How many times does the Catechism quote him?
Sixty-one times. After Saint Augustine, he is the Church writer it quotes most. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010
Little known He also preached to ordinary people, and they gladly came to hear him. vatican.va, Benedict XVI, general audience of June 2, 2010 His sermons in Lent of 1273…
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See the mapWho Saint Thomas Aquinas is connected to
- Jesus · nothing but you, Lord
- Saint Benedict · studied at his monastery
More people
All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible