The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 8 : § 1. 65-66

Chapter 8 : The Seventh Star or Splendour in the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

Mary’s soul was unique in being totally free of any sin

§ 1. The MOTHER OF GOD was exempt from original sin

RESPONSE TO THE FIFTH OBJECTION

 65   Regarding St Bernard, it is evident that all the best Scholastic Doctors[1] understood him to be speaking about conception before the infusion of the rational soul takes place. Nicholas of St Albans, moreover, wrote a letter to the venerable and learned Peter, Abbot of La Celle[2], who lived at the time of this Saint. He describes in the letter how Bernard appeared after his death to a lay brother in the Monastery at Clairvaux wearing a habit which was as white as snow – except for a small black mark under the left breast. This mark, he said, was given him because he wrote in a way other than he should have concerning the Conception of the MOTHER OF GOD. The whole story was presented later in a general Chapter of the Order. 

With regard to Alexander of Hales, it would be difficult to contradict those most credible witnesses who insist that before his death he revoked what he had written. They recount how one day, after he had started to teach that Our Lady was conceived in sin, he was suddenly struck by an illness which took such a hold of him as to open his eyes. The effect on him was such that he changed what he had proposed on the third of the Sentences in a Treatise that he wrote on the following versicle from the Canticles : Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee[3]. In short, he gave up his soul with the following sweet words he was wont to say in his devotions :

Holy Virgin, my Lady most dear, thou art all fair and in every way pleasing; there was never any stain of sin in thee, neither original nor actual.

As for Albertus Magnus, St Vincent Ferrier, St Anthony of Padua and St Bernardine of Siena, I do not have the time to deal with them all here but I can give you good guarantees that their words have been made to say what they never actually thought and in fact they taught the exact opposite. Similarly, St Bonaventure studied diligently the writings of the Holy Fathers and it is clear as day that he defends the honour of the immaculate Conception. When it comes to St Thomas Aquinas, what can I say except to point out that the passages where he supports the doctrine are clearer and more certain than the others which are cited in a contrary sense. The most intelligent and faithful of his brethren and followers prefer to see in him a defender of the Holy Virgin rather than someone prosecuting a contrary opinion.

Footnotes

[1] Albert., in III, dist. 3, art. 4 ; Bonavent., Ibid., art. 1 ; Alensis, III p., q.9, membr. 2, art. 2 ; D. Th., in III, dist. 3, q.1, art.1, etc.

[2] Inter Epist. Petri Cellensis, c. 9.

[3] Cant. iv. 7.

 66   Finally, let us assume the worst and accept that a few Doctors may openly have lent their support to the contrary opinion. One easy reply is that they can be forgiven because the position they adopted reflected the time in which they lived and God may have wished to use their opposition in order to elucidate the truth more effectively. They were held back by fear and uncertainty for reasons such as:

    • the apprehension they had about novel teachings;

    • the respect they felt for the Church in Rome which had not yet pronounced upon the question and whose decisions they were desirous of following rather than anticipating;

    • the disparities in the opinions they encountered concerning this disputed question;

    • the general propositions in the Scriptures and Fathers touching this question which had not then received the clarification which is enjoyed today.

But now that state of affairs has changed, for voices all over Christendom are raised to Heaven in celebration and everywhere people vie as to who can keep the Feast in greater honour and triumph.  All the Prelates in the Church are of one mind, and the Popes have not only given their approval to public rejoicing but have opened up the wealth of satisfactions made available by the Saviour and the Saints to those responding to their invitation. Anyone who might wish to breathe an opinion contrary to the teaching is ordered to be silent and for any Doctor who might tentatively question the doctrine, there are a thousand others who preach and publish it with confidence and with a universal agreement. 

It seems to me that the time is now past for quoting these Fathers who once questioned the doctrine. It must be also noted that they were most admirable defenders of the Holy Virgin’s honour, they had a great love for public peace and unity rather than dissensions and they held themselves in perfect submission and obedience to the Church. Accordingly, if they could see the present mind of the Church, not only would they have no difficulty in accepting it, but they would not have enough power in their lungs and voices to call the MOTHER OF GOD and her Conception immaculate. This is what they are now doing in Heaven, inviting everyone to do it with them, and disavowing whatever they might once have said differently.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024