Quaestio 69 Question 69 De loco animarum post mortem The Place of Souls after Death Post hoc agendum est de his quae spectant ad tractatum resurrectionis. Postquam enim dictum est de sacramentis, quibus homo liberatur a morte culpae, consequenter dicendum est de resurrectione, per quam homo liberatur a morte poenae. In sequence to the foregoing we must treat of matters concerning the state of resurrection: for after speaking of the sacraments whereby man is delivered from the death of sin, we must next speak of the resurrection whereby man is delivered from the death of punishment. Circa tractatum autem resurrectionis tria consideranda sunt: scilicet praecedentia resurrectionem, concomitantia, et sequentia. Et ideo primo dicendum est de his quae, pro parte quamvis non ex toto, resurrectionem praecedunt; secundo, de ipsa resurrectione et circumstantibus eam; tertio, de his quae eam sequuntur. The treatise on the resurrection offers a threefold consideration: namely, the things that precede, those that accompany, and those that follow the resurrection. Consequently, we must speak: (1) Of those things which partly, though not wholly, precede the resurrection; (2) Of the resurrection itself and its circumstances; (3) Of the things which follow it. Praecedentium autem resurrectionem prima consideratio est de receptaculis animarum post mortem eis assignatis; secundo, de qualitate, et poena animarum separatarum eis ab igne inflicta; tertio, de suffragiis quibus animae defunctorum a vivis adiuvantur; quarto, de orationibus sanctorum in patria existentium; quinto, de signis iudicium generale praecedentibus; sexto, de igne ultimae conflagrationis mundi, qui faciem Iudicis praecedet. Among the things which precede the resurrection we must consider: (1) The places appointed for the reception of bodies after death; (2) The quality of separated souls, and the punishment inflicted on them by fire; (3) The suffrages whereby the souls of the departed are assisted by the living; (4) The prayers of the saints in heaven; (5) The signs preceding the general judgment; (6) The fire of the world’s final conflagration, which will precede the appearance of the Judge. Circa primum quaeruntur septem. Under the first head there are seven points of inquiry: Primo: utrum animabus post mortem receptacula assignentur. (1) Whether any places are appointed to receive souls after death? Secundo: utrum statim post mortem ad ipsa animae deducantur. (2) Whether souls are conveyed there immediately after death? Tertio: utrum de ipsis locis egredi valeant. (3) Whether they are able to leave those places? Quarto: utrum limbus inferni sit idem quod sinus Abrahae. (4) Whether the limbo of hell is the same as Abraham’s bosom? Quinto: utrum limbus sit idem quod infernus damnatorum. (5) Whether limbo is the same as the hell of the damned? Sexto: utrum limbus puerorum sit idem quod limbus Patrum. (6) Whether the limbo of the patriarchs is the same as the limbo of children? Septimo: utrum tot receptacula debeant distingui. (7) Whether so many places should be distinguished? Articulus 1 Article 1 Utrum animabus post mortem receptacula assignentur Whether places are appointed to receive souls after death? Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod animabus post mortem receptacula non assignentur. Sicut enim dicit Boetius, in libro de Hebdonad, communis animi conceptio est apud sapientes incorporalia in loco non esse. Cui concordat quod Augustinus dicit, XII super Genesis ad litteram: Cito quidem responderi potest ad corporalia loca animam non ferri nisi Cum aliquo corpore. Sed anima separata a corpore non habet aliquod corpus: sicut ibidem Augustinus dicit. Ergo ridiculum est animabus separatis aliqua receptacula assignare. Objection 1: It would seem that places are not appointed to receive souls after death. For as Boethius says (Hebdonads): wise men are agreed that incorporeal things are not in a place, and this agrees with the words of Augustine (On the Literal Meaning of Genesis 12.32): we can answer without hesitation that the soul is not conveyed to corporeal places except with a body, or that it is not conveyed locally. Now the soul separated from the body is without a body, as Augustine says in the same place (On the Literal Meaning of Genesis 12.32). Therefore, it is absurd to assign any places for the reception of souls. Praeterea, omne quod habet locum determinatum, magis convenit cum illo loco quam cum alio. Sed animae separatae, sicut etiam quaelibet aliae spirituales substantiae, indifferenter se habent ad omnia loca: non enim potest dici quod cum aliquibus corporibus conveniant et cum aliis differant, cum ab omnibus conditionibus corporalibus penitus sint remotae. Ergo eis receptacula determinata non sunt assignanda. Obj. 2: Further, whatever has a definite place has more in common with that place than with any other. Now separated souls, like certain other spiritual substances, are indifferent to all places; for it cannot be said that they agree with certain bodies, and differ from others, since they are utterly removed from all corporeal conditions. Therefore, places should not be assigned for their reception. Praeterea, animabus separatis non assignatur aliquid post mortem nisi quod cedat in poenam vel in praemium. Sed corporalis locus non potest eis esse in poenam vel in praemium: cum a corporibus nihil recipiant. Ergo non sunt eis assignanda certa receptacula. Obj. 3: Further, nothing is assigned to separated souls after death except what conduces to their punishment or to their reward. But a corporeal place cannot conduce to their punishment or reward, since they receive nothing from bodies. Therefore, definite places should not be assigned to receive them. Sed contra: Caelum empyreum est locus corporalis. Et tamen ipsum factum mox sanctis angelis est repletum, ut Beda dicit. Cum ergo angeli sint incorporei, sicut et animae separatae, videtur etiam quod animabus separatis sint certa receptacula assignanda. Ergo, etc. On the contrary, The empyrean heaven is a corporeal place, and yet as soon as it was made it was filled with the holy angels, as Bede says (Hexaemeron). Since, then, angels, even as separated souls, are incorporeal, it would seem that some place should also be assigned to receive separated souls. Praeterea, hoc patet per id quod Gregorius dicit, in IV Dialog., scilicet animas post mortem ad diversa loca corporalia esse deductas: ut patet de Paschasio, quem Germanus, Capuanus episcopus, in balneis invenit; et de anima Theodorici regis, quam dicit ad gehennam esse deductam. Ergo animae post mortem habent certa receptacula. Further, This appears from Gregory’s statement (Dialogues 4) that souls after death are conveyed to various corporeal places, as in the case of Paschasius whom Germanus, Bishop of Capua, found at the baths, and of the soul of King Theodoric, which he asserts to have been conveyed to hell. Therefore, after death souls have certain places for their reception. Respondeo dicendum quod, quamvis substantiae spirituales secundum esse suum a corpore non dependeant, corporalia tamen a Deo mediantibus spiritualibus gubernantur: ut dicit Augustinus, in III de Trinitate, et Gregorius, in IV Dialog. Et ideo est quaedam convenientia spiritualium substantiarum ad corporales substantias per congruentiam quandam, ut scilicet dignioribus substantiis digniora corpora adaptentur. Unde etiam philosophi secundum ordinem mobilium posuerunt ordinem substantiarum separatarum. Quamvis autem animabus post mortem non assignentur aliqua corpora quorum sint formae vel determinati motores, determinantur tamen eis quaedam corporalia loca per congruentiam quandam secundum gradum dignitatis earum, in quibus sint quasi in loco, eo modo quo incorporalia in loco esse possunt, secundum quod magis accedent ad primam substantiam, cui locus superior per congruentiam deputatur, scilicet Deum, cuius sedem caelum Scriptura esse denuntiat. Et ideo animas quae sunt in participatione perfecta divinitatis, in caelo esse ponimus: animas vero quae a participatione huiusmodi, impediuntur loco contrario dicimus deputari. I answer that, Although spiritual substances do not depend on a body in respect of their being, nevertheless the corporeal world is governed by God by means of the spiritual world, as asserted by Augustine (On the Trinity 3.4) and Gregory (Dialogues 4.6). Hence it is that there is a certain fittingness by way of congruity of spiritual substances to corporeal substances, in that the more noble bodies are adapted to the more noble substances: wherefore also the philosophers held that the order of separate substances is according to the order of movables. And though after death souls have no bodies assigned to them of which they are the forms or determinate motors, nevertheless certain corporeal places are appointed to them by way of congruity in reference to their degree of nobility (in which they are as though in a place, after the manner in which incorporeal things can be in a place), according as they more or less approach to the first substance (to which the highest place it fittingly assigned), namely God, whose throne the Scriptures proclaim heaven to be. Wherefore we hold that those souls that have a perfect share of divinity are in heaven, and that those souls that are deprived of that share are assigned to a contrary place. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod incorporalia non sunt in loco modo aliquo nobis noto et consueto, secundum quod dicimus corpora proprie in loco esse. Sunt tamen in loco modo substantiis spiritualibus convenienti, qui nobis plene manifestus esse non potest. Reply Obj. 1: Incorporeal things are not in place after a manner known and familiar to us, in which way we say that bodies are properly in place; but they are in place after a manner befitting spiritual substances, a manner that cannot be fully manifest to us. Ad secundum dicendum quod duplex est convenientia vel similitudo. Una quae est per participationem eiusdem qualitatis: sicut calida ad invicem conveniunt. Et talis convenientia incorporalium ad loca corporalia esse non potest. Alia per quandam proportionalitatem: secundum quam in Scripturis metaphorae corporalium ad spiritualia transferuntur, ut cum dicitur Deus esse sol, quia est principium vitae spiritualis sicut sol vitae corporalis. Et secundum hanc convenientiam quaedam animae quibusdam locis magis conveniunt: sicut animae spiritualiter illuminatae cum corporibus luminosis; animae vero obtenebratae per culpam cum locis tenebrosis. Reply Obj. 2: Things have something in common with or a likeness to one another in two ways. First, by sharing a same quality: thus hot things have something in common. Incorporeal things can have nothing in common with corporeal things in this way. Second, by a kind of proportionateness, by reason of which the Scriptures apply the corporeal world to the spiritual metaphorically. Thus the Scriptures speak of God as the sun, because he is the principle of spiritual life, as the sun is of corporeal life. In this way certain souls have more in common with certain places: for instance, souls that are spiritually enlightened, with luminous bodies, and souls that are plunged in darkness by sin, with dark places. Ad tertium dicendum quod anima separata directe nihil recipit a locis corporalibus per modum quo corpora recipiunt, quae conservantur a suis locis: sed ipsae animae, ex hoc quod cognoscunt se talibus locis deputari, sibi gaudium ingerunt vel maerorem. Et sic locus cedit eis in poenam vel praemium. Reply Obj. 3: The separated soul receives nothing directly from corporeal places in the same way as bodies which are maintained by their respective places: yet these same souls, through knowing themselves to be appointed to such places, gather joy or sorrow therefrom; and thus their place conduces to their punishment or reward. Articulus 2 Article 2 Utrum statim post mortem aliquae animae deducantur ad caelos vel ad infernum Whether souls are conveyed to heaven or hell immediately after death? Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod statim post mortem nullae animae deducantur ad caelos vel ad infernum. Quia super illud Psalmi [36, 10], adhuc pusillum et non erit peccator, dicit Glossa quod sancti liberantur in fine mundi: post hanc tamen vitam non ibi eris ubi erunt sancti, quibus dicetur; venite benedicti Patris mei. Sed illi sancti erunt in caelo. Ergo sancti post hanc vitam non statim ascendunt ad caelum. Objection 1: It would seem that no souls are conveyed to heaven or hell immediately after death. For a Gloss on Psalm 36:10: yet a little while and the wicked shall not be, says that the saints are delivered at the end of life; yet after this life they will not yet be where the saints will be when it is said to them, “Come ye blessed of my Father.” Now those saints will be in heaven. Therefore, after this life the saints do not immediately ascend to heaven. Praeterea, Augustinus dicit, in Enchiridion, quod tempus inter hominis mortem et ultimam resurrectionem interpositum animas abditis receptaculis continet, sicut unaquaeque digna est requie vel aerumna. Sed haec abdita receptacula non possunt intelligi caelum et infernus: quia in illis etiam post resurrectionem ultimam cum corporibus erunt; unde pro nihilo distingueret tempus ante resurrectionem et post resurrectionem. Ergo non erunt nec in inferno nec in paradiso usque ad diem iudicii. Obj. 2: Further, Augustine says (Handbook on Faith, Hope, and Charity 109) that the time which lies between man’s death and the final resurrection holds the souls in secret receptacles according as each one is worthy of rest or of suffering. Now these secret abodes cannot denote heaven and hell, since also after the final resurrection the souls will be there together with their bodies: so that he would have no reason to distinguish between the time before and the time after the resurrection. Therefore, they will be neither in hell nor in heaven until the day of judgment. Praeterea, maior est gloria animae quam corporum. Sed simul omnibus redditur gloria corporum, ut sit maior laetitia singulorum ex communi gaudio: ut patet Heb. 11, super illud [v. 40], Deo pro nobis aliquid melius providente, etc.; dicit Glossa: ut in communi gaudio omnium maius fieret gaudium singulorum. Ergo multo fortius gloria animarum debet differri usque ad finem, ut simul omnibus reddatur. Obj. 3: Further, the glory of the soul is greater than that of bodies. Now the glory of the body is awarded to all at the same time, so that each one may have the greater joy in the common rejoicing of all, as on Hebrews 11:40: God providing some better thing for us, a Gloss says, that the common joy may make each one rejoice the more. Much more, therefore, ought the glory of souls to be deferred until the end, so as to be awarded to all at the same time. Praeterea, poena et praemium quae per sententiam iudicii redduntur, iudicium praecedere non debent. Sed ignis inferni et gaudium paradisi dabuntur omnibus per sententiam iudicantis Christi, scilicet in ultimo iudicio, ut patet Matth. 25, [31 sqq.]. Ergo ante diem iudicii nullus ascendit in caelum vel descendit ad inferos. Obj. 4: Further, punishment and reward, being pronounced by the sentence of the judge, should not precede the judgment. Now, the fire of hell and the joys of heaven will be awarded to all by the sentence of Christ judging them, namely, at the last judgment, according to Matthew 25:31. Therefore, no one will go up to heaven or down to hell before the day of judgment. Sed contra: Est quod dicitur II Cor. 5, [1]: si terrena nostra habitatio dissolvatur, domum habemus non manufactam conservatam in caelis. Ergo, dissoluta carne, homo habet mansionem quae ei in caelis fuerat conservata. On the contrary, 2 Corinthians 5:1 says: if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved, we have a house not made with hands, but reserved in heaven. Therefore, after the body’s dissolution the soul has an abode which had been reserved for it in heaven. Praeterea, Philipp. 1, [23] dicit Apostolus: cupio dissolvi et esse cum Christo. Ex quo sic arguit Gregorius, in IV Dialog.: qui ergo Christum in caelo esse non dubitat, nec Pauli animam in caelo esse negat. Sed non est negandum Christum esse in caelo: cum sit articulus fidei. Ergo nec est dubitandum animas sanctorum ad caelos ferri. Quod etiam aliquae animae ad infernum descendunt statim post mortem, patet Luc. 16, [22]: mortuus est autem dives, et sepultus est in inferno. Further, The Apostle says: I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ (Phil 1:23). From these words Gregory argues as follows (Dialogues 4.25): if there is no doubt that Christ is in heaven, it cannot be denied that Paul’s soul is in heaven likewise. Now it cannot be denied that Christ is in heaven, since this is an article of faith. Therefore, neither is it to be denied that the souls of the saints are borne to heaven. That also some souls go down to hell immediately after death is evident from Luke 16:22: the rich man died, and he was buried in hell. Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut in corporibus est gravitas vel levitas, qua feruntur ad suum locum, qui est finis motus ipsorum; ita etiam est in animabus meritum vel demeritum, quibus perveniunt animae ad praemium vel poenam, quae sunt fines actionum ipsarum. Unde, sicut corpus per gravitatem vel levitatem statim fertur in locum suum nisi prohibeatur, ita statim animae, soluto vinculo carnis, per quod in statu viae detinebantur, praemium consequuntur vel poenam, nisi aliquid impediat: sicut interdum impedit consecutionem praemii veniale peccatum, quod prius purgari oportet, ex quo sequitur quod praemium differatur. Et quia locus deputatur animabus secundum congruentiam praemii vel poenae, statim ut anima absolvitur a corpore, vel in infernum immergitur; vel ad caelum evolat, nisi impediatur aliquo reatu, quo oporteat evolationem differri, ut prius anima purgetur. I answer that, Even as in bodies there is gravity or levity whereby they are borne to their own place, which is the end of their movement, so in souls there is merit or demerit whereby they reach their reward or punishment, which are the ends of their deeds. Wherefore just as a body is conveyed at once to its place by its gravity or levity, unless there be an obstacle, so too the soul, the bonds of the flesh being broken by which it was detained in the state of the way, receives at once its reward or punishment, unless there be an obstacle. Thus sometimes venial sin, through needing first of all to be cleansed, is an obstacle to the receiving of the reward; the result being that the reward is delayed. And since a place is assigned to souls in keeping with their reward or punishment, as soon as the soul is set free from the body it is either plunged into hell or soars to heaven, unless it be held back by some debt, for which its flight must be delayed until the soul is first of all cleansed. Et huic veritati auctoritates Scripturae canonicae manifeste attestantur, et documenta sanctorum patrum. Unde contrarium pro haeresi est habendum: ut patet IV Dialog., et in libro de Ecclesiasticis Dogmatibus. This truth is attested by the manifest authority of the canonical Scriptures and the doctrine of the holy fathers; wherefore the contrary must be judged heretical as stated in Dialogues 4.25, and in Book of Ecclesiastical Dogmas 44. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod Glossa seipsam exponit. Quod enim dicit, nondum eris ubi erunt sancti etc., statim exponit subdens: idest, non habebis geminam stolam, quam habebunt sancti in resurrectione. Reply Obj. 1: The Gloss explains itself: for it expounds the words, they will not yet be where the saints will be, etc., by saying immediately afterwards: that is to say, they will not have the double stole which the saints will have at the resurrection. Ad secundum dicendum quod inter illa abdita receptacula de quibus Augustinus loquitur, etiam sunt computandi et infernus et paradisus, in quibus animae aliquae ante resurrectionem continentur. Sed ideo distinguitur tempus ante resurrectionem et post, quia ante resurrectionem sunt ibi sine corpore, post autem erunt cum corpore: et quia in aliquibus receptaculis nunc sunt animae in quibus post resurrectionem non erunt. Reply Obj. 2: Among the secret abodes of which Augustine speaks, we must also reckon hell and heaven, where some souls are detained before the resurrection. The reason why a distinction is drawn between the time before and the time after the resurrection is because before the resurrection they are there without the body, whereas afterwards they are with the body, and because in certain places there are souls now which will not be there after the resurrection.