1.1 Vir a man quīdam a certain nōmine by name Paulus Paulus quī who morbō by illness gravī serious labōrābat was suffering mē me adiit approached et and dīxit said —”Magister Master morior I am dying —hoc this sciō I know —sed but ūnum one thing quaerō I ask —quid what dē of MĒ ME fiet? will become
1.2 “Nam for quīdam some dīcunt say animam the soul meam my ē from corpore the body ēvolātūram will fly out esse is quasi as if avem a bird ē from caveā a cage —et and quīdam others dīcunt say nihil nothing post after mortem death manēre remains —ego I autem however nec neither hoc this nec nor illud that crēdere to believe possum am able —nam for ego I nōn am not avis a bird in in caveā a cage —ego I sum am homo” a man
1.3 Sapienter wisely loquitur he speaks —et and mereātur let him deserve responsum an answer sapientī for a wise man dignum worthy
2.1 Prīmum first duo two errōrēs errors removendī must be removed sunt are
2.2 Prīmō in the first place errant err quī those who —quōs whom Platōnicōs Platonists vocāmus we call —dīcunt say animam the soul esse is rem a thing per through sē itself complētam complete quae which in in corpore the body quasi as in carcere a prison inclūditur is enclosed —mors death ergō therefore secundum according to eōs them līberātiō liberation est is —et and corpus the body impedīmentum a hindrance —et and anima the soul sēparāta once separated melior better est is quam than coniūncta conjoined
2.3 Secundō in the second place errant err quī those who —quōs whom materiālistās materialists vocāre to call possumus we may —dīcunt say nihil nothing esse exists nisi except corpus the body —animam the soul nihil nothing aliud else esse is nisi except temperāmentum the mixture corporis of the body —et and cum when corpus the body dissolvitur is dissolved nihil nothing manēre remains
2.4 Uterque each error error ex from eōdem the same fonte spring nāscitur is born —nōn not intellegunt they understand enim for quid what sit is ūniō the union animae of the soul et and corporis the body
3.1 Hīc here distinguendum a distinction must be made est is —et and rēs the matter subtīlis subtle est is sed but maximī of the greatest mōmentī importance
3.2 Omnis every rēs thing corporea corporeal ex from duōbus two prīncipiīs principles cōnstat consists —ex from materiā matter et and formā form
3.3 Materia matter est is id that quod which substat underlies —quod that which recipit receives —quod that which in into potentiā potency est is ad towards multa many things
3.4 Forma form est is id that quod which facit makes rem a thing esse be id that quod which est it is —prīncipium the principle āctūs of act et and dēterminātīōnis determination
3.5 Anima the soul autem however est is FORMA the FORM corporis of the body —nōn not pars a part corporis of the body —nōn not habitātor an inhabitant corporis of the body —sed but prīncipium the principle quō by which corpus the body vīvit lives et and sentit perceives et and intellegit understands
3.6 Sīcut just as figūra the shape statuae of a statue nōn is not est is aliud another thing quod which in in statuā the statue habitat dwells sed but id that quō by which statua the statue est is statua a statue —ita so anima the soul nōn does not in in corpore the body habitat dwell sed but corpus the body per through eam it vīvit lives
4.1 Quid what ergō then est is mors? death
4.2 Mors death est is sēparātiō the separation animae of the soul ā from corpore the body —id that est is sēparātiō the separation formae of form ā from materiā matter
4.3 Et and hoc this vērum truly malum an evil est is —nōlī do not audīre listen to eōs those quī who dīcunt say mortem death nihil nothing esse to be —nam for sī if anima the soul est is forma the form corporis of the body tunc then sēparātiō separation est is contrā against nātūram nature —quod what est is ūnīrī to be united dēbēbat ought sēparātur is separated
4.4 Itaque and so bene well dīxistī you said Paule Paulus —”ego I nōn am not avis a bird in in caveā a cage —ego I sum am homo” a man —nam for homō a man nōn is not est is anima a soul quae which corpus a body habet has —sed but composītum a composite ex of animā soul et and corpore body —et and TŪ YOU es are hoc this composītum composite
5.1 “Sed but tunc” then —inquit he said —”quid what dē of mē me fiet will become cum when moriar?” I die
5.2 Anima the soul tua your nōn will not perībit perish —et and hoc this nōn not ex from sōlā faith fidē alone dīcō do I say sed but ex from ratiōne reason
5.3 Nam for anima the soul hūmāna human operātiōnem an operation habet has quae which materiam matter excēdit exceeds —intellegere understanding —nam for cum when intellegis you understand quid what sit is iūstitia justice aut or vēritās truth aut or numerus number —rem a thing intellegis you understand quae which nōn is not corporea corporeal est is
5.4 Quod that which autem however operātiōnem an operation habet has quae which materiam matter excēdit exceeds ipsum itself quoque also materiam matter excēdit exceeds —et and ideō therefore subsistere to subsist potest it is able etiam even sine without corpore the body
5.5 Sed but attende pay attention —subsistere to subsist potest it is able —sed but COMPLĒTA complete nōn not est it is
5.6 Nam for anima the soul sine without corpore the body est is sīcut like manus a hand sine without corpore the body —exsistit it exists quidem indeed sed but nōn not plēnē fully operātur does it operate —dēsīderat it desires enim for ūniōnem union cum with eō that cuius of which est it is forma the form
6.1 Et and ideō therefore resurrectīō the resurrection corporis of the body nōn is not est is additāmentum an addition extrā outside nātūram nature —sed but complēmentum the completion nātūrae of nature
6.2 Anima the soul tua your ipsā by its very nātūrā nature suā its own ad towards corpus the body tuum your tendit tends —sīcut just as sēmen a seed ad towards arborem the tree —et and Deus God quī who nātūram nature fēcit made nōn does not dēserit abandon dēsīderium a desire quod which ipse he himself in within nātūrā nature posuit placed
6.3 Itaque and so Paule Paulus —nōn you are not es you are avis a bird ē from caveā a cage ēvolātūra about to fly —nōn nor es are you candēla a candle quae which exstinguētur will be extinguished
6.4 Tū you es are homo a man —composītum a composite nōbilissimum most noble —cuius whose anima soul subsistit subsists et and cuius whose corpus body resurgēre to rise again dēbet must —quia because tū you sine without utrōque both TŪ YOU nōn are not es are
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
1.1 Vir quīdam nōmine Paulus quī morbō gravī labōrābat mē adiit et dīxit: “Magister, morior — hoc sciō — sed ūnum quaerō — quid dē MĒ fiet?”
1.2 “Nam quīdam dīcunt animam meam ē corpore ēvolātūram esse quasi avem ē caveā — et quīdam dīcunt nihil post mortem manēre — ego autem nec hoc nec illud crēdere possum — nam ego nōn avis in caveā — ego sum homo.”
1.3 Sapienter loquitur — et mereātur responsum sapientī dignum.
2.1 Prīmum duo errōrēs removendī sunt.
2.2 Prīmō errant quī — quōs Platōnicōs vocāmus — dīcunt animam esse rem per sē complētam quae in corpore quasi carcere inclūditur — mors ergō secundum eōs līberātiō est — et corpus impedīmentum — et anima sēparāta melior est quam coniūncta.
2.3 Secundō errant quī — quōs materiālistās vocāre possumus — dīcunt nihil esse nisi corpus — animam nihil aliud esse nisi temperāmentum corporis — et cum corpus dissolvitur nihil manēre.
2.4 Uterque error ex eōdem fonte nāscitur — nōn intellegunt enim quid sit ūniō animae et corporis.
3.1 Hīc distinguendum est — et rēs subtīlis est sed maximī mōmentī.
3.2 Omnis rēs corporea ex duōbus prīncipiīs cōnstat — ex materiā et formā.
3.3 Materia est id quod substat — quod recipit — quod in potentiā est ad multa.
3.4 Forma est id quod facit rem esse id quod est — prīncipium āctūs et dēterminātīōnis.
3.5 Anima autem est FORMA corporis — nōn pars corporis — nōn habitātor corporis — sed prīncipium quō corpus vīvit et sentit et intellegit.
3.6 Sīcut figūra statuae nōn est aliud quod in statuā habitat sed id quō statua est statua — ita anima nōn in corpore habitat sed corpus per eam vīvit.
4.1 Quid ergō est mors?
4.2 Mors est sēparātiō animae ā corpore — id est sēparātiō formae ā materiā.
4.3 Et hoc vērum malum est — nōlī audīre eōs quī dīcunt mortem nihil esse — nam sī anima est forma corporis, tunc sēparātiō est contrā nātūram — quod est ūnīrī dēbēbat sēparātur.
4.4 Itaque bene dīxistī, Paule — “ego nōn avis in caveā — ego sum homo” — nam homō nōn est anima quae corpus habet — sed composītum ex animā et corpore — et TŪ es hoc composītum.
5.1 “Sed tunc,” inquit, “quid dē mē fiet cum moriar?”
5.2 Anima tua nōn perībit — et hoc nōn ex sōlā fidē dīcō sed ex ratiōne.
5.3 Nam anima hūmāna operātiōnem habet quae materiam excēdit — intellegere — nam cum intellegis quid sit iūstitia aut vēritās aut numerus — rem intellegis quae nōn corporea est.
5.4 Quod autem operātiōnem habet quae materiam excēdit ipsum quoque materiam excēdit — et ideō subsistere potest etiam sine corpore.
5.5 Sed attende — subsistere potest — sed COMPLĒTA nōn est.
5.6 Nam anima sine corpore est sīcut manus sine corpore — exsistit quidem sed nōn plēnē operātur — dēsīderat enim ūniōnem cum eō cuius est forma.
6.1 Et ideō resurrectīō corporis nōn est additāmentum extrā nātūram — sed complēmentum nātūrae.
6.2 Anima tua ipsā nātūrā suā ad corpus tuum tendit — sīcut sēmen ad arborem — et Deus quī nātūram fēcit nōn dēserit dēsīderium quod ipse in nātūrā posuit.
6.3 Itaque, Paule — nōn es avis ē caveā ēvolātūra — nōn es candēla quae exstinguētur.
6.4 Tū es homo — composītum nōbilissimum — cuius anima subsistit et cuius corpus resurgēre dēbet — quia tū sine utrōque TŪ nōn es.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ab Aquīnāte per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
---