1.1 In in Hispāniā Spain —terrā a land quae which inter among omnēs all gentēs the nations ferriviārum of railways celerrimārum the fastest rētī a network glōriātur boasts —duo two currus trains ferrātī of iron magnā at great celeritāte speed mōtī moving conlīsī collided sunt —
1.2 Prīmus the first currus train quī which ā from Malacā Malaga ad to Matritum Madrid ferēbātur was travelling —cum when per through rēgiōnem the region quae which ad near oppidum the town Adamūz Adamuz iacet lies trānsīret it was passing —ā from viā the track dēcessit departed —et and trēs three carrūcae carriages posteriōrēs rear in onto viam the track contrāriam opposite trānsiērunt crossed over
1.3 Secundus the second currus train quī which contrā in the opposite direction ferēbātur was travelling post after vīgintī twenty secundās seconds in into carrūcās the carriages dēiectās derailed incurrit crashed
1.4 Sex six et and quadrāgintā forty hominēs people perīērunt perished —ducenti two hundred et and nōnāgintā ninety duo two vulnerātī were injured sunt were —inter among mortuōs the dead gubernātor the driver cursūs of the train secundī second erat was quī who prīmus first vim the force collīsiōnis of the collision excēpit received
1.5 Causa the cause —quantum as far as hominēs people scīre can know possunt are able —haec this fuit was —fractura a fracture in in ferrō the iron viae of the track —quadrāgintā forty ferē approximately centimetrōrum centimetres —in on rēctā a straight viā track quae which paucōs a few ante before mēnsēs months refecta repaired erat had been
1.6 Quadrāgintā forty centimetra centimetres ferrī of iron fractī broken —et and sex six et and quadrāgintā forty hominēs people mortuī dead
2.1 Quaestiō the question quam which omnēs all quaerunt ask haec this est is —cūr? why
2.2 Sed but hīc here distinguendum a distinction must be made est is —nam for “cūr” “why” duōbus in two modīs ways quaerī can be asked potest is able
2.3 Prīmō in the first way quaeritur it is asked dē about causā the cause physicā physical —cūr why ferrum did the iron fractum break est did —cūr why currus did the train dēcessit depart ā from viā the track —et and hoc this est is quaestiō a question artis of the art et and perītiōrum of experts quam which ipsī they themselves per through investīgātiōnem investigation respondēbunt will answer
2.4 Secundō in the second way quaeritur it is asked dē about causā the cause ultimā ultimate —cūr why Deus did God hoc this permīsit permit —cūr why hominēs people innocentēs innocent quī who nihil nothing fēcērunt did nisi except iter a journey facere to make mortuī died sunt did
2.5 Ad to hanc this quaestiōnem question respondēre to answer cōnābor I shall try —nōn not quia because facilis easy est it is —sed but quia because vēritās the truth etiam even ubi where difficilis difficult est it is quaerenda must be sought est is
3.1 Omnia all things quae which exsistunt exist ā from Deō God prōcēdunt proceed —hoc this est is quod what exitum the going forth vocō I call
3.2 Nōn not sōlum only animae souls et and angelī angels sed but et also corpora bodies et and materia matter et and leges the laws nātūrae of nature ipsae themselves —omnia all things ab from eō him sunt are —et and ferrum the iron quod which viās the tracks ferrātās of rail cōnstituit constitutes et and vim the force quā by which currus the trains moventur are moved
3.3 Et and omnia all things quae which ā from Deō God prōcēdunt proceed ad towards Deum God tendunt tend —hoc this est is quod what reditum the return vocō I call —nam for omnis every creātūra creature ex from ipsā its very nātūrā nature suā own ad towards Deum God convertitur turns —per through operātiōnem operation suam its own —per through bonitātem goodness suam its own —per through fīnem the end suum its own
3.4 Hominēs people illī those quī who in on curribus the trains sedēbant were sitting —aliquo somewhere ībant they were going —ad to familiam their family —ad to opus their work —ad to domum their home —et and hoc this iter journey terrenum earthly imāgō an image quaedam a certain erat was reditūs of the return illīus that māiōris greater quō by which omnia all things ad to Deum God redeunt return
4.1 Sed but —et and hoc this maximē especially attendendum must be attended to est is —Deus God mundum the world nōn not ita in such a way gubernat governs ut that omnem all contingentiam contingency auferat he removes
4.2 Quid what est is contingentia? contingency —est it is id that quod which potest is able esse to be et and potest is able nōn not esse to be —quod what nōn is not necessāriō necessarily fit happens sed but accidere to happen potest is able aut or nōn not accidere to happen
4.3 Ferrum iron illud that poterat was able nōn not frangī to break —et and sī if nōn not fractum broken esset it had been sex six et and quadrāgintā forty hominēs people hodiē today vīverent would be living —Deus God nōn did not coēgit compel ferrum the iron frangī to break —sed but nōn not coēgit did he compel ferrum the iron nōn not frangī to break
4.4 Hīc here distinguendum a distinction must be made est is inter between ea those things quae which per per sē se fiunt happen et and ea those things quae which per per accidēns accidens fiunt happen
4.5 Per per sē se fit happens quod what ex from nātūrā the nature causae of the cause sequitur follows —ignis fire per per sē se calefacit heats —lapis a stone per per sē se cadit falls —currus a train ferrātus of iron per per sē se super upon viam the track rectam straight currit runs
4.6 Per per accidēns accidens fit happens quod what nōn does not ex from nātūrā the nature causae of the cause sequitur follow sed but ex from concursū the concurrence causārum of causes quae which per through sē themselves ad towards aliud something else tendēbant were tending —fractura the fracture ferrī of the iron et and trānsitus the passing cursūs of the train per through illum that locum place illō at that momentō moment —utrumque each per through sē itself ad towards aliud something else tendēbat was tending —sed but concursus the concurrence eōrum of them per per accidēns accidens fuit was
4.7 Deus God causās causes per per sē se gubernat governs —sed but nōn not ita in such a way ut that causās causes per per accidēns accidens ēlīminet he eliminates —nam for sī if hoc this faceret he were to do mundus the world nōn not esset would be mundus a world sed but machina a machine —et and hominēs human beings nōn not essent would be hominēs human beings sed but instrumenta instruments
5.1 “Sed but sī if hoc this ita is so est” is —inquiet someone will ask aliquis someone —”quid what prōdest use is prōvidentia providence Deī of God sī if quadrāgintā forty centimetra centimetres ferrī of iron fractī broken sex six et and quadrāgintā forty hominēs people occīdere to kill possunt?” are able
5.2 Respondēō I answer —prōvidentia the providence Deī of God nōn does not gubernat govern mundum the world ēliminandō by eliminating contingentiam contingency sed but ōrdinandō by ordering omnia all things —etiam even contingentia contingent things —ad towards fīnem the end ultimum ultimate
5.3 Nōn I do not dīcō say Deum that God fractūram the fracture illam that voluisse willed —nōn I do not dīcō say mortem that the death illōrum of those hominum people bonum a good fuisse was —mors death semper always malum an evil est is —hoc this iam already docuī I have taught —nam for sēparātiō the separation animae of the soul ā from corpore the body contrā against nātūram nature est is
5.4 Sed but dīcō I say quod that nūllum no ēventum event contingentem contingent —etiam not even mortem death ipsam itself —potest is able reditum the return ultimum ultimate creatūrae of a creature ratiōnālis rational ad to Deum God impedīre to impede
5.5 Quadrāgintā forty centimetra centimetres ferrī of iron iter the journey terrenum earthly interrumpere to interrupt potuērunt were able —iter the journey ad to Deum God interrumpere to interrupt nōn they were not potuērunt able
5.6 Et and tamen yet —nōlīte do not putāre think mē that I dolōrem the grief minuere am diminishing —nōn not minuō I do not diminish it —plōrāre to weep bonum good est is et and iūstum just —nam for sī if mors death malum an evil est is —et and malum an evil est is —tunc then dolor grief dē over morte death respōnsum a response rēctum right est is
5.7 Christus Christ ipse himself ad at sepulchrum the tomb Lazarī of Lazarus flēvit wept —quī the one who sciēbat who knew sē himself eum him suscitātūrum about to raise esse to be tamen yet flēvit wept —quia because mors death malum an evil EST IS etiam even sī if ultimum the last verbum word nōn it is not est is
6.1 Hominēs the people illī those iter a journey faciēbant were making —aliquo somewhere ībant they were going
6.2 Aliquis someone ad to uxōrem his wife redībat was returning —aliquis someone ad to opus his work novum new prōficīscēbātur was setting out —aliquis someone matrem his mother aegrōtantem sick vīsitātūrus about to visit erat was —mīlle a thousand ratiōnēs reasons —mīlle a thousand itinera journeys —et and omnia all interrupta interrupted
6.3 Sed but attende pay attention —omne every iter journey terrenum earthly imāgō an image est is reditūs of the return ad to Deum God —quī the one who domum home redit returns imāginem an image gerit bears animae of the soul quae which ad to Deum God redit returns —et and quī the one who dē from domō his home exit goes out imāginem an image gerit bears animae of the soul quae which ā from Deō God in into mundum the world prōcessit proceeded
6.4 Exitus going forth et and reditus return —ā from Deō God et and ad to Deum God —hoc this est is ōrdō the order tōtīus of the whole reālitātis of reality
6.5 Et and hic this ōrdō order nōn cannot potest be able ā by ferrō iron fractō broken frangī to be broken
7.1 Quid what ergō then dīcēmus shall we say dē about iīs those quī who perīērunt? perished
7.2 Ūnusquisque each one eōrum of them ā from Deō God exierat had gone forth —per through creātiōnem creation —per through nātūram nature quam which accēperat he had received —per through esse being ipsum itself quod which Deus God eī to him dederat had given
7.3 Et and ūnusquisque each one eōrum of them ad towards Deum God tendēbat was tending —etiam even sī if nōn not sciēbat he knew —nam for reditus the return ad to Deum God nōn does not pendet depend ex on scientiā the knowledge nostrā our sed but ex on nātūrā the nature nostrā our —sīcut just as flūmen a river ad towards mare the sea tendit tends etiam even sī if nescit it does not know quid what sit is mare the sea
7.4 Mors death nōn does not ēicit cast hominem a person ē out of reditū the return —mors death est is ipse itself modus a manner reditūs of returning —nōn not modus the manner quem which ēlēgimus we chose —nōn not modus the manner quem which volumus we want —sed but modus a manner quī which in in mundō a world contingentī contingent accidere to happen potest is able
7.5 Quadrāgintā forty centimetra centimetres ferrī of iron fractī broken modō the manner reditūs of the return illōrum of those hominum people mūtāvērunt changed —reditum the return ipsum itself nōn they did not impediērunt impede
8.1 Nihil nothing ergō therefore dīcēmus shall we say familiīs to the families quae who lugent? are mourning
8.2 Dīcēmus we shall say —mors death malum an evil est is —et and dolor your grief vester your iūstus just est is —et and nēmō no one quī who dīcit says “Deus God hoc this voluit” willed vērum the truth dīcit speaks —nam for Deus God nōn does not vult will mortem the death innocentium of the innocent
8.3 Dīcēmus we shall say —mundus the world contingens contingent est is —et and in in mundō a world contingentī contingent rēs things terribilēs terrible accidere to happen possunt are able —nōn not quia because Deus God eās them vult wills sed but quia because mundus a world vērus real —mundus a world in in quō which lībertās freedom et and contingentia contingency sunt are —aliter otherwise esse to be nōn cannot potest is able
8.4 Et and dīcēmus we shall say —reditūs the return ad to Deum God nōn has not cessāvit ceased —nōn not potest is it able cessāre to cease —quia because quī the one who exīre to go forth fēcit made idem the same est is quī as the one who redīre to return facit makes —et and potentia the power ēius his maior greater est is quam than omnis every fractura fracture et and omnis every collīsiō collision et and omnis every mors death
8.5 Iī those quī who perīērunt perished domum home nōn did not pervēnērunt arrive —ad at domum the home terrenam earthly dīcō I mean
8.6 Sed but domus the home ultima ultimate nōn not Matritum Madrid est is nec nor Malaca Malaga nec nor Onuba Huelva —domus the home ultima ultimate Deus God est is —et and ad to illam that domum home nūlla no fractura fracture nūllaque and no collīsiō collision viam the road claudere to close potest is able
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1.1 In Hispāniā — terrā quae inter omnēs gentēs ferriviārum celerrimārum rētī glōriātur — duo currus ferrātī magnā celeritāte mōtī conlīsī sunt.
1.2 Prīmus currus quī ā Malacā ad Matritum ferēbātur — cum per rēgiōnem quae ad oppidum Adamūz iacet trānsīret — ā viā dēcessit — et trēs carrūcae posteriōrēs in viam contrāriam trānsiērunt.
1.3 Secundus currus quī contrā ferēbātur post vīgintī secundās in carrūcās dēiectās incurrit.
1.4 Sex et quadrāgintā hominēs perīērunt — ducentī et nōnāgintā duo vulnerātī sunt — inter mortuōs gubernātor cursūs secundī erat quī prīmus vim collīsiōnis excēpit.
1.5 Causa — quantum hominēs scīre possunt — haec fuit: fractura in ferrō viae — quadrāgintā ferē centimetrōrum — in rēctā viā quae paucōs ante mēnsēs refecta erat.
1.6 Quadrāgintā centimetra ferrī fractī — et sex et quadrāgintā hominēs mortuī.
2.1 Quaestiō quam omnēs quaerunt haec est: cūr?
2.2 Sed hīc distinguendum est — nam “cūr” duōbus modīs quaerī potest.
2.3 Prīmō quaeritur dē causā physicā — cūr ferrum fractum est — cūr currus dēcessit ā viā — et hoc est quaestiō artis et perītiōrum quam ipsī per investīgātiōnem respondēbunt.
2.4 Secundō quaeritur dē causā ultimā — cūr Deus hoc permīsit — cūr hominēs innocentēs quī nihil fēcērunt nisi iter facere mortuī sunt.
2.5 Ad hanc quaestiōnem respondēre cōnābor — nōn quia facilis est — sed quia vēritās etiam ubi difficilis est quaerenda est.
3.1 Omnia quae exsistunt ā Deō prōcēdunt — hoc est quod exitum vocō.
3.2 Nōn sōlum animae et angelī sed et corpora et materia et leges nātūrae ipsae — omnia ab eō sunt — et ferrum quod viās ferrātās cōnstituit et vim quā currus moventur.
3.3 Et omnia quae ā Deō prōcēdunt ad Deum tendunt — hoc est quod reditum vocō — nam omnis creātūra ex ipsā nātūrā suā ad Deum convertitur — per operātiōnem suam — per bonitātem suam — per fīnem suum.
3.4 Hominēs illī quī in curribus sedēbant — aliquo ībant — ad familiam — ad opus — ad domum — et hoc iter terrenum imāgō quaedam erat reditūs illīus māiōris quō omnia ad Deum redeunt.
4.1 Sed — et hoc maximē attendendum est — Deus mundum nōn ita gubernat ut omnem contingentiam auferat.
4.2 Quid est contingentia? Est id quod potest esse et potest nōn esse — quod nōn necessāriō fit sed accidere potest aut nōn accidere.
4.3 Ferrum illud poterat nōn frangī — et sī nōn fractum esset, sex et quadrāgintā hominēs hodiē vīverent. Deus nōn coēgit ferrum frangī — sed nōn coēgit ferrum nōn frangī.
4.4 Hīc distinguendum est inter ea quae per sē fiunt et ea quae per accidēns fiunt.
4.5 Per sē fit quod ex nātūrā causae sequitur — ignis per sē calefacit — lapis per sē cadit — currus ferrātus per sē super viam rectam currit.
4.6 Per accidēns fit quod nōn ex nātūrā causae sequitur sed ex concursū causārum quae per sē ad aliud tendēbant — fractura ferrī et trānsitus cursūs per illum locum illō momentō — utrumque per sē ad aliud tendēbat — sed concursus eōrum per accidēns fuit.
4.7 Deus causās per sē gubernat — sed nōn ita ut causās per accidēns ēlīminet — nam sī hoc faceret mundus nōn esset mundus sed machina — et hominēs nōn essent hominēs sed instrumenta.
5.1 “Sed sī hoc ita est,” inquiet aliquis, “quid prōdest prōvidentia Deī sī quadrāgintā centimetra ferrī fractī sex et quadrāgintā hominēs occīdere possunt?”
5.2 Respondēō — prōvidentia Deī nōn gubernat mundum ēliminandō contingentiam sed ōrdinandō omnia — etiam contingentia — ad fīnem ultimum.
5.3 Nōn dīcō Deum fractūram illam voluisse — nōn dīcō mortem illōrum hominum bonum fuisse — mors semper malum est — hoc iam docuī — nam sēparātiō animae ā corpore contrā nātūram est.
5.4 Sed dīcō quod nūllum ēventum contingentem — etiam mortem ipsam — potest reditum ultimum creātūrae ratiōnālis ad Deum impedīre.
5.5 Quadrāgintā centimetra ferrī iter terrenum interrumpere potuērunt — iter ad Deum interrumpere nōn potuērunt.
5.6 Et tamen — nōlīte putāre mē dolōrem minuere — nōn minuō — plōrāre bonum est et iūstum — nam sī mors malum est — et malum est — tunc dolor dē morte respōnsum rēctum est.
5.7 Christus ipse ad sepulchrum Lazarī flēvit — quī sciēbat sē eum suscitātūrum esse tamen flēvit — quia mors malum EST etiam sī ultimum verbum nōn est.
6.1 Hominēs illī iter faciēbant — aliquo ībant.
6.2 Aliquis ad uxōrem redībat — aliquis ad opus novum prōficīscēbātur — aliquis matrem aegrōtantem vīsitātūrus erat — mīlle ratiōnēs — mīlle itinera — et omnia interrupta.
6.3 Sed attende — omne iter terrenum imāgō est reditūs ad Deum — quī domum redit imāginem gerit animae quae ad Deum redit — et quī dē domō exit imāginem gerit animae quae ā Deō in mundum prōcessit.
6.4 Exitus et reditus — ā Deō et ad Deum — hoc est ōrdō tōtīus reālitātis.
6.5 Et hic ōrdō nōn potest ā ferrō fractō frangī.
7.1 Quid ergō dīcēmus dē iīs quī perīērunt?
7.2 Ūnusquisque eōrum ā Deō exierat — per creātiōnem — per nātūram quam accēperat — per esse ipsum quod Deus eī dederat.
7.3 Et ūnusquisque eōrum ad Deum tendēbat — etiam sī nōn sciēbat — nam reditus ad Deum nōn pendet ex scientiā nostrā sed ex nātūrā nostrā — sīcut flūmen ad mare tendit etiam sī nescit quid sit mare.
7.4 Mors nōn ēicit hominem ē reditū — mors est ipse modus reditūs — nōn modus quem ēlēgimus — nōn modus quem volumus — sed modus quī in mundō contingentī accidere potest.
7.5 Quadrāgintā centimetra ferrī fractī modō reditūs illōrum hominum mūtāvērunt — reditum ipsum nōn impediērunt.
8.1 Nihil ergō dīcēmus familiīs quae lugent?
8.2 Dīcēmus — mors malum est — et dolor vester iūstus est — et nēmō quī dīcit “Deus hoc voluit” vērum dīcit — nam Deus nōn vult mortem innocentium.
8.3 Dīcēmus — mundus contingens est — et in mundō contingentī rēs terribilēs accidere possunt — nōn quia Deus eās vult sed quia mundus vērus — mundus in quō lībertās et contingentia sunt — aliter esse nōn potest.
8.4 Et dīcēmus — reditūs ad Deum nōn cessāvit — nōn potest cessāre — quia quī exīre fēcit idem est quī redīre facit — et potentia ēius maior est quam omnis fractura et omnis collīsiō et omnis mors.
8.5 Iī quī perīērunt domum nōn pervēnērunt — ad domum terrenam dīcō.
8.6 Sed domus ultima nōn Matritum est nec Malaca nec Onuba — domus ultima Deus est — et ad illam domum nūlla fractura nūllaque collīsiō viam claudere potest.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ab Aquīnāte per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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