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Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscence Alban A Marian Studies Volume 14 Article 8 1-15-1963 Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscence Alban A. Maguire Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Maguire, Alban A. (1963) "Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscence," Marian Studies: Vol. 14, Article 8, Pages 75-96. Available at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies/vol14/iss1/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Marian Library Publications at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marian Studies by an authorized editor of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Maguire: Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscence OUR LADY'S FREEDOM FROM CONCUPISCENCE In the beginning of an investigation into Our Lady's freedom from concupiscence one is struck first of all by the unaminity of theologians in attributing this privilege to her. Since the twelfth century there does not seem to have been one dissenting voice about the fact of Mary's immunity from all actual concupiscence. A deeper inquiry, however, reveals that theologians have been far from unaminous in explaining the meaning of this doctrine. Be­ cause, in the present order, concupiscence is the result of original sin, the history of the explanation of Our Lady's freedom from concupiscence has been connected with the defense of the Immacu­ late Conception. Yet, even today, more than a century after the definition of the Immaculate Conception, we find disagreement about the exact relationship between the two truths. For this reason our first task will be to try to define the terms in which the doctrine is presented, and then to examine its connection with the Immaculate Conception. There will be no attempt to re­ state the demonstration of Our Lady's freedom from concupiscence from the positive sources; we presume that this has been well taken care of elsewhere. 1 We shall concentrate on an evaluation of the theological arguments and having done this we shall at­ tempt to discover whether there is anything that may lead us to a more fruitful understanding of this great privilege of the Mother of God. Definition of Terms To specify the nature of this privilege and the notions associated 1 For example: T. M. Bartolomei, O.S.M., La Vergine Immacolata essenta dalla concupiscenga e impeccabile, EphM 11 (1961) 437-470; ]. A. de Aldama, S.J., Sacrae Theologiae Summa 3,2: Mariologia (Madrid, 1961), n. 49, 354; G. M. Roschini, O.S.M., Mariologia 2,2 (Rome, 1948) 96-105. 75 Published by eCommons, 1963 1 Marian Studies, Vol. 14 [1963], Art. 8 76 "Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscence" with it is the first task in its defense as well as its understanding. Latin manuals of theology usually present this doctrine as Im­ munitas a concupiscentia, or Immunitas a fomite peccati, or even as Immunitas a fomite concupiscentiae. A feeling of clumsiness in using the words fuel or tinder as translations of fomes prompts me to speak simply of "Immunity from concupiscence," and when­ ever it must be used, to leave the word fomes in the Latin. Immunity from concupiscence must of course be defined in terms of concupiscence. There is a use of the word concupiscence which identifies it with the appetites in so far as they go out to their object without any reference to its moral quality, whether it be good or bad.2 This has also been called concupiscence in the psychological sense. 8 We shall not be immediately concerned with this use of concupiscence but shall concentrate first on its dogmatic meaning. Concupiscence understood in the dogmatic sense is an appetite (primarily sensitive and actual, secondarily spiritual and habitual) whose movement anticipates and hinders the deliberation of the reason and continues against the command of the will. In general, the fomes peccati is the same as concupis­ cence in the dogmatic sense. 4 Concupiscence in actu primo is the habitual disposition of the appetite ready for movements anticipating and impeding the de­ liberation of the reason. Concupiscence in actu secundo is the actual movement impeding the deliberation of the reason. Ha­ bitual concupiscence is said to be bound or chained (ligatus) if it exists but is prevented from becoming actual; it is understood to be extinct, or absolutely absent, if the appetite is free from every disposition toward the movements of concupiscence. 2 ]. De Castro Engler, C.M.F., Expliafiio teol6gica do dom da imunidade da concupiscencia na lmaculada, in EphM 4 (1954) 334f. 8 L. Lercher S.]., lnstitutiones Theologiae Dogmaticae 2 (3rd ed., Inns­ brock-Leipzig, 1940) n. 608, 361. 4 L. Lercher, S.]., op. cit. 3 (3rd ed., Innsbruck-Leipzig, 1942) n. 130, 100. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies/vol14/iss1/8 2 Maguire: Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscence "Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscence" 77 The Fact of Immunity That Our Lady was free from every actual movement of con­ rupiscence is beyond controversy. This doctrine has been univers­ ally held by theologians since the twelfth century. The explana­ tions of the manner in which this immunity from conrupiscence was effected, however, have differed notably. St. Thomas men­ tioned four opinions in existence in his time: (1) some held that in the Blessed Virgin concupiscence was taken away com­ pletely; ( 2) others thought that concupiscence remained as far as difficulty in doing good is concerned, but was removed as far as it involves proneness to evil; (3) still others said that the conrupiscence which infectS the person was taken away but not that which corrupts the nature; ( 4) the last opinion, that of St. Thomas himself, maintained that in the first sanctification of the Blessed Virgin in the womb of her mother, the concupiscence re­ mained (secundum essentiam) but was bound; only in the conception of her Son was it totally removed. 5 The Scholastics in general agreed with St. Thomas that in the first sanctification of Our Lady in the womb of her mother the roots of conrupiscence, what we would call concupiscence in actu primo, remained but were bound so that they could never issue into act. The majority of Scholastics felt that exterior helps of Providence were also necessary to guarantee the sinlessness of Mary which held as a primary truth, a first principle. For them the immunity from conrupiscence was partly intrinsic and partly ex­ trinsic.6 The greater Scholastics: Alexander of Hales, St. Albert the Great, St. Bonaventure, and St. Thomas, maintained that con­ rupiscence which was bound in the first sanctification was entirely removed by the action of the Holy Spirit in the second sanctification which took place at the time of the Incarnation. Although the followers of &otus taught the total absence of conrupiscence from G Summa Theologica, 3, q. 27, a. 3. e See Bruno Korosak, O.F.M., Mariologia S. Alberti eiusque coaequalium (Rome, 1954) 384-395. Published by eCommons, 1963 3 Marian Studies, Vol. 14 [1963], Art. 8 78 "Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscence" the first moment of conception, &otus himself seems to have been so preoccupied with the main question that he did not go beyond the teaching that concupiscence was bound in the Immaculate Conception and rooted out completely in the Incarnation.7 Relation to Immaculate Conception From the beginning the theological doctrine on immunity from concupiscence was intimately associated with the controversy on the Immaculate Conception. The relationship between the two privileges of Our Lady is directly perceived in the explanation of the nature of her freedom from concupiscence rather than in the fact of this freedom, for even those who denied the Immaculate Conception held that she was free from any movements inclining her to sin. At present, since the definition of the Immaculate Con­ ception, most theologians maintain that the distinction between the binding of concupiscence and its total extinction or removal must be abandoned.8 Although concupiscence is not sin itself, in the words of the Council of Trent it is "from sin and leads to sin,''9 and therefore it has no place in one who is immune from sin from the beginning. The status of this doctrine at present is that the fact of Our Lady's immunity from actual concupiscence is most certain, while her total immunity from concupiscence in actu primo is most com­ monly held. The definition of the Immaculate Conception has been decisive in determining the direction theological thought has taken. In the definition itself Pope Pius IX declared that "the most Blessed Virgin Mary ... was preserved free from all stain of original sin." Some theologians have found the doctrine of im- 7 Valentinus a Westende, O.F.M. Cap., De relationibus inter Immacula­ tam Beatae Mariae Virginis Conce,ptionem et dona Justitiae Originalis, in Vgl 9 (Rome, 1957) 71-89. 8 See G. M. Roschini, O.S.M., Mariologia 2, 2 (2nd ed., Rome, 1948) 103. 'DB 792. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies/vol14/iss1/8 4 Maguire: Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscence "Our Lady's Freedom from Concupiscenc~' 79 munity from concupiscence at least implicitly contained in the term "all stain of original sin."10 Their conclusion is not quite so compelling as it would seem at first glance. Up to two weeks before the actual definition, attempts were made to have immunity from the fomes peccati included in what was defined. In these circumstances the non-inclusion takes on added significance. Since this doctrine was explicitly considered but is not explicitly included, we must presume that the omission is deliberate.
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