Question LIII. Whether the blessed Virgin had penitence?

Latin (Borgnet)English

p. 99

QUAESTIO LIII. Utrum B. Virgo habuerit poenitentiam?

Est adhuc virtutis alia species quae ad justitiam potest reduci, scilicet poenitentia. Quod sit virtus, patet per Glossam super illud: Poenitentiam agite ¹. Prima virtus est per poenitentiam veterem hominem perimere, etc. Item, Virtus poenitentiae timore concipitur. Quod autem poenitentia sit species justitiae, patet: quia omnes tenentur veterem hominem perimere, et omnes peccatores poenitere.

Quod autem actus poenitentiae fuerit excellentius in beatissima Virgine omnibus viatoribus, patet ex hoc quod:

1. In omnibus aliis actus poenitentiae requirit peccatum in esse vel fuisse: in beatissima autem Virgine fuerunt actus poenitentiae sine praesentia vel praecessione culpae.

2. Item, Cum nulla virtus quantum ad habitum cesset in patria, habitus poenitentiae erit in patria: et habitus patriae perfectiores habent actus quam habitus viae: ergo poenitentia erit in patria, et habebit perfectiorem actum quam habeat in via: ille autem est detestatio peccati sive nolle peccare: ergo cum beatissima Virgo habeat actum poenitentiae, non secundum actum viae, habebit ipsum secundum actum patriae: ergo habuit actum poenitentiae excellentius aliis creaturis viae ².

QUESTION LIII. Whether the blessed Virgin had penitence?

There is still another species of virtue that can be reduced to justice, namely penitence. That it is a virtue is clear through the Gloss on that saying: Do penance ¹. The first virtue is to destroy the old man through penitence, and so forth. Likewise: The virtue of penitence is conceived by fear. But that penitence is a species of justice is clear, because all are bound to destroy the old man, and all sinners are bound to repent.

But that the act of penitence was in the most blessed Virgin more excellently than in all wayfarers is clear from this:

1. In all others, the act of penitence requires sin as existing or as having existed. But in the most blessed Virgin there were acts of penitence without the presence or precedence of fault.

2. Likewise, since no virtue ceases as to habit in the homeland, the habit of penitence will be in the homeland; and the habits of the homeland have more perfect acts than the habits of the way. Therefore penitence will be in the homeland, and will have a more perfect act than it has on the way. But that act is detestation of sin or not willing to sin. Therefore, since the most blessed Virgin has the act of penitence, not according to the act of the way, she will have it according to the act of the homeland. Therefore she had the act of penitence more excellently than the other creatures of the way ².

Notes

Matthew 3:2. (Matth. III, 2.) ↩
For the solution of the objections, see below after Question LXI. (Pro solutione objectionum, vide infra post Quaest. LXI.) ↩