Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church Triumphant, Book III: On Churches, Vows, Pilgrimages and Feasts
Chapter 9: On the Vows Which Are Made to the Saints
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Ecclesia quae Triumphat in Coelis, the fourth general controversy. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
Erasmus, in the colloquy which is entitled The Shipwreck, laughs in a wonderful way at the vows which are made to the saints. And of all the heretics there can be no doubt that they hold us for idolaters because of those vows which are made again and again to the saints. And the reason can be that a vow is an act of religion owed to God alone, as are also an oath and sacrifice; as is plain from the divine letters, where vows are always said to be made to God: Numbers 30, Deuteronomy 23, again and again in the Psalms, and especially Isaias 19, where we read: “And they shall worship him with sacrifices and offerings: and they shall make vows to the Lord, and perform them.”
Yet that vows can in some way be made to the saints is most certain. And it is proved by the testimonies of the ancient Fathers. Eusebius, book 13 of the Preparation for the Gospel, chapter 7, speaking of the martyrs in the name of all Christians: “We,” he says, “honouring the soldiers of true piety as friends of God, go to their monuments, and make vows to them as to holy men, by whose intercession with God we profess to be helped not a little.” Theodoret, book 8 to the Greeks, where he had said that various things are asked of the martyrs, adds: “That those who pray godly and faithfully obtain most of all the things they desire, those things testify which they pay who are bound by vows; for some hang up likenesses of eyes, others of feet, others of hands, made of silver or gold,” and so on. Palladius, in the Lausiac History, chapter 113, writes that St. Philoromus, from a vow made to the apostles, came to Rome to the thresholds of the apostles, and then to Alexandria to St. Mark.
Prudentius, in the hymn on Saints Emeterius and Chelidonius:
The sands washed with the holy blood
the dwellers now throng,
honouring them with voice, with vows, with gifts.
Paulinus, in the first birthday poem, on St. Felix:
Now let it be allowed to celebrate the day, to pay my godly vows before you, and so on.
And in the second birthday poem:
Before you he dedicated his vows to you, before you my heart.
And in the fourth:
Yearly vows come back to me, together with the tongue's due soul… [the line is damaged in the scan].
Gregory of Tours, book 2 of the History of the Franks, chapter 37, mentions the vow which the servants of King Clovis made in his name to St. Martin: “Giving thanks to the Lord,” he says, “and promising vows to the blessed confessor, they joyfully told the king,” and so on.
There is added the testimony of the adversaries. For Faustus, in Augustine, book 20 against Faustus, chapter [4?]: “You have turned the idols into martyrs,” he says, “whom you honour with like vows.” From which testimony of Faustus we learn that it was most usual in the early Church that vows should be made to the martyrs.
To the argument which we ourselves set out, blessed Thomas, second part of the second part, question 88, article 5, answers that the vows which are made to the saints or to prelates include two promises: one which is made to the saints, and that is not formally a vow but the matter of a vow; the other which is made to God, and that is formally a vow. As when someone says, “I vow to blessed Mary to go on pilgrimage to her house,” he promises the Virgin this pilgrimage, but this promise is not a vow; and at the same time he promises God that he will fulfil the promise made to the Virgin, and this second promise is truly a vow. But these things hold rightly in vows which include a promise made to a mortal man. For he who vows obedience to a prelate in truth makes a vow not to the prelate but to God, although he promises obedience to the prelate himself; for by that vow he means to honour and serve not the prelate but God. Likewise he who vows to serve for ever in a hospital makes a vow to God, not to the hospital, although he makes it for the use and benefit of the hospital. But he who vows a fast or a pilgrimage to the saints means to honour the saints themselves religiously. And besides, Cajetan on that article of blessed Thomas proves from the very profession of the Friars Preachers that vows are truly made to the saints. For when they profess, they say: “I vow to God, and to blessed Mary, and to all the saints, that I will obey such and such a prelate”; where of the two promises one is directed to the prelate, and that is the matter of the vow; the other, which is formally the vow, to God and the saints together. Cajetan therefore brings another answer, and says that vows are made to the saints, not as they are certain creatures sharing in reason, but as God dwells in them by glory; so that the vows which are said to be made to the saints are made to God in the saints; as curses against the saints are called blasphemies, because God is cursed in the saints.
But someone will perhaps object: Either the vows which are made to God in the saints end in God alone, as sacrifice is offered to God alone, though in the memory and honour of the saints; or they end also in the saints themselves, so that in truth vows are made to them, as alms which are given to Christ in the poor man are truly given to the poor man himself. If the first is taken, then vows are not truly made to the saints. If the second, then we seem to be idolaters.
I answer that vows are made to the saints in the second way, and yet we are not idolaters; for a vow is not made to the saints and to God by the same reason, and only the vow which is made to God is a cult of latria. For it is to be observed that all agree that something is truly and properly promised to the saints, as something is truly and properly promised to God; for blessed Thomas grants this, and it is plain of itself. For if it is lawful to build tombs and basilicas to the saints, to adorn their relics, to light candles before them, as has been shown above, why is it not lawful to promise these things to them?
Again, all Catholics agree that a gift is promised to God in one way and to the saints in another. For to God it is promised as a sign of gratitude toward the first beginning of all goods, and in acknowledgement of a benefit received from him as the first author; and so that promise is a cult of latria. But to the saints something is promised as a sign of gratitude toward the mediators and intercessors through whom we have received benefits from God; and so that promise is not a cult of latria, but of dulia.
The only doubt seems to be whether this promise made to the saints can be called a vow; that is, whether vow is a general name, which is said analogically of the promise made to God and to the saints, as the names of prayer and of cult stand; or whether it is a special name, which is said only of the promise made to God, as sacrifice is not said except of the gift which is offered to God. And although a controversy about a word, when the thing is certain, ought not to trouble us, yet I think that according to the use of the Church the name of vow is general. For no one would dare to say, “I sacrifice to God and to blessed Mary,” or even absolutely, “I sacrifice to blessed Mary”; and yet we say, “I vow to God and to blessed Mary,” and even simply, “I vow to blessed Mary.”
Besides, the name of vow is so joined with the name of prayer that in Greek a vow is called euchē and prayer proseuchē, as Gregory of Nyssa notes, oration 1 on the Lord's Prayer; and in Latin vow is very often taken for prayer. And the reason is, as Nyssen teaches in the same place, that vows are ordered to prayer; for when we wish to obtain something, we are wont first to win over with vows him from whom we wish to ask, then to ask what we wish. Hence that of Aeneid 6: “Aeneas, do you delay in vows and prayers?” As then the name of prayer is said not only of that petition by which we ask benefits from God, and which is an act of latria, but also of that by which we ask the saints to help our prayer which we pour out to God; so too the name of vow will fit not only the promise which is made to God, and which is an act of latria, but also the promise which is made to the saints, and which is not an act of latria. Nor is it against this that in the Scriptures the name of vow is always taken for a promise made to God; for when the holy Scriptures were written, the use of making vows to the saints had not yet begun.
But you will object: If a promise made to the dead saints can be called a vow, why not also a promise made to saints still living with us?
I answer, first: because a promise made to the saints reigning with Christ is more like the promise which is made to God than is a promise made to a mortal man. For as what we promise to God is not useful to him but to us, and is made only as a sign of honour and gratitude, so too what we promise to the saints reigning in heaven is not useful to them but to us; for they do not need our things, since they are blessed; and we promise and offer these things to them only as a sign of memory, honour and gratitude. But the things we promise to men living here are useful to them, or at least can be, since they need many things.
Second: because a vow does not befit the saints except inasmuch as they are gods by participation; and the saints reigning with Christ we know for certain to be such; of the living we do not know it for certain, but only suspect it.
Third: because the saints in heaven are already in fact blessed and glorious and sons of God, not only by a certain participation, because they are confirmed in that state and cannot fall from it. But the saints who live with us are saints in a way that they can fall away, and are blessed and glorious more in hope than in fact. Rightly, then, when things are promised to mortals, they are not called vows; but they are called so if they are promised to blessed men dwelling in heaven.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAIM T l.\.
/'(.' volin (}uac nuncuiianliir aanclin.
Kriismns iii colloi|iiio, (piod iiiscrihilnr .N.iiifra-
^Miiiii, iniro niodo irrid(;l votii, (|ii.ic SiiiictJH iiiiiicii-
pantiir. I>c iKiirc.ticis initcm oiiiiiihns iinllii (;s.S);
polcst diihiliilio, (piiii nos pro idolol.ili is hiihcint
oh c;i vol;i (piiic |);issim siinctis iiiiiiciipiimii-^^^it ra-
lio (;ss(; potcsl, ipiiii voliini csl aclus r(;li^Moni.s so-
li l)o() dchilns (pndis osl ('liiiin jiir.irnciiinm ct Sii-
(-rilicimii, iil piilct c\ diviiiis lilcns, uhi piM|i'-tiio
vota dicuntnr licri Deo. Numor. '.SQ. Dnutcr. 2IJ. iii
psiilmis p.issim, ct priiccipin; Isiiiiii; !•>. uhi lcgi-
iiiiis: C.itlcnl ciiiii iii lioslis, cl viunc.rihus, el volii
vuvcbuiU Doniino, ot solvcnl.
Vcnitiiliiiiicii, possc aliquo modo sanctis vola
nnncu|)iiri.ccrlissinmm osl. Kl prohiitiir teslimoiii-
is antKpioiimi ri.lrtiiii. Kusi-huis lih. \'.\. priicp;i-
ratione cviiiigolica oap. 1. loqucns de marlyrihiis,
nomino omniuni riirisliiinoriiin: .\os. inqiiit.rora';
piclalis inililcs, ul Dciainicos lionoranlcs adnio-
nunicnla iUoruin acccdimus, volaque iltis faci-
mus lainquain viris sanclis, qiioruin inlcrcessio-
nc ail Ucuin non paruinjiivari prolilcniur. Tlie-
odorolus lih. S. ad Graccos, nhi dixorat varia ii
marlyrihiis peti, subdit: Pte, inqiiit, fidclilo.r^iuc
prccdios. oa maxinic cont^cqui (luao dcsidi-ranl,
lcslanlur Hla. quac volorinn rci persolvunl;n(un
alii quidcin oculorum, alii voro po.dumMlii ma-
nuun: siinulacra suspnndunl cx ar(jmlo.aurove
confccla clc. INiIIiidius iii liislor. Lausiaca cap.
11.^. sorihit. sancUim IMiiloromum c\ voto aposlo-
lis iiiuiciipalo veiiisse Komam ad limina aposlolo-
runi. et deimlc Alcxiindriam ad s. Marcum.
J'rudentius in hymno dc ss.Hemelerium et Clie-
lidonio:
Jllilns cruorc sanclo
i\unc arc.nds incolae
Coufreciuenlani obiiervanles
focc, volis, xnunere.
Paulinus natali 1. de s. Felice :
nunc liceat celebrare dicm, pia redilere corain fo-
ta etc.
Et nalali 2.
Coraiu vola tibi, coram mea corda dicavit.
Et nalali 4.
Jnnva vola viihi remeanl, siiind aniiiia lingiiae Debi-
bita elc.
Gregorius Turonicus lib. 2. hisl. Francorura c.
37. mcminit voli, quod nomine Clodovei regis s.
Marlino feceruut minislri ejus: Domino, inquit,
S40
DF, CLLTl SANCTOnUM
rjralias aijenles, pA vota bealo confessori promil-
tenles lacli nunciaverunl regi etc.
Act'C(l;il ;i(lvcrs;irioriini lcslimoiiiiim: nam Fau-
slus apiui Aiiiiusliiiuni lib. 20. conlra Fauslum c.
3. Idota, iiiquit, vcrtistisin martyres, quos volis
similihns colilis. Ex qiio Fausli lcsliniouio disci-
inus. usilatissiinuin iu priuiiliva Ecclesia fuissc,ut
inartiriinis vola liercnt.
Ad arijniniMiluin anlcm quod nos ipsi proposui-
mus. rcspondell). Tliomas in 2. 2. quaest. 88.
arL 5. vola quac liunl sanclis, vel praelatis, inclu-
dere duas promissioncs: unam quae fil sauclis, el
illam non cssc rormaliler volum. scd maleriam vo-
li: allerain quae fil Deo. cl illani esse formaliler
volum: ul cum quis dicil: Yoveob. Mariae me ad
cjus (lomuin percgrinalurum:promillil Virgini banc
peregrinalionem, sed baec iiromissio nou esl vo-
lum: cl simnl promillil Deo. se iinplelurum pro-
inissionem Yirgiui faclam.el bacc secnnda proinis-
sio vcre esl votum..\lista rccle se babenl in volis,
quae inclndunl promissionem bomini morlali fa-
clam; nam qui vovel obedienliam praclalo revera
volum non praelalo, sed Deo facil, liccl ipsi prae-
lalo obedienliani promillal, non enim illo volo
praclalum, sed Deum colere et bonorare intendil;
siiniliter qni vovet perpeluo ministrare inXenodo-
cbio, Deo facil volum, non Xenodocliio. lametsi in
ulililalem el commodum Xenodochii faciat. Al qui
vovct jejunium vcl peregrinalionem sanclis, ipsos
sanclos religiose honorare intcndit. Kt practcrea
Cajetanus in eum articulum b. Tbom. probat ex
ipsa professione fratrum praedicalorum, vola vcre
(ieri sanclis: Nam dura profilentur, dicunl: Voveo
Deo, et b. Mariae, et omnibus sanctis, nie prae-
lato tali vel tali obediturim, ubi ex duabus pro-
inissionibus una dirigitur ad praelatum, et illa est
malcria voti: altera quae esl formaliler votum ad
Deum. ct sanctos simnl. Cajetanus igilur adfert a-
iiarn solulionem. ac dicil vola fieri sanctis, non ut
snnt crealurae quaedam ralionis participes, sed nt
in eis Dcus babilnt pcr gloriam , ila ul vola , quae
fieri dicuntur sanclis, fianl Deo in sanclis: quomo-
do maledicla in sanclos dicuntur b]aspbeniiae,quia
Deus in sanclis maledicilur.
Sed objiciel fortassis aliquis.Aut vola,quae fiunt
Deo in sanctis, terminanlur ad solum Deum , quo-
modo sacriiicium soli Deo offerlur, licet in memo-
riam et honorera sanclorum: aut lerminanluretiam
ad ipsos sanclos, ita ut rcvcra ipsis vola fiant.quo-
modo elcemosyna, quae dalur Cbrislo in paupcre,
vere d:itur ipsi pnuperi : si primum accipiatur. er-
go non vcre fiunt vota sanctis. Si secundum, ergo
idololalrae vidcmur.
Respondco: Secundo modo fieri vota sanctis.nec
lamcn nos csse idololalras;nam non eadem ralione
lil volum sanclis. et Deo: et solum volum quod fit
Dco,cst cuilus lalriac.AnimadverltMidum est enim,
inler omnes convcnire vcre el propric siinclis ali-
(|uid promilli; sicut vcre et proprie aliquid promit-
litur Dco: id enim el b. Tliomas concedil, el per sc
palel: nain si licetsanclis aedificare sopulcbra, ct
basilicas,ornare eorum reliquias, accenderc coram
eis cereos. iil supra oslcnsum csl, cur non liccnt
cis isla prcmillcre?
Rursnm, inler omnes cailiolicos convcuil alilcr
promilti mumis Dco, aliler sanclis; Nam Deo pro-
millilur in signum gralitudinis crga primum prin-
cii)ium omnium bonorum, cl iu r(^ognilionem be-
neficii ab ipso, tamquam a primo au(;torc accepli ,
ct |)roinde illa promissio esl cultus lalriae: al san-
ctis promittiliir aliquid in signum gralitudinis erga
mcilialores el inlercessores, per quos a Dco bene-
ficia aitcepimus; el proinde illa promissio non est
cultus latriae, sed duliac.
Solum videlur dubium esse, an isla promissio
facla sanctis possit diei volum, idesl, an volum sil
nonicn gcneralc.quod dicalur analogice de promis-
sione facla Deo cl sanctis, quomodo nomcii oralio-
nis, et nomen cullus sc babenl: an vero sit nomen
specialc, quod solum dicalur de promissione Deo
facta,sicut sacrificium non dicitur nisi de munere,
quod offertur Deo. Elsi aulem conlroversia voca-
buli. cum de re conslal. nos torquerc non dcbet ;
exislimo lamen sccundum nsurn Ecclesiae nomcn
voli csse generale: nam nullus diccre auderel, sa-
crifico Deo el b. Mariae; vel eliam absolule, sacri-
co b.Mariae; cl tamen dicimus, voveo Deo elb.Ma-
riae; et eliam simpliciler, vovco b. Mariac.
Praelerca nomen voti ita esl conjunctum cum
nomine oralionis, ut graecc dicalur votum su/yj ,
oralio vero T.pOGz^jyTj, ul notat Gregorius nysseiius
or, 1. in orationem dominicam; Latine aulem sae-
pissime accipitur volum pro oratione. Et ralio est,
quia ut ibidem docet Nysscnus, vola ordinantur ad
oralionem; solcmus enim cum impelrare aliquid
volumus, prius volis conciliare eum , a quo volu-
mus pctere, deindc petere id, quod volumus. Undo
est illud G.Aeneidos: Aenea cessasinvota^prcces-
que? Sicut ergo oralionis nomen non soluin dici-
tur de illa pelilionc, qua a Deo poslulamus benefi-
cia, quaeque esl actus latriae; sed etiam de illa ,
qua posiulamus a sanctis , ut nostram orationem
juvent. quamfundimus ad Deum: ita etiara voli no-
mcn non soium convcnict promissioni, quae fit
Deo,quaequc csl actus lalriac.sed proraissioni,quae
fil sanclis, el quae non est actus latriae. Neque bis
repugnat,quod in Scripturisnomen voti semper ac-
cipialur pro promissione facla Deo; nam cum scri-
bercnlur Scriplurae sanctae , nondura coeperal u-
sus vovcndi sanclis.
Scd objicics: Si promissio facta sanctis mortuis
potest dici volum; cur non etiam promissio facla
sanctis adbuc viventibus nobiscura?
Respondeo primo : Quia promissio facla sanclis
cum Chrislo regnanlibus, est sirailior promissioni
quaefitDeo, quara fit promissio homini raortali.
Nam quemadmodum id,quod promiltiraus Dco,non
cst ilii ulile, sed nobis, el solum sitin signum ho-
noris et graliludinis ; ita eliara quod proraiUimus
sanclis in coelo regnantibus , uon esl illis utile ,
sed nobis; neque enim ilii noslris rebus indigenl ,
cum sintbeati et solum ista illis promittimus et
olTcrimus in signuin memoriac, honoris cl gralitu-
dinis. At quae hominibus hic vivenlibus promitti-
mus, illis ulilia suiit, vel certe esse possunl , cuni
ipsi mullis rcbus egeant.
Sccundo: Quia volura non convenil sanclis, nisi
qualenus sunl Dii pcr parlicipalioncm; at sanclos,
umi ir:iiiiu.s
141
(Miiii C.lirlslo rt';:ii;iiil('s icrld sciiiiiH ch^o IjiIos; dc
MVfiihliiis iiiiliiM'11111 iKin sciiiiiis rfrio, himI Miispi-
catiiur liiiiliiiii.
'rcrlid: (.liiiii s;iiicli iii cmli) |,iiii ■ uiil rci|)sii Itc-
iili ct t;l(irinsi, i'l lilii hci, iic |)ii i|iiiil,iiii pcr |iiir-
lii'i|)a(iiiiiciii, (|iiiii siiiil 1'iiiillriiiiili iti illn siiilii, i)i<-
(|iic cxciilcrt^ |i(tssiiiit. At s.iiicli. (|ui MMiiil itdlfs
ciltii, iiioilii siiiil saiicti, iilinlo iliiii stiilt. cl iiia;{is
III S|)(\ <]iiain in vii sniil liciiti t'l ^loiidsi. Kcclc
i^iliir (idiit) iiidrtaliliiis |irdiiiilliiiiliir. iidii (liciinliir
vdl,r. (lictintiir atilcin, si licalis lidininilnis iii cdclo
(lc^ciililtns |)rdiniltaiitnr.