Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas

  • Submitted By: Afruz
  • Date Submitted: 06/04/2013 10:33 AM
  • Category: Biographies
  • Words: 343
  • Page: 2
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Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas was born in Lombardy, Italy, about 1225. Saint Thomas Aquinas was one of the Church's greatest philosophers and theologians. He wrote a large number of books dealing with subjects such as the nature of God and the purpose of human life. He was one of nine children. His parents were wealthy and the family lived in a castle. Thomas' older brother was destined to inherit the family home and the farmland surrounding it. Therefore, his father decided that Thomas should join the church and become an abbot. At only five years of age, Thomas began his education in the Benedictine abbey at Monte Cassino. He received his education from the monastery's Benedictine monks. In 1239, St. Thomas Aquinas began attending the University of Naples. In 1243 he joined an order of Dominican monks. When his family found out that he joined the Dominican order, they decided to kidnap him. St. Thomas Aquinas' family held him in a prison for a full year, imprisoned in the fortress of San Giovanni at Rocca Secca. During this time they attempted to deprogram St. Thomas Aquinas of his new beliefs and religion. St. Thomas Aquinas, however, went back to the Dominican order following his release in 1245. From 1245 to 1252, he continued his studies with the Dominicans in Naples, Paris and Cologne. In 1250 he was ordained in Cologne, Germany, and then returned to the University of Paris. By 1256, Thomas had completed his master's degree in theology. He had also earned a great deal of respect among other members of the Dominican order for his detailed examinations of religious texts. As a well-regarded intellectual, Thomas spent his time writing, preaching and debating various religious arguments. He became a famous figure across Europe. By the age of 45, Thomas Aquinas had become a valued servant to the Pope himself. However, he became ill while traveling to an important meeting called the Second Council of Lyon. He was nursed by monks for...

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