Dist. 45, Art. 2, Q. 1
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/4/d/45/q/bon-sent-IV-d45-a2-q1
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### Article II. *On the suffrages which the souls of the dead receive from the living.*

Consequently, as to the second article, inquiry is made concerning the suffrages which the souls of the dead receive from the living. And concerning this three things are asked.

*First* it is asked whether suffrages profit the dead who are moderately good.

*Second*, whether suffrages made by the wicked profit the dead.

*Third*, how much suffrages profit; and since not equally to all, it is asked to whom more: either to him who merited more, or to him for whom they are specially made.

### Question I. *Whether suffrages profit the dead who are moderately good.*

As to the first, then, one proceeds thus, and it is shown that they do not profit the moderately good.

1. The suffrages of the Church ought to benefit the more worthy; but they do not profit the good who are in paradise: therefore etc. *If you say* that they do not need them, and that therefore the case is not alike; *on the contrary*: in this life sinners do need them, and yet it is necessary that they themselves do penance, and not others for them.

2. Likewise, to him who is not in the state of meriting, nor can be, another's suffrage profits nothing, as is plain if someone be irrevocably a fool; but such are the dead: therefore etc. *If you say* that they previously merited that these should profit them in that state; *on the contrary*: whatever they merited, it is necessary that they merited it, and what it is necessary that they merited, it is necessary should be rewarded: therefore even if suffrages should never be made, they will be rewarded: therefore these profit them nothing.

3. Likewise, the punishment of purgatory is measured according to the quantity of what is combustible: therefore, since suffrages do not diminish anything of the fault, therefore neither anything of the punishment. — That they do not diminish anything of the fault is plain, because God alone has effect upon the soul. *If you say* that they have an effect upon the soul by way of merit, and that God diminishes it by the merit of the suffrages; *on the contrary*: even if God blots out the stain of the fault by Himself, yet the guilt He blots out by punishment; but it is agreed that in them, as regards the guilt, the fault must be blotted out: therefore by the punishment of purgatory; but He would do this nonetheless without suffrages: therefore etc.

4. Likewise, this is shown by a reduction to the impossible, since, if it blots out a part, therefore it is possible that it blot out the whole, and so that man will remain unpunished.

**On the contrary:**

1. By the authority of sacred Scripture, in the twelfth chapter of Second Maccabees: *It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins.*

2. Likewise, Augustine, *On the Care to Be Had for the Dead*: « The benefits and sacrifices which are offered for those who are not very evil are propitiations »: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, this is shown by the authority and usage of the Church, which prays for the dead: if therefore the Church is not deceived, it is plain that suffrages avail.

3. Likewise, it seems so *by reason*: because the punishment of purgatory is terminable, therefore also diminishable; but if prayer be made for one who can grow in grace, it avails for the increasing of grace: therefore by parity of reasoning, if it be made for one whose punishment can be diminished, it avails for the diminishing of the punishment.

4. Likewise, as the prayers of the dead Saints stand toward the living, so those of the living toward the dead; but the dead Saints obtain good things for us and help us: therefore also the living help the dead.

### Conclusion

> *Suffrages profit the dead who are moderately good.*

**I respond:** It must be said that, since in every work of the Lord there is *mercy and truth*, there are two things which make the suffrages of the Church avail, namely *worthiness* and *need*. For *justice* considers *worthiness*; and they are worthy to be helped by the other members of the Church who have departed in charity, especially if they themselves helped others. But *mercy* considers *need*; and this indeed is great in those who are in purgatory, because they are gravely punished and cannot help themselves.

**To the arguments for the negative side:**

*Ad 1.* From this the answer to the first is plain, because suffrages do not avail thus for the *comprehensors*, namely because they do not need them, and not thus for *wayfarers*, because they can still help themselves.

*Ad 2.* To that which is objected, that they are not in the state of meriting; it must be said that although they are not in the state of *meriting*, they are nevertheless in the state of *paying*; for they pay what they owe: and therefore, even if they cannot be helped in *merit*, they can nevertheless be helped in *payment*; but the state of *paying* is not always together with the state of *merit*, but presupposes it, namely that he first merited that in such a state he might be able to pay and be helped. — As to what he objects, that if he merited, it is necessary that he merited; it must be said that this is true of *absolute* merit, but that merit was *conditional*.

*Ad 3.* To that which is objected, "according to the quantity of what is combustible" etc., it must be said that the quantity of the punishment does not regard the *stain*, but the *guilt*; and the obligation to punishment is diminished by the payment of the punishment made either by the man himself or by another.

*Ad 4.* To that which says that the whole would be paid, and so etc.; it must be said that this is true, if there were suffrages enough; but suffrages do not take away from the punishment nor free from it, except while they are being made; and at that time the man is punished, and others for him: therefore he does not remain unpunished. Nevertheless, if they should superabound, then it would be possible that the whole be remitted; nor yet would the sin remain unpunished, because, although it be not punished in him, it is nevertheless punished in another way in others, as was said above concerning baptism; this, however, scarcely or never happens.