15 NOVEMBER: SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
The teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Albrecht von Bollstädt, better known as Albert the Great, was a Bishop, a philosopher, a theologian, a naturalist, a chemist and the teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He was highly educated, especially in natural sciences, and wrote a Summa Theologiae that became the model for Aquinas’ own celebrated, Summa Theologiae.
Albert was born in Lauingen an der Donau (Bavaria) in the early 13th century, to a local noble family. When he was 16 years old, he was sent to study in Bologna. He continued his studies in Venice and Padua, where he studied liberal arts and medicine. In 1223, he joined the Dominican Order in Padua. He also studied theology in Paris and Cologne, where he began to teach. His early writings were commentaries on the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. He was exceptionally intelligent and taught, not only theology and philosophy, but also the observation of natural phenomena. During his stay in Paris, he furthered his studies on Aristotle, which influenced his later writings, He wanted to make the Greek philosopher’s ideas accessible to the Latin culture and to link it with Catholicism. He was referred to as “Great”, even while he was still living.
In 1248, he founded an Institute of higher learning in theology (Studium generale) for Dominicans in Cologne, where he served as Regent of studies, until 1254. He taught in several European universities, inspiring the enthusiastic participation of his students. During the time he spent in Paris (three years) and in Cologne (four years until 1252), Thomas Aquinas was among his students. He was deeply impressed by Thomas’ extraordinary intellectual capabilities.
During the General Chapter of the Order of Dominicans in Valenciennes in 1250, Albert and Thomas collaborated in drafting a program of studies and a system of merits within the Order.
Although he wanted to continue to teach and dedicate his time to scientific research, in 1254, he was elected Provincial of the Dominicans in Germany, which had some 50 convents.
During his time as Provincial, he travelled to Anagni in 1256 to defend the rights of medicant orders. On that occasion, Alexander IV was so impressed with Albert that he offered him a Chair at the Pontifical University.
In 1260, when Alexander IV appointed him Bishop of Ratisbon, Albert returned to his homeland. He entered the Diocese, but remained an intellectual, despite the time he devoted to pastoral activities and to the administration of the curia. He retired after three years, preferring to continue his work as professor and researcher. He was deeply affected by the death of his favourite pupil, Thomas Aquinas, in 1274, expressing his sorrow with the words, “the light of the Church has been extinguished”.
In 1277, when Thomas Aquinas’ philosophy came under attack in a condemnation of Aristotle’s philosophy, Albert, who was by then an elderly man, went to the French capital to defend him.
He died in Cologne on 15 November 1280. Pius XI canonized him on 16 December 1931 and proclaimed him Doctor of the Church. In 1941, Pius XII proclaimed him Patron of Students of the Natural Sciences.