Servais-Théodore Pinckaers

Servais Theodore Pinckaers was born in Liège, Belgium in 1925 and raised in the village of Wonck (now part of the municipality of Bassenge) in Belgium's Walloon region. In 1945 he entered the Dominican Order and pursued his studies in theology at the Belgian Dominican Studium at La Sarte in Huy, obtaining his license in theology (1952) under the direction of Jérôme Hamer, and writing his thesis on Henri de Lubac's Surnaturel. He pursued doctoral studies at the Pontificium Athenaeum Internationale Angelicum, the future Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, attending the classes of such notables as Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Paul Philippe and Mario Luigi Ciappi. His dissertation, written under the direction of Louis-Bertrand Gillon, was a study of the medieval theology of hope, entitled "La vertu d'espérance de Pierre Lombard à saint Thomas" (1954).[4]

Upon completion of his studies, Pinckaers returned to the Dominican Studium at La Sarte to teach moral theology from 1954–1965. (He was at La Sarte when in 1958 one of the friars of the community, Dominique Pire, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his labors on behalf of Europe's many war refugees (displaced persons). It was also at La Sarte that Pinckaers undertook his first efforts to renew the contemporary understanding of moral theology, foreshadowing the Vatican Council's call to renewal by several years. The fruits of these labors, which had been published as articles in various places, were subsequently drawn together in his groundbreaking study, Le renouveau de la morale (1964; Preface by Marie-Dominique Chenu). It was also at La Sarte that he wrote the textual analysis and commentary for Questions 6 through 21 of the Prima Secundae (i.e., Aquinas' treatise on human acts) for the Revue des Jeunes's bilingual edition (Latin and French) of the Summa Theologiae (1961 and 1965). Pinckaers referred to his time at La Sarte, both as a student and later as a professor, as the time when he attained the insights that he would subsequently present and develop in his later work. These central insights for the renewal of moral theology are the primacy of the Word of God, as a living Word that speaks to every generation and which is higher than any merely human word; the foundational importance of the fathers of the Church, especially Augustine; and the lasting value of St. Thomas' method and insights.[5]

After the Studium at La Sarte was closed in 1965, Pinckaers went to the Dominican priory at Liège and engaged in pastoral ministry for the next eight years, years that shaped the pastoral concern expressed in much of his work. In 1975, he was called to fill the French-language chair in fundamental moral theology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, where he taught for the next twenty-five years. As emeritus professor he remained in Fribourg, in residence at the international Dominican priory of St. Albert the Great (the Albertinum), until his death on 7 April 2008 at age eighty-two.[6]

His most well-known work in English is The Sources of Christian Ethics (1995), which has been well received by a varied cross-section of the Church in America and in English-speaking countries.[7] Other works in English include: his introduction to moral thought entitled Morality: the Catholic View (2001; with Preface by Alasdair MacIntyre); The Pinckaers Reader: Renewing Thomistic Moral Theology (2005), a collection of his most significant essays, subsequent to the publication of The Sources of Christian Ethics. Moreover, of special interest are the essay, "The Sources of the Ethics of St. Thomas Aquinas" (in The Ethics of Aquinas, 2002), and his popular presentation of the Christian call to flourishing through the Beatitudes, The Pursuit of Happiness: Living the Beatitudes (1998).

Pinckaers labored to demonstrate a complete vision of Catholic theology. He has argued that the academic departmentalization of theological disciplines risks falsifying the nature of theology. Returning to Aquinas' model and insight by drawing from scriptural, patristic, magisterial and contemporary sources, he argued that an interconnection of philosophical, moral, spiritual, and theological perspectives is needed in order to do justice to Christian agency and the interplay of nature and grace, law and prudence, human and divine interaction in the pursuit of Christian flourishing. With attention turned to fully Christian moral agency, his 25 books and over 300 articles aim either at academic or popular audiences.

His more academic works include a large number of articles (in journals such as Nova et Vetera and Revue Thomiste) and the following books: Ce qu'on ne peut jamais faire. La question des actes intrinsèquement mauvais: Histoire et discussion (1986); L'Evangile et la morale (1991); La morale catholique (1991); and La vie selon l'Esprit: Essai de théologie spirituelle selon saint Paul et saint Thomas d'Aquin (1996). In 2001, he published a new textual analysis and commentary for the first five questions of the Prima Secundae (that is, Aquinas' treatise on happiness) for the second edition of the Revue des Jeunes bilingual edition (Latin and French) of the Summa Theologiae (La béatitude [Ia-IIae, qq. 1–5]).

His more popular works include an even larger number of articles for journals such as Sources and Kerit, as well as the following books: La faim de l'Evangile (1977); La quête du Bonheur (1979); La justice évangélique (1986); La Prière chrétienne (1989). A list of books and a selection of his articles are found below.

After a period of inactivity following a heart attack, Pinckaers published A la découverte de Dieu dans les Confessions (2002), the first of a two volume study of Augustine whose general title is: En promenade avec saint Augustin. The second volume. yet forthcoming in 2015, is on the Trinity. He also published Plaidoyer pour la vertu (2007), which was one of three works to receive an honorable mention as runners up for the Grand prix catholique de littérature for 2007. In the year before his death, Pinckaers prepared several texts for publication, including Passions et vertu (2009).[8]

Pinckaers also served on several Vatican commissions, including the commission that wrote the Catechism of the Catholic Church, contributing to the moral section, and the preparatory commissions for the encyclical Veritatis Splendor.[9] From 1989 to 2005 he was a consultant to the Congregation for Catholic Education. From 1992 until 1997 he was a member of the International Theological Commission.[10]

In 1990, he was named Magister Sacrae Theologiae, the highest academic honor bestowed by the Dominican Order. In 2000, he received an honorary doctorate in "Theology of Marriage and Family" from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.[11]

• 1925: Born in Liège (30 October). Raised in the village of Wonck (now part of Bassenge) in Wallonia, Belgium
• 1945: Entered the Dominican order in Belgium (after having studied one year in the diocesan seminary)
• 1946–1952: Studied philosophy and theology at the Dominican College of Theology at La Sarte, Huy, Belgium
• 1951–1952: Sacred Theology Licentiate (STL) under the direction of Jérôme Hamer. Title: "Le Surnaturel du P. De Lubac"
• 26 March 1951 (Easter Monday): Ordained priest at the Dominican priory, La Sarte
• 1952–1954: Studied for a doctorate in sacred theology at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome
• 1954: Finished his dissertation, directed by Louis-Bertrand Gillon, titled: "La Vertu d'espérance de Pierre Lombard à St. Thomas d'Aquin" (Rome: Angelicum, STD thesis)
• 1954–1965: Professor of Fundamental Moral Theology, Dominican College, La Sarte, Huy
• 1965–1972: Pastoral work (preaching and spiritual direction) at the Dominican priory in Liège
  • Prior of the community from 1966–1972
• 1972–1973: Invited Professor (Professeur extraordinaire) at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology, University of Fribourg
• 1973–1975: Return to pastoral work at the Dominican priory in Liège
• 1975–1997: Professor of fundamental moral theology (French language chair) at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology, University of Fribourg
• 1975: Co-founder of Sources, with Guy Bedouelle, Georges Cottier, and Raphaël Oechslin[6]
• 1983–1990 and 1996–1999: Prior of the Albertinum
• 1989–1991: Dean of the Faculty of Theology, University of Fribourg
• 1989–2005: Consultant to the Congregation for Catholic Education (named by Pope John Paul II in June 1989)
  • Served on the commission that drafted the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992), contributing to the moral section
  • Served on the preparatory commissions for the encyclical Veritatis splendor (1993)
• 1990: Named Magister Sacrae Theologiae, the highest academic honor bestowed by the Dominican Order
• 1990: Festschrift for his 65th birthday, Novitas et Veritas Vitae: Aux sources du renouveau de la morale chrétienne (edited by Carlos-Josaphat Pinto de Oliveira, OP, Fribourg/Paris: Ed. Universitaires/Cerf, 1991)
• 1992–1997: Member of the International Theological Commission, Vatican
• 20 June 1996: Farewell Conference (Leçon d'adieu), University of Fribourg
  • As emeritus professor, he continued to teach at the university until his successor (Jean-Louis Bruguès, OP, later Archbishop, Vatican Archivist, and Librarian), took up the chair in Fall 1997
• 2000: Honorary doctorate in "Theology of Marriage and Family" from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome (in the presence of Cardinal Camillo Ruini, Grand Chancellor of the University and Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State for the Vatican)
• 2005: Colloquium honoring him on his 80th birthday, "Making all Things New in Christ". Festschrift: Renouveler toutes choses en Christ. Vers un renouveau thomiste de la théologie morale. Hommage à Servais Pinckaers, OP (edited by Michael Sherwin, OP, and Craig Steven Titus, Fribourg: Academic Press, 2009)

• "Hommage au Père Servais-Théodore Pinckaers, OP: The Significance of His Work." By Romanus Cessario, OP Nova et Vetera (English Edition) 5 (2007): 1–16.
• "Eulogie pour le P. Servais Pinckaers, o.p." By Michael S. Sherwin, OP Nova et Vetera 84 (2009): pp. 133–136.
• "Fribourg: Décès du dominicain Servais Pinckaers, ancien doyen de la Faculté de théologie," APIC-International Catholic Press Service.
• "In memoriam: Père Théodore-Servais Pinckaers OP," University of Fribourg.
• "Introduction to the Pinckaers Reader" (2005) by John Berkman.
• The Thomist, volume honoring the work of S. Pinckaers 73 (2009).
• Nova et Vetera (English Edition), essays honoring the work of S. Pinckaers (2009, forthcoming).

• Servais Pinckaers, "My Sources", at University of Fribourg
• Complete Bibliography of Servais Pinckaers, at University of Fribourg
• Carlo Leget, "Aquinas, a Revolutionary in Morality?" Newspage (2000), Thomas Instituut te Utrecht
• Pinckaers Colloquium, Program of "Making all Things New in Christ" (PDF)
• Pinckaers publications on WorldCat
• Chair of Fundamental Moral Theology, University of Fribourg
• Website of the University of Fribourg
• Website of the Order of Preachers