The Angelic Doctor, by Paul Brock 

By Paul Brock, Church Militant,  June 28, 2021

Profiling St. Thomas Aquinas

Born in Italy in 1225, Thomas Aquinas grew up in the province of Frosinone in the town of Roccasecca.

He was the youngest boy in a large wealthy family. His parents, Landulf and Theodora, held the high rank of count and countess of Aquino.

Thomas’ uncle was abbot of Monte Cassino — the oldest Benedictine monastery, and although his brothers pursued military careers, Thomas was expected by his family (for their own advantage) to follow his uncle’s footsteps into religious life as an abbot.

As a young man Thomas was sent to the University of Naples, and that’s where he first encountered the philosophical works of Aristotle — the student of Plato (who was the student of Socrates). Aristotle’s teachings played a huge role in shaping the young mind of Aquinas because his ideas deepened his understanding of the natural world. …

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