Pochodzenie Ducha Świętego u św. Tomasza z Akwinu

Abstract

The procession or the Holy Spirit was one of the most important trinitarian problems in St. Thomas' days. Continuing quarrel between the West and the East about Filioque gives witness to it. At that lime major political problems seemed to be solved and it appeared that reaching an agreement in theology could have brought the Church to unity. Today we know how delusive such hope was. However, people in those times tried to do everything to reach unity and St. Thomas joined in efforts. This article deals not only with Filioque problem in Aquinas' works but also attends at presenting the whole of Thomas' teachings on the procession of the Holy Spirit. In Aquinas’ theory of trinitarian processions, specificity of the Holy Spirit's procession is based on its principium and modus. St. Thomas proved that principium ot the procession is not only Father but Father and Son together. He gives a lot of arguments for Son's being the principium of the Third Person. The modus of this procession is showed as analogical to an act of will in human mind. This act is called „love”, so Aquinas calls the Holy Spirit „Love uniting Father and Son”.