The virtue of epicheia. Theory, history and application (II). From the cursus theologicus of the Salmanticenses to the present day

Abstract

The first task of this study is to complete the historical account of the development and applications of the conceptions of the virtue of epicheia. The positions examined are that of the Cursus Theologicus of the Carmelite theologians of Salamanca, that of Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori, and that of the manualists from the end of the 19th century through the first half of the 20th. Then certain present problems are considered, starting from how the classical positions are interpreted. Epicheia is invoked by some in relation to the discussions of the existence of intrinsically evil actions and in relation to the cases of divorced, remarried faithful. The author shows the limits of these approaches, arguing that in the way of conceiving epicheia there has been a theoretical shift which is scientifically quite debatable, and which in any case does not justify the practical applications recently proposed.