Saint Bonaventure and our Natural Obligation to Confess the Truth

SAINT BONAVENTURE AND OUR NATURAL OBLIGATION TO CONFESS THE TRUTH To evaluate St. Bonaventure's doctrine correctly, it is necessary to see him first and foremost as a theologian. He is a philosopher inasmuch as he proceeds by way of philosophy in taking certain theological positions. Consequently, to understand his philosophical positions, we must first see their theological setting, and then consider them on their own ground as properly philosophical developments. Such is the situation with regard to our natural obligation to tell the truth. St. Bonaventure sets down his principles on this problem within the context of the sacrament of penance, or confession, which binds the Christian to tell the truth about his sins. Handling the necessity for confession, Bonaventure takes the position that the sacrament was instituted under natural law, which obligates all men to confess their sins vocally and with humility to God. Forbidding concealment of sins, natural law dictates that they be confessed mentally and orally, with sorrow and amendment, for the praise and glory of God. As an obligation of natural law, therefore, confession of sins is a work of the virtue of truth. Now, by mental confession, Bonaventure means recognition of sin and of offence. This sort of confession is dictated specifically by natural law according as it makes offence known to the human mind. Knowledge of offence against man, who is a rational creature, is dictated essentially by natural law. Knowledge of offence against God is dictated by natural law with the aid of Christian faith. When a man knows by faith, for example, that he has offended God by a lie, natural law dictates specifically that the man ought to seek with humility the mercy of God. It is a necessary dictate of natural law, then, regarding mental confession, that every man must in his heart always acknowledge his offences. Bonaventure sees natural law dictating vocal confession only in a general way. Vocal confession to God is dictated by way of expedience and in certain circumstances, for instance, when God commanded it from Adam and from Cain (Gn 3:9-13; 4:9-15). Vocal confession to another man is dictated by natural law Bonaventure and our Natural Obligation to Confess Truth195 in a universal manner. If a man offends a friend, however, human nature and right reason dictate that the man confess his offence and be reconciled with his friend. Natural law dictates, moreover, that we must be reconciled to God by every means that He has decreed. Consequently, it is a general and universal dictate of natural law that faults must be revealed and the truth must be told to the arbiter , or confessor, that God has constituted between Himself and the sinner. Thus, as a Christian sacrament, confession has its origin from natural law and divine institution. Although truth does not dictate that hidden sins be told to another man, even so, when the natural virtue of truth is added to the divine institution, the virtue of obedience commands such a confession, whose act is directed and regulated by truth.1 Two distinct points can be drawn from Bonaventure's view of the need for confession: (1) the Christian sacrament is governed by natural law and by evangelic law, or the law of the Gospel; (2) working through the virtue of truth, natural law has many dictates and obligations regarding confession of offences. The Christian sacrament relies on natural law and evangelic law in three respects. The first looks to offences against God as they are made known by Christian faith. The second looks to reconciliation with God by atoning for such offences. Obligating the Christian to tell the truth about his sins, these two aspects of the sacrament demand mental confession to God and vocal confession to a man representing God. The third aspect has to do with the natural virtue of truth, which controls the act of Christian confession. Taken apart from Christian confession, natural law has three kinds of dictates or obligations. It dictates essentially what constitutes an offence against man, who is a rational 1 IV Sent-, q 17, p. 2, a. 1, q. 1 (IV, 435-37; IV, 416-19). The view of truth...