Thomas Aquinas

c. 1225–1274 · Italian Dominican friar, theologian & philosopher · Doctor of the Church

Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225–1274) was an Italian Dominican friar whose synthesis of Aristotelian philosophy and Christian theology — above all the Summa Theologiae — became foundational for Western thought. In the last year of his life he preached a set of plain-language Lenten catechetical conferences at Naples on the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary and the Ten Commandments; this line opens the program for those sermons. He was canonized in 1323 and named a Doctor of the Church.

Traced to source

2 quotes we’ve traced to Thomas Aquinas

“Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do”

Verified

“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship”

Disputed

Not actually Thomas Aquinas

Often misattributed to Thomas Aquinas

Famous lines widely pinned on Thomas Aquinas that we’ve traced to someone else.

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible”

actually Anonymous (popularized by ‘The Song of Bernadette,’ 1943)

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