FIDELIS
69
FIDELIS
553-570). In his two Encyclicals, one of September,
1832, and the other of July, 1834, Gregory XVI con-
demned the political and philosophical ideas of Lamen-
nais. On 8 September, 1S40, Bautain was required to
subscribe to several propositions directly opposed to
Fideism, the first and the fifth of which read as fol-
lows: "Human reason is able to prove with certitude
the existence of God; faith, a heavenly gift, is posterior
to revelation, and therefore cannot be properly used
against the atheist to prove the existence of God";
and "The use of reason precedes faith and, with the
help of revelation and grace, leads to it." The same
propositions were subscribed to by Bonnetty on 11
June, 1855 (cf. Denzinger, nn. 1650-1652). In his
Letter of 11 December, 1862, to the Archbishop of
Munich, Pius IX, while condemning Frohschammer's
naturalism, affirms the ability of human reason to reach
certitude concerning the fundamental truths of the
moral and religious order (ci. Denzinger, 1666-1676).
And, finally, the Vatican Council teaches as a dogma
of Catholic faith that " one true God and Lord can be
known with certainty by the natural light of human
reason by means of the things that are made " (Const.
"De FideCatholica",Sess. Ill, can. i, De Revelatione;
cf. Granderath, " Constitutiones dogmaticae Cone.
Vatic", Freiburg, 1892, p. 32- cf. Denzinger, n. 1806).
As to the opinion of those who maintain that our supernatural assent is prepared for by motives of cred- ibility merely probable, it is evident that it logically destroys the certitutle of such an assent. This opinion was condemned by Innocent XI in the decree of 2 March, 1679 (cf. Denzinger, n. 1171), and by PiusX in the decree " Lamentabili sane " n. 25: " Assensus fidei ultimo innititur in congerie probabilitatum" (The assent of faith is ultimately based on a sum of proba- bilities). Revelation, indeed, is the supreme motive of faith in supernatural truths, yet the existence of this motive and its validity has to be established by reason. No one will deny the importance of authority ami tradition or common consent in human society for our knowledge of natural truths. It is quite evident that to despise the teaching of the sages, the scientific dis- coveries of the past, and the voice of common consent would be to condemn ourselves to a perpetual infancy in knowledge, to render impossible any progress in science, to ignore the social character of man, and to make human life intolerable; but, on the other hand, it is an error to make these elements the supreme criteria of truth, since they are only particular rules of certitude, the validity of which is grounded upon a more fundamental rule. It is indeed true that moral certitude differs from mathematical, but the difference lies not in tiie firnmess or validity of the certainty af- forded, but in the process employed and the disposi- tions required by the nature of the truths with which they respectively deal. The Catholic doctrine on this question is in accord with history and philosophy. Re- jecting both rationalism and fideism, it teaches that hu- man reason is capable (physical ability) of knowing the moral and religious truths of the natural order; that it can prove with certainty the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, and can acknowledge most certainly the teaching of God; that, however, in the present conditions of life, it needs (of moral neces- sity) the help of revelation to acquire a sufficient knowledge of all the natural truths necessary to direct human life according to the precepts of natural re- ligion (Cone. Vatic, "De Fide Cath.", cap. ii; cf. St. Thomas, "Cont. Gent.", Lib. I, c iv).
Perrone, Prcelecliones theoloaicjE, vol. I: De verd Religione; Olle-Laprune. /)c/a Certitude Morale (5th ed., Paris. 190."i); Mercier, Criteriologie ffenerate (4th ed., Louvain, 19()0,), III. ch. i; John Rickaby, The First Principles of Knowledge (4th ed., London, 1901), chs. xii, xiii.
G. M. Sauvage.
Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Saint, b. in 1577, at Sigmaringen, Prussia, of which town his father Johan-
nes Rey was burgomaster; d. at Sevis, 24 April, 1622.
On the paternal side he was of Flemish ancestry. He
pursued his studies at the University of Freiburg in
the Breisgau, and in 1604 became tutor to Wilhelm von
Stotzingen, with whom he travelled in France and
Italy. In the process for Fidelis's canonization Wil-
helm von Stotzingen bore witness to the severe morti-
fications his tutor practised on these journeys. In
1611 he returned to Freiburg to take the doctorate in
canon ami civil law, and at once began to practise as
an advocate. But the open corruption which found
place in the law courts determined him to relinquish
that profession and to enter the Church. He was or-
dained priest the following year, and immediately
afterwards was received into the Order of Friars Minor
of the Capuchin Reform at Freiburg, taking the name
of Fidelis. He has left an interesting memorial of his
novitiate and of his spiritual development at that time
in a book of spiritual exercises which he wrote for him-
self. This work was re-edited by Father Michael
Hetzenauer, O. M. Cap., and republished in 1893 at
Stuttgart under the title: "S. Fidelis a Sigmaringen
exercitia seraphicae devotionis". From the novitiate
he was sent to Constance to finish his studies in the-
ology under Father John Baptist, a Polishfriarof great
repute for learning and hohness. At the conclusion of
his theological studies Fidelis was appointed guardian
first of the community at Rheintelden, and after-
wards at Freiburg and Feldkirch. .-Vs a preacher his
burning zeal earned for him a great reputation.
From the beginning of his apostolic career he was untiring in his efforts to convert heretics; nor did he confine his efforts in this direction to the pulpit, but also used his pen. He wrote many pamphlets against Calvinism and Zwinglianism, though he would never put his name to his writings. Unfortunately these publications have long been lost. Fidelis was still guardian of the community at Feldkirch when in 1621 he was appointed to undertake a mission in the country of the Grisons with the purpose of bringing back that district to the Catholic Faith. The people there had almost all gone over to Calvinism, owing partly to the ignorance of the priests and their lack of zeal. In 1614 the Bishop of Coire had requested the Capuchins to undertake missions amongst the heretics in his diocese, but it was not until 1621 that the gen- eral of the order was able to send friars there. In that year Father Ignatius of Bergamo was commissioned with several other friars to place himself at the dis- posal of this bishop for missionary work; and a similar commission was given to Fidelis, who, however, still remained guardian of Feldkirche. Before setting out on this mission Fidelis was appointed by authority of the papal nuncio to reform the Benedictine monastery at Pfiifers. He entered upon his new labours in the true apostolic spirit. Since he first entered the order he had constantly prayed, as he confided to a fellow- friar, for two favours: one, that he might never fall into mortal sin; the other, that he might die for the Faith. In this spirit he now set out, ready to give his life in preaching the Faith. He took with him his crucifix, Bible, Breviary, and the book of the rule of his order; for the rest, he went in absolute poverty, trusting to Divine Providence for his daily sustenance. He arrived in Mayenfeld in time for Advent and began at once preaching and catechizing; often preaching in several places the same day. His coming aroused strong opposition and he was frequently threatened and insulted. He not only preached in the Catholic churches and in the public streets, but occasionally in the conventicles of the heretics. At Zizers, one of the principal centres of his activity, heheld conferences with the magistrates and chief townsmen, often far into the night. They resulted in the conversion of Rudolph de Sails, the most influential man in the town, whose pub- lic recantation was followed by many conversions.
Throughout the winter Fidelis laboured indef atigably
