Blessed John Duns Scotus, Saint of the day for 8 November

Saint of the day for 8 November
(circa 1266 - November 8, 1308)

The story of Blessed John Duns Scotus

A humble man, John Duns Scotus has been one of the most influential Franciscans over the centuries. Born in Duns in the County of Berwick, Scotland, John was descended from a wealthy farming family. In later years, he was identified as John Duns Scotus to indicate his homeland; Scotia is the Latin name of Scotland.

John received the habit of the Friars Minor in Dumfries, where his uncle Elias Duns was superior. After his novitiate, John studied in Oxford and Paris and was ordained a priest in 1291. Further studies followed in Paris until 1297, when he returned to lecture at Oxford and Cambridge. Four years later, he returned to Paris to teach and complete the requirements for the doctorate.

At a time when many people adopted whole systems of thought without qualifications, John emphasized the richness of the Augustinian-Franciscan tradition, appreciated the wisdom of Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle and the Muslim philosophers - and still managed to be an independent thinker. That quality was demonstrated in 1303, when King Philip the Fair tried to enlist the University of Paris on his side in a dispute with Pope Boniface VIII. John Duns Scotus disagreed and was given three days to leave France.

At the time of Scotus, some philosophers argued that people are fundamentally determined by forces external to themselves. Free will is an illusion, they argued. An ever practical man, Scotus said that if he started beating someone who denied free will, the person would immediately tell him to stop. But if Scotus didn't really have free will, how could he stop? John had a knack for finding illustrations his students could remember!

After a short stay in Oxford, Scotus returned to Paris, where he received his doctorate in 1305. He continued teaching there and in 1307 he so skillfully defended the Immaculate Conception of Mary that the university officially adopted his position. In the same year the general minister assigned him to the Franciscan school of Cologne where John died in 1308. He is buried in the Franciscan church near the famous Cologne cathedral.

Based on the work of John Duns Scotus, Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1854. John Duns Scotus, the "Subtle Doctor", was beatified in 1993.

Reflection

Father Charles Balic, OFM, the leading authority on Scotus of the twentieth century, wrote: “The entire theology of Scotus is dominated by the notion of love. The characteristic note of this love is its absolute freedom. As love becomes more perfect and intense, freedom becomes more noble and integral both in God and in man