Article I. On Love of God

I Say. There exists a special precept of loving God above all things, as is clear both from the words of Christ, Matt. xxii, 37: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart ... this is the greatest and the first commandment," and from proposition 1 proscribed by Alexander VII, and already mentioned several times.

But this precept, insofar as it is affirmative, obliges one to love God above all things appreciatively, as is clear from the natural law; not, however, necessarily intensively, because the essence of charity does not consist in degrees. Namely, it is enough that God be in fact preferred to all goods, and the highest degree of intensity or fervor in loving is not required. For that intensity would have to be highest either absolutely or relatively; if the first, it would follow that man could never satisfy this precept; if the other, it would follow that today satisfaction could not be made by an act which yesterday was perfect. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 22. Baller., note (a), p. 178.

Question 1. When does the precept of charity press?

Response. It obliges both of itself and by accident, like the precept of faith. Of itself indeed, when the use of reason is perfectly developed for ordering life toward God, and besides several times in life, as is clear from the condemnation of several propositions, especially from the 6th condemned by Innocent XI, which is as follows: "It is probable that the precept of charity toward God, of itself, does not oblige rigorously even every five years." - But if you further ask what that particle several times properly imports, practically speaking, the response is that although St. Alphonsus says that the opinion of those who require an act of charity once a month is to be recommended, nevertheless the opinion of those who oblige to it only once a year can safely be held. Indeed, according to the same Holy Doctor, the faithful who live as Christians and often devoutly recite the Lord's Prayer are not to be disturbed, because then, if not expressly, at least in exercise, they elicit an act of charity. But it obliges by accident when the precept of contrition presses; for example, if a priest conscious of mortal sin had to celebrate, when there is not available any supply of a confessor. Cf. St. Alphonsus, Hom. Ap., n. 13.

Question 2. Are the dying bound to eliciting an act of charity?

Response. They are certainly bound if they are conscious of any mortal sin, and no other means of justification is available to them. But if they have already received the sacrament of Penance with attrition, they are not to be obliged to elicit an act of charity, not because this is contained in simple attrition, but because a special precept is not established, even though the contrary opinion is much more common. For the rest, the dying are to be urged and most opportunely excited to elicit and repeat acts of charity. Cf. Baller., note (a), p. 180.