separateurCreated with Sketch.

How St. Albert was known as “the Great” even during his life

Albertus Magnus
whatsappfacebooktwitter-xemailnative
Philip Kosloski - published on 11/15/21
whatsappfacebooktwitter-xemailnative
St. Albert the Great made a profound impact on the Church, laying a strong intellectual foundation that many saints would build upon.

Help Aleteia continue its mission by making a tax-deductible donation. In this way, Aleteia's future will be yours as well.

Donate with just 3 clicks

*Your donation is tax deductible!

The liturgy honors St. Albert the Great, an immensely influential theologian of his time, whose writings continue to guide the Church.

Pope Benedict XVI gave an excellent summary of his life during a general audience in 2010. He explained how he was even called "Great" during his life.

Faith and science

One of his largest contributions to Western Civilization is the reality that faith and science were compatible, even showcasing how scientists can embark on the path of holiness.

This was a profound connection that wasn't always welcome in medieval Europe. Faith was (and still is in some places) seen as something in opposition to science. However, St. Albert proves to us that we can look at the created universe and dive deeper into its mysteries.

Many scientists since then have been inspired by his example.

One of his best known pupils was St. Thomas Aquinas, who would go on to shape the Church's intellectual tradition in a radical way.

St. Albert's "greatness" reminds us that everything can be surrendered to God and that even the sharpest minds of the world can (and should) see God's beauty in their realms of study.

Did you enjoy this article? Would you like to read more like this?

Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. It’s free!

Aleteia exists thanks to your donations

Help us to continue our mission of sharing Christian news and inspiring stories. Please make a donation today! Take advantage of the end of the year to get a tax deduction for 2024.