In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas
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In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas (Template:Literal translation) is a Latin phrase.
Origins and history
It is often misattributed to Augustine of Hippo, but seems to have been first used in 1617 by Archbishop of Split (Spalato) Marco Antonio de Dominis in his anti-Papal Template:Lang,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> where it appears in context as follows (emphasis added):
Before the 21st century, academic consensus was that the source of the quotation was probably Lutheran theologian Peter Meiderlin (known as Rupertus Meldenius), who, in his Template:Lang of 1626 had said, Template:Lang, meaning "In a word, let me say: if we might keep in necessary things Unity, in non-necessary things Freedom, and in both Charity, our affairs would certainly be in the best condition." Henk Nellen's 1999 article that showed the phrase had previously been used by Template:Lang overturned over a century of academic consensus.<ref name="ODonnell">Template:Cite web</ref>
According to Joseph Lecler, the substitution of Template:Lang for Template:Lang (Template:Lang occurs here, rather than, as in Meiderlin, Template:Lang) was made in largely Catholic circles, and had the effect of extending "the rule of Meldenius ... to much more than just the Template:Lang [(for salvation)] and the Template:Lang [(for salvation)]", much more than just the "fundamental articles": "the tripartite maxim ... [thus] lost its original Protestant nuance, in order to extend liberty to the entire domain of questions debated, doubtful, and undefined [(Template:Lang)]".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Theological usage
The maxim has entered official Catholic teaching when Pope John XXIII's encyclical Ad Petri Cathedram of 29 June 1959 used it favorably.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> In a section saying that sometimes religious controversies can actually help attain church unity, he says "But the common saying, expressed in various ways and attributed to various authors, must be recalled with approval: in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline, the phrase appears in the doctrinal history section as "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity." A few lines later, the mandate is emphasized as "the crucial matter in religion is steadfast love for God and neighbor, empowered by the redeeming and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Rp
See also
References
Further reading
- Template:Citation — for the articles by Nellen and Lecler
- Template:Citation — a detailed history of the origin and interpretation of the phrase.
- Template:Citation.