How does the Divine Will operate in the Trinity?

[GoldenArrow]

I’m writing another essay on the heretical “Kingdom of the Divine Will” movement. The problem with critiquing the writings of Luisa Piccarreta is this: there are deep dogmatic truths in the writings that are mixed with cleverly veiled lies. I sometimes have a hard time telling the difference.

An example: the essay Primer on Living in the Divine Will (author unknown) says:

“The Three Persons of the Trinity, “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” do not each possess Their own separate Wills consenting to one another’s wishes. Instead, the Three Persons of the Trinity share the same One Divine Will.”

and

“As we have learned, the Trinity are not just good friends agreeing with one another but are one in the Divine Will.”

(supposedly this essay has an “Ecclesiastical Approval” from Carmelo Cassati, the Archbishop of Trani Barletta-Bisceglie, 1997).

Question: Is this heresy? It sounds similar to a form of Trinitarianism proposed by Gilbert of Poiters in 1154. Poitiers “postited a real difference between Deus and Divinitas, and a real difference between the Divine Persons and the Divine Essence, so that there would result a quaternity in God (Three Persons plus Godhead). This teaching … was rejected at the Council of Rheims in the presence of Pope Eugene III.” (Ott. pg 52). To me the only difference is that the Divine Willers are proposing that the Godhead is the Divine Will and that all Three Persons are governed by it. What do you think?

In order to continue with my work, I must understand how the Divine Will operates and subsists within the Holy Trinity and also how the Divine Will operates and subsists within each Person of the Trinity.

Question: Does each Person of the Trinity possess an individual Divine Will that is Free, or does each Person of the Trinity share One Divine Will that is continguous within the Three Persons?

Question: **When we say God has One Divine Will, do we mean He has One Divine Will in terms of Essence (nature), or do we mean that He has One Divine Will in terms of each person being governed by It in thought, word and action? **

Question: Can one say that in terms of thought, word and deed, there exist three free Divine Wills: the Divine Will of the Father, the Divine Will of the Son and the Divine Will of the Holy Spirit, but that in terms of Essence/Substance the three Persons share one Divine Will?

To help you answer my questions I’ll start with presenting Dogmas and definitions. We can elaborate from here:

"In God there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Each of the Three persons possesses the one (numerical) Divine Essence." (De Fide) Ott. page 52.
**
Divine Essence** - The nature of God as mentally distinguished from the persons and attributes of God. Thus each of the three Divine Persons has one and the same Essence. And the different attributes of God are objectively identical with the Divine Essence. (Hardon).

Continued …

 

[GoldenArrow]

Divine Will – The volition of God, which, like His knowledge, is purely and simply actual, and absolutely independent of all extra-divine things. Since God is infinite there is, in His willing, no transition from potency to act, no sequence of individual acts, but one single successionless act of willing. His Will is actually identical with the Divine Essence. Things external to God are not determining reasons, but merely the goal of the Divine Volition. God’s actual fullness of being excludes any love of acquistion. His ardent long for the salvation of man (Isaiah 65:2) is an expression of benevolent love, which shows itself in the communication of benefits to creatures, beginning with the gift of their existence. (Hardon. pg 166. Modern Catholic Dictionary).
**
Person** — “An individual substance of a rational nature” (Boethius). Therefore every individual intellectual substance which is complete in itself, is a person. Essential to person in theological terms are intelligence and substantiality, wholeness in oneself and especially individualilty. From individuality flow such features of personhood as distinctiveness, incommunicability, and uniqueness. Among human persons there are also the elements of responsiblity and possession of distinctive rights. (Hardon. Modern Catholic Dictionary. pg. 417).

It seems to me that the Divine Willers are FUSING the individual substance of a Person (in the case of the Trinity this is the Divine Essence/Divine Will) with the rational nature (in the case of the Trinity, this refers to the Intellect and Memory).

Question: **Does each Person of the Trinity possess Free Will, such that each Person can make His own decision independent of the other Persons? **

There are dogmas concerning the liberality of God, that He can do as He pleases, for His own Good Pleasure.

Question: Is God’s Liberality tied to each individual person of the Trinity or is Liberality tied to the One Divine Will of the entire Trinity, such that each Person of the Trinity is individually bound to the Liberality of the One Divine Will that governs all?

Thank you so much.

Please help!

God Bless!

 

[JimG]

It is difficult to speak or write about the Trinity without falling into heresy. Nevertheless, here is my understanding:

God’s will is a faculty of his Divine Nature, which is the same as his divine essence. He has only one nature, thus only one divine will.

In the Trinity, each Person is distinct in personhood, not in nature.

It is not truly correct to say that the three persons share the one divine nature or share the one divine will, because sharing implies division. (You use it for awhile, then I’ll use it. Or we’ll divide it up.)

Each Person of the Trinity rather, wholly possesses the one divine nature, and wholly possesses the one divine will.

 

[GoldenArrow]

Jim,

Is each person of the Trinity GOVERNED in It’s action and thoughts by the One Divine Will?

It seems to me that the answer to this question should be no because then that would mean that each Person of the Trinity lacks Free Will.

I suppose this is my main question.

Thanks!

God Bless!

 

[JimG]

I think you are correct, in that the word “governed” is not appropriate here, because it implies some external influence. And that does not apply to the Persons of the Trinity.

A person–any person–acts according to his nature. The persons of the Trinity each possess totally the One divine nature. God’s will flows from his nature, and is perfectly free and undivided.

You might say that the Persons act with one mind and will.

 

[GoldenArrow]

A person–any person–acts according to his nature. The persons of the Trinity each possess totally the One divine nature. God’s will flows from his nature, and is perfectly free and undivided.

You might say that the Persons act with one mind and will.

EUREKA!!!

Dude — you totally ROCK!!!

Yes. I think this is correct. This helps me a TON.

Any Person, be he human or Divine or a God made Man acts according to his nature. THIS IS THE KEY I WAS LOOKING FOR!

This explains the Divine Actions of Christ, the Human actions of Christ, and the Divine-Human (Theandric) actions of Christ (which are actually still separate modes of action between His two natures).

The only thing we must remember, now, is that after the Incarnation, the Hypostatic Union lasts forever in the Person of the Word (that’s a dogma).

Thank you SO MUCH !!!

WOW!

God Bless!

 

[JimG]

EUREKA!!!

Dude — you totally ROCK!!!

Yes. I think this is correct. This helps me a TON.

Any Person, be he human or Divine or a God made Man acts according to his nature. THIS IS THE KEY I WAS LOOKING FOR!

Thank you! Your enthusiasm blows me away. It’s not many people that get excited about Trinitarian theology.

 

[GoldenArrow]

Well, I’m excited because Divine Will is a very complex spirituality that parallels real Catholic theology … but isn’t exactly the same.

Your definition really helps because Piccarretan theology is BASED on the FOUNDATION that the Divine Will governs ALL Creatures AND God Himself. Without this governance, the foundation of Divine Will crumbles.

I think I can now add the heresy of Trinitarianism to Piccarretan spirituality.

“The Kingdom of the Divine Will” encompasses:

• Monothelitism and Monoenergeticism
• Monophysitism
• Quietism
• Millenarianism
• Gnosticism
• Trinitarianism (of the variety that adds a Quaternity).

Thank you SO much!

Divine Will should be a subject left to Theologians to criticize. In fact, a good, comprehensive critique of Luisa Piccarreta’s writings would be a GREAT Masters or Doctoral thesis for someone. But you know — the theologians aren’t attacking this, and I don’t know why. We should be all over this!

The only people to critique have been Rick Salbato, me, Coulombe and Biersach, Father Terry Staples, Catholics United for the Faith, Father Hardon, and Rev. Most. The latter two have passed on.

Where are the great Apologists of our time??? If you’re out there, please help!

In the face of silence, Apologetics is left to people like me, who are not theologians. I’m WAY underqualified for this. My expertise is in eyeballs. I’m an optometrist! I’m used to dealing with numbers, not theological concepts.

I’d LOVE to hand my notes over to a good theologian. If anyone wants to take on Divine Will, I’ve got about 48 pages of heretical quotes compiled, so far. I’m not yet done.

My future work on Divine Will is going to be published on Unity Publishing. So … if you want to bodyslam the “Kingdom of the Divine Will,” check out Unity.

Jim, this really helps me. Thank you!

God Bless!

 

[revelations]

I’m writing another essay on the heretical “Kingdom of the Divine Will” movement. The problem with critiquing the writings of Luisa Piccarreta is this: **there are deep dogmatic truths in the writings that are mixed with cleverly veiled lies. I sometimes have a hard time telling the difference. **

That should give it away for you right there…

 

[happy2be]

I understand this is an old thread - and wonder how the op got on with their essay??

Some people I know got involved with this cult…and gave me some material to look over - and it did not take me too long to see that it is full of heresy!

Yes one does wonder why it is taking the “offical church” so long to quash this - they should be doing so very loudly - very quickly…it is not rocket science…the content of these messages and teachings are quite clearly false and stand in contrast to Holy Scripture - case closed as far as I am concerned.

Sadly many more people are being sucked in to this movement - good people - who are desiring to live their lives for God…one only needs to spend time reading God’s word to see the many flaws in this movements teachings.

We should not be suprised that false doctrines are being promoted - we have been warned that this would happen!