CARLO dell'ASSUNZIONE. – Carmelite theologian, in the world C. de Bryse, son of Giovanni, governor of Marienburg, b. at St-Ghislain (Hainaut) in 1625, d. at Lille on 23 February 1686. Destined for a military career, he took part as an officer in the battle against the French near Lens (1648), in which he was taken prisoner and brought to Paris. Once released, he returned to his homeland and entered, perhaps moved by the almost sudden death of his uncle, the Marquis Molenghien, the Order of the Discalced Carmelites at Douai (1653), where he made his profession the following year. Ordained a priest (1659), he devoted himself to an exceptionally strict observance of the rule. He also taught theology in the convent at Douai, of which he was several times prior and definitor. He was also twice superior of the Gallo-Belgic province.
His first works, in which he defended the « scientia media » against the « praedeterminatio physica », namely Auctoritas contra praedeterminationem physicum pro scientia media (Douai 1660) and Scientia media ad examen revocata (ibid. 1670), were published by him under the pseudonym « Germanus Philalethes Eupistinus ». Fr. Henneguer opposed this doctrine with his treatise Vanitas triumphorum (Douai 1670). Thereafter, Fr. C. changed his position, adhering to that of the Thomists, and wrote Thomistarum triumphus, i.e. ss. Augustini et Thomae summa concordia circa scientiam mediam, naturam puram, aut duplicem Dei amorem, libertatem, contritionem et probabilitatem (I, Douai 1670, 2nd ed. ibid. 1672; II, ibid. 1673). In this work, which contains the four treatises De natura pura seu de duplici Dei amore, de libertate, de contritione, de probabilitate, he refuted the objections of the Molinists. The Jesuit Franc. Fourmestraux replied to him again; in response, Fr. C. added a third volume to the two volumes of the work mentioned above, under the title Thomistarum triumphus in perpetuum firmatus (Douai 1674), and subsequently Funiculus triplex, quo necessitas angelici luminis D. Thomae ad veram s. Augustini intelligentiam insolubiliter stringitur, adversus Buium, Molinam et Jansenium (Cambrai 1675).
During his provincialate Fr. C. published, without his name and without the approval of his major superiors,
the work Pentalogus diaphoricus, sive quinque differentiarum rationes, ex quibus verum judicatur de allatione absolutionis (s. l. 1678), in which he taught that a penitent who confesses the same grave sins every week must be absolved. This work was condemned by the general of the Order, by decree of 3 January 1679, to be publicly burned, and by decree of 5 September 1684 was condemned and placed on the Index, « donec corrigatur ». With the general’s permission, he corrected the book and published it in French under the title Éclairissement touchant l'usage de l'absolution des consubsidiaires et récidives, selon s. Thomas avec trois règles pour la fréquente communion (Lille 1682). When the bishop of Tournai published a second pastoral letter against this new edition, Fr. C. defended his position in the treatise Vindiciorum postulatio a Jesu Christo (Liège 1683).
Ambrogio di Santa Teresa
CARLO III di BORBONE, re delle DUE SICILIE e poi di SPAGNA: V. Borbone, re di SPAGNA.