CARLO dell'Assunzione. - Carmelite theologian, born C. de Bryas, son of Giovanni, governor of Marienburg, born at St-Ghislain (Hainaut) in 1625, died at Lille on 23 February 1686. Destined for a military career, he participated as an officer in the battle against the French near Lens (1648), where he was taken prisoner and brought to Paris. After his release, he returned home and, perhaps moved by the almost sudden death of his uncle, the Marquis Molenghen, entered the Order of the Discalced Carmelites at Douai (1653), where he professed the following year. Ordained priest in 1659, he devoted himself to a most rigorous observance of the rule. He also taught theology in the convent of Douai, of which he was several times prior and definitor. He was also twice superior of the Gallo-Belgian province.
His first works, in which he defended the "scientia media" against the "predeterminatio physica," namely *Horticultura contra praedeterminationem physica pro scientia media* (Douai 1669) and *Scientia media ad examen revocata* (ibid. 1670), were published under the pseudonym "Germanus Philalethus Eupistinus." This doctrine was opposed by Fr. Henneguier in his treatise *Vanitas triumphorum* (Douai 1670). After this, Fr. C. changed his position, adhering to that of the Thomists, and wrote *Thomistarum triumphus, i.e. s. 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, and in response Fr. C. added a third volume to the aforementioned work, entitled *Thomistarum triumphus in perpetuum firmatus* (Douai 1674), and later *Funiculus triplex, quo necessitas angelici luminis D. Thomae ad veram s. Augustini intelligentiam insolubiliter stringitur, adversus Baium, Molinam et Jansenium* (Cambrai 1675).
During his provincialate, Fr. C. published, without his name and without the approval of his superiors, the work *Pentalogus duphoricus, sive quinque differentiarum rationes, ex quibus verum judicatur de dilatione absolutioris* (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, it was condemned and placed on the Index "donec corrigatur." With the permission of the General, he corrected the book and published it in French under the title *Éclaircissement touchant l'usage de l'absolution des consuetudinaries et récidives, selon s. Thomae ex voce trois règles pour la fréquence communion* (Lille 1682). When the Bishop of Tournai published a second pastoral letter against this new edition, Fr. C. defended his position with the treatise *Vindicarum postulati in Jesio Christo* (Liège 1683).
Ambrogio di Santa Teresa
CARLO III of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies and later of Spain: V. CARLO III of Bourbon, King of Spain.