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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Oh Happy Fault	PJ	Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Question: "Oh happy fault..." This line is taken from Augustine and ended up in the exultant of the Easter vigil. Original sin is said to be a happy fault because it brought about such a great Redeemer (Jesus). But is it a happy fault? I ask this for two reasons: 1. This assumes that the Incarnation would not have occurred had not Adam sinned. But the Church has not definitively answered this question, and there have been plenty throughout Church history representing the side that claims the Son would have become Incarnate even if man did not sin. If that be the case then it seems original sin would be only an unfortunate fault, not a happy one, which caused much suffering and death to humanity. 2. If the Incarnation would not have occurred had man not fallen, it's still questionable whether it's a happy fault. The non-Incarnated divine Son was apparently in intimate union with Adam in the garden (Gn 3:8) and presumably would have remained in that state of union throughout human history had man not sinned: Intimate union with God in the eternal Son without concupiscence, suffering or death. And as the angels are in intimate union with God even though God never became an angel, couldn't we assume that man could have also been in perfect union with God had He not become man? Hence, what is really happy about this fault?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear P.J. The Catechism asks the question... 412 But why did God not prevent the first man from sinning? St. Leo the Great responds, "Christ's inexpressible grace gave us blessings better than those the demon's envy had taken away" (St. Leo the Great, Sermo 73,4: PL 54,396.) And St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "There is nothing to prevent human nature's being raised up to something greater, even after sin; God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good. Thus St. Paul says, 'Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more'; and the Exsultet sings, 'O happy fault,. . . which gained for us so great a Redeemer!'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III,1,3, ad 3; cf. Rom 5:20). What is happy about this fault is that because of this fault God was able to show that He can bring goodness even out of evil. The greatest good of all He gave us is the Redeemer, His Son, who died for our sins. If Original Sin never happened there would not be a need of Redeemer and there would be no need to be redeemed (restored to the perfection of the preternatural state before the Fall). God could have still incarnated into humanity, but there would have been no need for the Passion. The fact, however, is that Adam did sin and bring Original Sin into the world, the Fall of Man, and brought about a need to redeem mankind. Thus, Adam's sin had a "happy" side-effect. As stated by a writer in This Rock magazine, and listed on a New Advent's Quick Questions: This term is used in theology to refer to the sin of Adam. By eating the forbidden fruit, Adam committed a grave sin (fault), but this fault had a happy side-effect since it set the stage for the redemption of man, the most important event in history. Because of this unexpected consequence of the Fall, people sometimes speak of Adam's sin as a felix culpa. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: For God allows evils to happen in order to bring a greater good therefrom; hence it is written (Romans 5:20): "Where sin abounded, grace did more abound." Hence, too, in the blessing of the Paschal candle, we say: "O happy fault, that merited such and so great a Redeemer!" (Summa Theologica, Third Part, Question 1, art. 3, reply of obj. 3) All of Article 3 is good to read. God bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

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Oh Happy Fault

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Question:

"Oh happy fault..." This line is taken from Augustine and ended up in the exultant of the Easter vigil. Original sin is said to be a happy fault because it brought about such a great Redeemer (Jesus). But is it a happy fault? I ask this for two reasons:

1. This assumes that the Incarnation would not have occurred had not Adam sinned. But the Church has not definitively answered this question, and there have been plenty throughout Church history representing the side that claims the Son would have become Incarnate even if man did not sin. If that be the case then it seems original sin would be only an unfortunate fault, not a happy one, which caused much suffering and death to humanity.

2. If the Incarnation would not have occurred had man not fallen, it's still questionable whether it's a happy fault. The non-Incarnated divine Son was apparently in intimate union with Adam in the garden (Gn 3:8) and presumably would have remained in that state of union throughout human history had man not sinned: Intimate union with God in the eternal Son without concupiscence, suffering or death. And as the angels are in intimate union with God even though God never became an angel, couldn't we assume that man could have also been in perfect union with God had He not become man?

Hence, what is really happy about this fault?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear P.J.

The Catechism asks the question...

412 But why did God not prevent the first man from sinning? St. Leo the Great responds, "Christ's inexpressible grace gave us blessings better than those the demon's envy had taken away" (St. Leo the Great, Sermo 73,4: PL 54,396.) And St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "There is nothing to prevent human nature's being raised up to something greater, even after sin; God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good. Thus St. Paul says, 'Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more'; and the Exsultet sings, 'O happy fault,. . . which gained for us so great a Redeemer!'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III,1,3, ad 3; cf. Rom 5:20).

What is happy about this fault is that because of this fault God was able to show that He can bring goodness even out of evil. The greatest good of all He gave us is the Redeemer, His Son, who died for our sins. If Original Sin never happened there would not be a need of Redeemer and there would be no need to be redeemed (restored to the perfection of the preternatural state before the Fall). God could have still incarnated into humanity, but there would have been no need for the Passion. The fact, however, is that Adam did sin and bring Original Sin into the world, the Fall of Man, and brought about a need to redeem mankind. Thus, Adam's sin had a "happy" side-effect.

As stated by a writer in This Rock magazine, and listed on a New Advent's Quick Questions:

This term is used in theology to refer to the sin of Adam. By eating the forbidden fruit, Adam committed a grave sin (fault), but this fault had a happy side-effect since it set the stage for the redemption of man, the most important event in history. Because of this unexpected consequence of the Fall, people sometimes speak of Adam's sin as a felix culpa.

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote:

For God allows evils to happen in order to bring a greater good therefrom; hence it is written (Romans 5:20): "Where sin abounded, grace did more abound." Hence, too, in the blessing of the Paschal candle, we say: "O happy fault, that merited such and so great a Redeemer!" (Summa Theologica, Third Part, Question 1, art. 3, reply of obj. 3)

All of Article 3 is good to read.

God bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum