Editio Leonina
edition of the works of Thomas Aquinas
The Editio Leonina or Leonine Edition is the edition of the works of Saint Thomas Aquinas originally sponsored by Pope Leo XIII in 1879.
The Leonine Commission (Commissio leonina) is the group of scholars working on the ongoing project of critically editing the works of Aquinas. The first superintendent of the commission was Tommaso Maria Zigliara, professor and rector of the Collegium Divi Thomae de Urbe (the future Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas). Its current seat is in Paris, rue de la Glacière and it is currently (as of 2015) chaired by friar Adriano Oliva. The editions are published with editions du Cerf, the historical Dominican publishing house in France founded in 1929 at the request of Pope Pius XI.
Aquinas' main work, the Summa Theologiae, was edited in nine volumes (tt.IV–XII) during 1888–1906.
As of 2014, the Editio Leonina comprises 39 volumes, representing about half of the entire scope of the project.
History
The Leonine Commission was composed of Dominicans, while the Franciscans were entrusted with the task of publishing the complete works of St. Bonaventure, a friend of Aquinas.
Between 1888 and 1930 the Leonine Commission published the eight volumes of the Summa Theologiae and the three volumes of the Summa contra Gentiles.
After a period of apparent inactivity, but of fruitful silent research, the Commission became active again in 1952, under the impetus of the General Chapter of the Dominican Order (Washington, 1949) and the Master of the Order, Emmanuel Suarez.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Editio Leonina” as edition of the works of Thomas Aquinas. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as edition of the works of Thomas Aquinas. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2986647. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1879, 2015, 1929 and 1888.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Editio Leonina”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Editio Leonina primary sources, Editio Leonina archive and Editio research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Editio Leonina”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Editio Leonina” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.