y.

(2) Whether in passing from place to place he passes through
intervening space?

(3) Whether the angel's movement is in time or instantaneous?
_______________________

FIRST ARTICLE [I, Q. 53, Art. 1]

Whether an Angel Can Be Moved Locally?

Objection 1: It seems that an angel cannot be moved locally. For, as
the Philosopher proves (Phys. vi, text 32, 86) "nothing which is devoid
of parts is moved"; because, while it is in the term _wherefrom,_ it
is not moved; nor while it is in the term _whereto,_ for it is then
already moved; consequently it remains that everything which is moved,
while it is being moved, is partly in the term _wherefrom_ and partly
in the term _whereto._ But an angel is without parts. Therefore an
angel cannot be moved locally.

Obj. 2: Further, movement is "the act of an imperfect being," as
the Philosopher says (Phys. iii, text 14). But a beatified angel is
not imperfect. Consequently a beatified angel is not moved locally.

Obj. 3: Further, movement is simply because of want. But the holy
angels have no want. Therefore the holy angels are not moved locally.

_On the contrary,_ It is the same thing for a beatified angel to be
moved as for a beatified soul to be moved. But it must necessarily be
said that a blessed soul is moved locally, because it is an article of
faith that Christ's soul descended into Hell. Therefore a beatified
angel is moved locally.

_I answer that,_ A beatified angel can be moved locally. As, however,
to be in a place belongs equivocally to a body and to an angel, so
likewise does local movement. For a body is in a place in so far as
it is contained under the place, and is commensurate with the place.
Hence it is necessary for local movement of a body to be commensurate
with the place, and according to its exigency. Hence it is that the
continuity of movement is according to the continuity of magnitude;
and according to priority and posteriority of local movement, as the
Philosopher says (Phys. iv, text 99). But an angel is not in a place
as commensurate and contained, but rather as containing it. Hence it
is not necessary for the local movement of an angel to be
commensurate with the place, nor for it to be according to the
exigency of the place, so as to have continuity therefrom; but it is
a non-continuous movement. For since the angel is in a place only by
virtual contact, as was said above (Q. 52, A. 1), it follows
necessarily that the movement of an ang