Case XLII: Superstitious Faith in Prayers

Melania asks her confessor Claudius whether she is allowed to practice a treatment of which she has often made use before. If someone has received an injury causing the flow of blood, and she be present or called, Melania confidently says over the wound the words: “Blood, cease to flow, through the Sacred Blood and in the name of Jesus,” then making the sign of the Cross over the wound, and she claims that as result the blood ceases flowing at once. Father Claudius answered: If nothing else takes place, you may continue doing this. Did Father Claudius give the correct answer?

This is a case of the vana observantia, especially of the question, whether prayers and invocations to cure illness are to be considered superstitious. According to the theologians (S. Alph. Th. M. 1, 4, n. 20, 21; Miller, Th. M. 1, II., §71, 5; Lehmkuhl Th. M. 1, 357) there is to be distinguished: (1) If such prayers contain anything untrue, useless, undignified, ridiculous, even if in other parts true and proper, then such prayers are prohibited.

(2) If the prayers or exorcisms are of themselves good and correct, their use is allowed, if there is not demanded of them infallible efficacy (ensalmus invocativus).

(3) If there is ascribed to them, especially if performed in a certain number of repetitions or in a certain manner, an infallible efficacy, they are unlawful (ensalmus constitutivus). Under this head belongs the insistence upon a certain formula which is supposed to contain the power; for, though God grants to many the faculty of healing, this is a personal grace and not restricted to certain words or signs. S. Alph. I. c. n. 19: Arcendum esse... who uses certain words in which he believes a power inheres, although the grace is conferred upon the person, not upon the words and signs. Laymann, book 4, treatise 10, chapter 4, number 4: Although God grants to certain persons the grace of healings, He nevertheless grants it in such a way that it is a personal grace and is not infallibly attached to a certain thing or action which any person whatsoever might employ and thereby produce the effect of miracles.

This is the case also if there are expected special, supernatural effects infallibly from certain prayers, or pious exercises, unless there is, as in the case of the Sacraments, divine institution. We may not even infallibly expect of sacramentals an effect in a certain direction, although the prayer of the Church is infallibly heard.

(4) If in doubt whether, in the use of certain forms or prayers, superstition is involved, they may be employed with the explicit intention that the expected effect is not desired of them if superstition is involved. St. Alphonsus advises that in the instance of uneducated people who, in good faith and devotion, observe some usages not recognized by the Church, they may sometimes be let undisturbed, because it is hard to wean them from things that have come down to them from fathers and forefathers. In general, the priest should proceed against superstitious practises while with determination yet with great caution, in particular should he endeavor to accustom the faithful to a proper and correct use of sacramentals.

Applying these principles to our case we say: of itself this prayer is correct, it contains nothing wrong, and if said with proper confidence in God, it is lawful. If, however, an effect is infallibly expected, or expected from this particular formula, so that a deviation is thought to put the effect in question, then the practice may be regarded as superstitious. This points out the condition under which this person may be allowed to continue her practice. First of all, the worthiness of this person comes into consideration, for if God may grant the charisma even to sinners, this is the exception and not the rule. The person is then to be asked whether she ascribes the effect to this particular formula, and infallibly, and is to be instructed on this point. There is no objection against using always the same form of prayer, but she must not expect efficacy from this formula as such: still less may she expect infallibly such efficacy without special revelation. If there is no reason for apprehension in these matters she may continue her practise. Dr. Goeppert.