Article — Konings, Theologia Moralis
ARTICLE I: ON THE REQUISITES FOR THE VALID RECEPTION OF THE SACRAMENTS
1238. Principles. - I. For validly receiving the Sacraments no probity is required, nor properly Faith in the subject, if you except the Sacrament of Penance. This is clear from the practice of the Church, which has never permitted heretics and wicked men, duly baptized and ordained, to be baptized or ordained again. It is also clear, as regards Faith, from the express definition of the Council of Trent1 concerning the Baptism of infants.
II. In infants or perpetually insane persons no disposition is required, nor intention, so that they may validly receive the Sacraments of which they are capable, namely Baptism, Confirmation, Order, and the Eucharist, which formerly was ministered to them. This is clear from the practice of the Church, and from the common sentence, etc.
III. In adults, for the valid reception of Sacraments, some intention is required; because it is not fitting that an adult be sanctified unless he wills it. Hence a neutral intention does not suffice, by which someone is so disposed in mind that he neither consents nor dissents.2 For of such a one it cannot be said that he wills to receive the Sacrament. But for most Sacraments a habitual intention suffices, even sometimes one only confused, or implicit, with the nature of each Sacrament considered; because the conferral of Sacraments is a certain donation and benefit, for accepting which habitual intention suffices. I say: 1° for most Sacraments: on account of the exceptions concerning which n. 1240. I say: 2° implicit: i.e. contained in the will to live, or at least to die, as becomes a Catholic, and, as regards Baptism, in the will of doing all things necessary for salvation, but according to the things to be said at n. 1240. R. 1°.
IV. For validly receiving the other Sacraments, reception of Baptism is pre-required; therefore an unbaptized man is in no way capable of the other Sacraments.
The reason is, because the other Sacraments were instituted for the Church alone; but through Baptism alone men become members of the Church. Therefore, etc. Thus Eugene IV defined in the Decree for the Armenians.
Notes to n. 1238. (1) Session 7, on Baptism, Canon 13. (2) L. VI. 81 from St. Thomas, Part 3, q. 68, a. 7, c.
1239. Questions. - Query 1° Is attention required in the adult subject, that he may validly receive a Sacrament?
Resp. Absolutely negatively. For intention suffices, as has already been explained, even in Sacraments which require a virtual intention; the reason is, because a human act does not proceed from attention, but from the will or from intention. - Besides, most Sacraments, as was said, do not require even a virtual intention; therefore a fortiori they do not require attention on the part of the subject. Moreover attention is not required in the Minister for confecting a Sacrament, as is clear from the things said above at n. 1215; therefore a fortiori it is not required in the subject.1
Hence penitents are sometimes tormented by scruples in vain from this, that they suffered distractions while they were being absolved, or that they were absolved without having noticed this.
Notes to n. 1239. (1) Sporer, n. 157.
1240. - Query 2° What intention is required in adults for the individual Sacraments to be received?
Resp. 1° For validly receiving Baptism in adults, there is required an intention at least habitual, which has been expressed beforehand and never retracted. Yet some say that an implicit will of Baptism suffices, such as would be in him who would have the will of doing all things necessary for salvation, provided nevertheless that this implicit will in an unbeliever is not likewise implicitly excluded through gravely culpable ignorance of the true Faith.1
2° For Confirmation an interpretative will suffices. Thus it can be conferred upon a dying person deprived of his senses. - The same will suffices in one receiving the Eucharist.2
3° For Penance there is required either an actual intention, or at least a virtual one; and therefore a habitual intention does not suffice, at least in practice.3
4° For Extreme Unction there suffices a habitual, or implicit, or interpretative intention, as theologians commonly say, and as is clear from the Roman Ritual, where concerning it it is said: "This Sacrament is to be supplied to those deprived of their senses, who beforehand asked for it, or likely would have asked for it;"1 "and the same," says St. Alphonsus,2 "Lugo, etc., say concerning the Sacrament of the Eucharist."
5° For Order, certainly in an adult an interpretative intention does not suffice, because without an explicit will no adult can undergo the gravest obligation of the Clerical State. Yet a habitual intention suffices. But in practice, in one receiving Order, there will always be an actual intention, or at least a virtual one.3
6° For Matrimony there is required an intention at least virtual, because Matrimony is perfected by a contract, for which deliberation and full will are necessary.4 (p) p. 400.
Notes to n. 1240 - note sequence 1. (1) L. VI. 82. (2) L. VI. 82. (3) Ib. Notes to n. 1240 - note sequence 2. (1) L. VI. 82. (2) Ib. (3) Ib. (4) Ib. (5) Ib. 86. Appendix annotation (rho), to n. 1240. 6°. p. 16, col. 2. To the question: Of what Sacraments, and of which ones, are deaf-mutes capable? Craisson responds, Manuale, n. 3239-3241. "Either they have been taught according to modern methods, or not; if the former, they can validly receive all the Sacraments just like other men, indeed also licitly receive them (Order excepted), provided no other impediments are present. "If the latter, the Sacrament of Baptism can validly and licitly be conferred on them" and Confirmation, "at least if, insofar as can be done, they are taught Christian doctrine. "As regards the other Sacraments: concerning Matrimony Innocent III speaks thus (cap. Cum apud sedem 23 de spons.): 'If such a person wishes to contract, it cannot or ought not be denied to him, since what he cannot declare by words, he can declare by signs.' "It is also supposed by most Doctors that other Sacraments can be administered to the deaf and mute, if in them the required dispositions appear, or nothing appears from which they are to be judged indisposed; but almost all those Doctors wrote before the time in which the modern method of teaching the deaf and mute was invented. Moreover, by many experiments it seems to be established that the deaf and mute who are not taught by this new method have no true knowledge of God and of the rules of morals, and a fortiori do not arrive at the knowledge of the mysteries and supernatural truths; consequently they cannot have any human will of receiving the Sacraments, nor the dispositions necessary for receiving them with fruit (see Montaigne, Recherches sur les sourds et les muets). Nevertheless the Ritual of Belley, at the end of the first volume, thinks that the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist can be conferred on them, since these were administered of old (and still today in the Eastern Church) to children; but it says that Penance and Extreme Unction can be conferred on them under condition; as regards Matrimony, that the question was solved by Innocent III above reported; but that it is not lawful to admit them to Orders, because they are irregular. "Although we would not wish to reject those who think the aforesaid solutions are to be embraced, nevertheless in practice we would not dare, especially, to join in Matrimony mutes and deaf persons not taught according to modern methods. For although Innocent III says that they ought not to be repelled from Matrimony, if they wish to contract, nevertheless the Pontiff supposes or requires that they wish to contract; but in this, today especially, is the difficulty: since, as we have already said, from many experiments it seems to be established that such deaf and mute persons, not taught, do not have a moral will, on account of defect of moral cognitions; but the contract of Matrimony is a human and moral act, for which true human will is required." (Yet not all agree with Montaigne. See Philosophia Christ. of Sanseverino, reduced into compendium, T. I. n. 82. 3°.) "Whatever may be the case concerning Matrimony, Penance and Extreme Unction are not to be administered to deaf and mute persons not taught except under condition."