ARTICLE II: ON THE REQUISITES FOR THE LICIT RECEPTION OF THE SACRAMENTS

1241. Principles. - I. For receiving Sacraments of the living licitly and fruitfully, besides the intention of receiving them, the state of grace is pre-required. For these, from their primary institution by Christ, are ordered not to conferring first grace, but its increase, since they suppose first grace already in the subject. Hence they sin gravely who knowingly receive Sacraments of the living in the state of mortal sin, and indeed more gravely than those who unworthily minister or confect them.¹ But the state of grace must be procured through Confession, if one is to approach the Eucharist; or at least through perfect contrition, if there is question of other Sacraments, as was said above concerning the Minister. Yet it is safer, as much as can be done, always to put Confession before the reception also of other Sacraments.

I said: for receiving Sacraments of the living licitly and fruitfully, etc. For although in a case of grave necessity they more commonly assert that it is lawful to receive Sacraments of the living in the state of mortal sin even without contrition, when time for eliciting it is not available, nevertheless thus no fruit would be perceived from it. This would happen, for example, if a layman kneeling at the bench of communicants suddenly remembered a mortal sin not yet blotted out.² But the case, as it is posited, will be very rare, either because time remains for eliciting contrition, or because the sin has already been indirectly blotted out through Confession.

II. For Sacraments of the dead to be received licitly by adults, there are required acts at least implicit of Faith and Hope, according to the things said by the Apostle:³ He who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder to those who seek him. Cf. the things said at nn. 257-261, 270. Moreover an act of sorrow concerning sins is required, because remission of sins is given to no one without retraction or sorrow for sins committed. But these things in the Sacrament of Penance are necessary also for validity, because they pertain to the disposition of the penitent.⁴ But attrition suffices, as will be said in its own place.

1242. Questions. - Query 1° Do Sacraments received validly but illicitly, the obstacle having been removed, revive, or produce the graces proper to them?

Resp. Affirmatively, at least for most Sacraments. The reason is, because it happens only per accidens that they do not produce their proper effects, namely on account of the obstacle; and therefore those effects indeed remain suspended while the obstacle remains; nevertheless, once this has been removed, they ought to be applied to the soul. This is admitted as certain for Sacraments imprinting character. The same must more truly be said also of the Sacrament of Penance (as will be said at n. 1348, q. 7°), and a fortiori of Extreme Unction (at least if the obstacle was involuntary) and Matrimony, which cannot be repeated in the same illness or the same marriage.¹

Query 2° What disposition is required in the subject, that an unformed Sacrament may revive?

Resp. This general rule is commonly established: that disposition is required which was lacking, and whose absence caused the obstacle to the effect of the Sacrament, or precisely that must be placed which was necessarily required in the reception of the Sacrament. Hence per se attrition suffices for the reviviscence of Baptism, Penance, and Extreme Unction. But perfect contrition, or attrition with Confession, is required for the other Sacraments, namely for Confirmation, Order, and Matrimony. - Likewise if Baptism was unformed on account of the defect of Faith alone, it will revive through an act of Faith with attrition for the sin of unbelief. The reason is, because, just as the obstacle was induced because of the lack of some required disposition, so it is removed through the placing of the same: for no reason then remains why the effect of the Sacrament should remain suspended. - Thus St. Thomas (for Baptism),² Lugo,³ Lacroix.⁴ But the Eucharist does not revive, unless perhaps while the obstacle is removed before the species are consumed. Otherwise, the more frequently someone had communicated sacrilegiously, so much more abundantly would he be enriched with graces when he became contrite, or, being attrite, confessed.⁵

Query 3° Does attrition suffice that unformed Baptism may revive, if the one receiving has committed other grave sins after Baptism?

Resp. Negatively; because sins committed after Baptism are the necessary matter of the Sacrament of Penance, and therefore cannot be remitted except through that Sacrament, or through perfect contrition with the vow of the Sacrament of Penance included in it. - Lugo,⁶ Lacroix.⁷

1243. - Query 4° Is it lawful to ask for a Sacrament from an unworthy Minister?

Resp. 1° It is not lawful without cause; because thus without reason an unworthy Minister would be induced to sin gravely. But this is illicit per se, because charity demands that we impede the sin of the neighbor which we can easily impede.¹

Resp. 2° But it is lawful if the Sacrament cannot easily be asked from another priest, nor can its reception easily be deferred; for no one is held, with great inconvenience, to yield his right for impeding the free sin of another. Therefore then the one asking for the Sacrament simply permits the sin, but is not the cause of the sin. But a sufficient cause would be necessity or notable utility of the Sacrament, which will be present more easily in the Eucharist and in Penance, and a lesser cause suffices if it is asked from one prepared, or from a pastor.²

Note. - The faithful a) are not held to inquire concerning the dignity of the Minister; b) outside the case of danger of seduction, they can always ask Sacraments from a priest who is not certainly known to be unworthy, and who, with the Bishop knowing and approving, performs the functions of the sacred Ministry; nor c) are they held to abstain from asking precisely because they know that the Minister not long before fell into mortal sin; for it can be presumed (not, however, against the truth) that it was blotted out by penitence. See L. VI. 89. § fin.

Query 5° Is it lawful to ask for a Sacrament from a Minister unworthy on account of some censure or canonical inability?

Resp. Distinguish. Either there is question of ecclesiastical right alone, or of divine right. In the former case, subdistinguish. - If he has been publicly and by name censured or rendered unable, it will not be lawful except in extreme or very grave necessity, as if there is question of Baptism; of Penance; of Viaticum; of Extreme Unction, in the case in which the sick person could not receive another Sacrament; of Order, if the community needed priests; of Matrimony, if it were necessary either for the spiritual salvation of one dying, or for a great temporal utility of children. - If not publicly and by name, it is more truly lawful, because the Council of Constance absolutely conceded to the faithful communion with those tolerated.¹ (Which persons today are to be called tolerated, see n. 1673. § But.) Yet it is supposed that the Minister is not unworthy on account of sin, in which case the resolution handed down in the immediately preceding question holds.

If there is question of divine right, it must be said that ordinarily it is prohibited to receive Sacraments publicly from a Minister, even one tolerated, at least on account of the contempt and disdain of censures which would proceed from this. - This is to be extended by a stronger right to those excommunicated who are enrolled in some heretical or schismatic sect. For although it cannot be doubted that these same persons commonly ought to be numbered among the tolerated, nevertheless the Church has always judged communication in divine things with them illicit in general; since through it divine or natural right is almost always harmed, on account of the danger of perversion or participation in a heretical or schismatic rite, or on account of the danger and occasion of scandal.²