Article — Marc, Institutiones Morales
Article I: On the Requisites for Valid Reception of a Sacrament
- Principles. I. For VALID reception of the Sacraments there is not required faith, nor probity in the subject, if you except Penance. This is established from the practice of the Church, which never permitted heretics or wicked men, rightly baptized or ordained, to be baptized or ordained again. A fortiori, ATTENTION is not required, which is not even demanded in the minister.
- II. In every recipient, BAPTISM is prerequisite for the validity of the other Sacraments: "The reason is that the Sacraments were instituted for the Church alone, and men become of the body of the Church through Baptism alone, as Eugene IV defined in the Decree of Faith to the Armenians."
Hence: 1. If the Eucharist were ministered to a Jew or pagan, he would indeed receive the Body of Christ, but only materially, as the pyx receives it. 2. The marriage of unbelievers, even if it were made according to the rite of the Church, would always be a mere contract.9
(9) Book VI, 79.
- III. In ADULTS, for valid reception of the Sacraments, INTENTION is required, yet diverse according to the diverse nature of the Sacraments. The reason is that God, in His present providence of things, does not will adults to be justified or sanctified without their will and consent; and therefore He has established that the means of salvation be applied only to those willing. Whence Innocent III says: "But he who never consents, but wholly contradicts, receives neither the thing nor the character of the Sacrament."10 Therefore one who has himself merely passively, neither willing nor dissenting, and a fortiori one who resists, or one who intends to make a game, does not perceive the Sacrament.
We have said, intention is required, yet diverse according to the diverse nature of the Sacraments. The reason is that some Sacraments require one cooperation from the recipients, others another. For: 1. Some, as PENANCE and MATRIMONY, are not made except by the acts themselves of the subject, which have themselves as matter or form, and therefore for the validity of these Sacraments there is required in the recipient, as in the minister, at least a virtual intention.
Others, as BAPTISM and ORDER, have this proper to themselves, that they impose on the recipients obligations of a new state. But since it is in no way equitable that such obligations be imposed on an adult without his positive consent, it follows that for reception of each Sacrament there is required an intention at least habitual, that is, an intention already had and not retracted. The assertion is confirmed by the practice of the Church; for on the one hand it is prohibited in the Roman Ritual that an adult who has fallen into madness or into a sudden illness be baptized, unless before, when he was in possession of himself, he had desired Baptism; and on the other hand the Church never reiterates the Sacraments of Baptism and Order for those who received them from a will previously had.11
Finally others, as CONFIRMATION, the EUCHARIST, EXTREME UNCTION, require for themselves only this, that the subject be capable of the sacramental operation, which is a benefit of God from the work worked. Whence, that they be validly received, an interpretative intention suffices, namely that which the recipient indeed never had, but probably would have had, if he were in possession of himself. Specifically concerning Extreme Unction the Roman Ritual has this: "This Sacrament is to be given to those destitute of their senses, who previously asked for it, or who would probably have asked for it." The same is also commonly admitted concerning Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist, with Lugo, Sporer, etc.12 Yet take notice that it is illicit, outside danger of death or perpetual madness, to confer Sacraments on adults while they do not enjoy the actual use of reason.
(10) Cap. Majores, v. fin., de Baptismo. (11) Book VI, 82; Exam. Ordin., 19. (12) Book VI, 82.
- IV. In INFANTS, and the perpetually insane, for VALID reception of the Sacraments of which they are capable, namely Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, and Order, no disposition or intention is required. This is established from the practice of the Church and the common opinion. The reason is that infants are not justified or sanctified through an act of their own will, of which indeed they are incapable, but through the will of another; whence Christ and the Church are judged to supply their intention, just as in civil matters a tutor supplies for a ward.13
(13) Ibid., 80.