Requisites for Valid Ministration

Requirements in the Minister for Valid Performance of a Sacrament.—(a) The Person of the Minister.—As the minister represents Christ, only those may perform a Sacrament to whom Christ has given authority. Hence, ordinarily only mortals and human beings—not the Angels or departed Saints—can administer a Sacrament. Further, as the ministry of a Sacrament may include an act of power and authority, there are various ranks of ministers. Thus, the ministry of Matrimony supposes no power or orders or spiritual authority, and the ministers are the parties themselves; that of Solemn Baptism, Eucharist, Penance, and Extreme Unction supposes orders and lower authority, and the minister is the priest; that of Confirmation and Orders supposes higher authority, and the minister is the bishop.

(b) The Acts of the Minister.—As the minister acts as Christ’s responsible agent to whose wise discretion the dispensation of the Sacraments is committed, he must have at least the external attention of mind sufficient to perform all that the rite demands and the internal intention of will sufficient to make his ministry an act that is human, sacred, and definitely symbolical of the sacramental effects.

The Necessary Intention.—The intention or purpose of the minister therefore must have the following qualities:

(a) objectively, there must be an intention of doing what the Church does (i.e., of performing a sacred rite instituted by Christ, for the minister acts in the name and authority of Christ). Hence a mock sacrament—or even, more probably, a purely external performance with no purpose to enact a sacred rite—does not suffice. But, on the other hand, an unbeliever can administer validly if he really intends to do what Christians do or what Christ commanded to be done. The intention not to do what the Church does was the chief cause of the nullity of Anglican Orders;

(b) subjectively, the intention must be at least virtual, so as to ensure a deliberate act. An actual intention is not necessary, because it is often impossible on account of its difficulty; while an habitual intention is not sufficient, because it does not influence the act so as to make it human (see 2165). The interpretative intention (i.e., a purpose that never existed, but that would presumably have existed, had attention been given the matter) is with greater reason insufficient;

(c) modally, the intention must be such as to make precise the character of the action as a special sacred rite; for just as the matter awaits the form or word to receive the imprint of a sacred significance, so do the ceremonial words themselves look to the internal purpose of the minister for their fixed meaning. Hence, the Sacrament is invalid if the minister’s purpose is indeterminate (e.g., if a priest wills to consecrate ten undesignated hosts out of the hundred contained in a ciborium, or to absolve one undesignated person of a multitude); or if the purpose is self-exclusive (e.g., if a bridegroom has two mutually incompatible intentions, namely, to marry the bride and also to marry her only for a time); or if the purpose is left in suspense (e.g., if a priest makes his absolution depend on future restitution or any other non-existent condition, and most probably also if the minister makes the Sacrament depend on the recipient’s predestination or other such condition known only to God).

Rules on Plurality of Intentions.—(a) When opposite intentions are simultaneous, if one of them is predominant in the minister’s will and not insociable with the Sacrament, that one prevails and the Sacrament is valid; otherwise the Sacrament is null. (b) When opposite intentions are successive, the later prevails over the earlier, unless the earlier was stronger and meant to endure in spite of other intentions, and it has not been recalled expressly by the will.

Requisites for Use of Conditional Intention.—(a) The use must be valid or non-suspensive (2666 e), and hence (Matrimony excepted on account of its special character as a contract) the minister may not confer a Sacrament under a condition de futuro. But conditions de praesenti (e.g., “I absolve you, if you are repentant”) or de praeterito (e.g., “I baptize you, if you have not received Baptism”) are valid.

(b) The use of a conditional intention must be lawful, or justified by a sufficient reason. Normally the minister should intend absolutely to give a Sacrament, as the forms of the Sacraments are unconditional. But if the absolute intention would be disrespectful, because there is doubt whether all the requisites for the Sacrament are present, while on the other hand denial of the Sacrament would be harmful because the subject needs it, both disrespect to the Sacrament and harm to the subject are avoided by conditional administration. The doubt spoken of may refer to the recipient (e.g., whether he is living or otherwise capable, whether he is contrite or otherwise disposed) or to the Sacrament (e.g., whether it has been received or received validly, whether the form has been rightly spoken, whether the present matter is valid).

(c) The use of the conditional intention must be legal according to the rules prescribed by the Church. Thus, according to the Ritual the conditional intention in Baptism and Extreme Unction (“Si non es baptizatus,” “Si vivis”) must be expressed vocally. Moreover, conditional marriages are not permitted as a rule except there be a grave reason and the bishop consents.