Question Two: On Oblations

S. Th. II-II, q. 86 and 87.

705. Oblation {offerande} generally is the bestowal of some thing not asked for; hence religious oblation is a spontaneous largess for divine worship. Taken generically, it also includes sacrifice, in which a thing is offered insofar as it is to be consumed into something sacred (n. 694); taken specifically, as distinct from sacrifice, it is the largess of a thing as whole in honor of God.

One kind is immediate and properly so called, by which something is immediately offered to God in His honor, whether to be deputed to worship itself, or to the uses of the ministers, or to the use of the poor: then the priest accepts, not indeed in his own name, but in the name of God.¹ Thus formerly the first-fruits of the fruits of the earth and of animals were offered from special reverence and gratitude for divine worship; today various collections are made for pious works. Another kind is mediate and improperly so called, which is immediately offered to priests, as tithes in the Old Testament and in the Middle Ages were imposed for the sustenance of ministers, and now Mass stipends are offered: then the priest accepts in his own name (q. 85, a. 3, ad 3; q. 86, a. 1 and 2).

¹ "The priest is constituted in a certain way as sequestrator and mediator between the people and God,... and therefore it pertains to him to exhibit divine dogmas and sacraments to the people; and again those things which are of the people, such as prayers, and sacrifices, and oblations, ought to be exhibited to the Lord through him, according to the Apostle to the Hebrews V, 1. ... And therefore the oblations which are exhibited to God by the people pertain to priests, not only so that they may convert them to their own uses, but also so that they may dispense them faithfully, partly indeed by expending them on those things which pertain to divine worship, partly on those things which pertain to their own sustenance, and partly also for the uses of the poor, who are to be sustained, as far as possible, from the goods of the Church, because the Lord also had purses for the use of the poor," q. 86, a. 2.

706. Oblation according to its nature is voluntary and free; but per accidens it can be obligatory:

1. From contract, as if someone receives land of the church under the condition that at certain times he make oblations, by way of rent.

2. From a preceding deputation or promise, as if someone by donation or testament leaves some thing afterward to be paid to the church.

3. From the necessity of the church or of ministers: for natural law dictates this, that the people supply necessary support to those who minister in divine worship for the salvation of the whole people; furthermore divine law established this (Mt. X, 10; I Cor. IX, 13). Namely, public worship cannot conveniently be had without churches, ornaments, ministers; therefore the faithful are bound by oblations to procure that the things necessary for public worship be had, and therefore, in a case of necessity, oblations can be prescribed by the Church to all the faithful.

4. From custom the faithful are bound in certain solemnities to certain customary oblations, for example, on the occasion of the reception of some sacrament (such as Baptism or Extreme Unction), of proclamation, dispensation, funerals, etc.

When an oblation is obligatory, it often remains voluntary in some way as to the quantity or species of the thing offered; nevertheless the Church can also stipulate the quantity and impose a determinate tax, and thus it has done several times (a. 1).

707. An oblation can be made, as far as is of itself, from all things licitly possessed; - per accidens it can be illicit, for example, 1. if it tends to the detriment of another to whom a debt or assistance is to be rendered; 2. on account of scandal, if it is made from profit received from sins, for example, from prostitution; 3. on account of contempt, if a vile or useless thing is offered, etc. (a. 3).

708. The precept of the sustenance of ministers. - By natural and divine law, as we noted in n. 706, the faithful are bound to supply the necessaries for sustenance to pastors and ministers; this was also confirmed by ecclesiastical law (can. 1502), which can determine this obligation as to mode and quantity.

In the first centuries of the Church the spontaneous oblations of the faithful sufficed for this; afterward tithes had to be paid by precept. But with this law abrogated almost everywhere, in several places provision has been made for the sustenance of pastors either by the revenues of benefices and stole fees or also partly by a pension paid by the government; but where provision has not been made otherwise, the obligation falls upon the faithful of contributing the necessaries for this, as in North America.

The precept is certain, as is clear from the profession imposed on the Waldensians, and from the condemnation of prop. 18 of Wycliffe, and of itself it obliges under grave obligation. And indeed 1. if it has been accurately determined anywhere, it must be observed in this way by the faithful; 2. but where it has not been determined, the obligation generally falls upon individual faithful, according to their resources, of contributing something for the sustenance of their ministers.

In practice, however, a) the faithful are not easily to be accused of grave sin, unless without reason they refuse a subsidy, and thus are the cause that priests are in need or at least in a certain serious want;

b) although those denying an imposed subsidy commit a sin of a twofold species, of irreligion and injustice, the Church nevertheless does not seem to urge its right under the burden of restitution; hence the sin seems rather to be opposed to legal justice than to commutative justice;

c) indeed, generally a priest who would deny the sacraments to those not paying would act against the mind of the Church;

d) besides, in collecting the subsidies of the faithful, priests should diligently beware of all things which may introduce suspicion of avarice.

709. Observation. - Supreme adoration is formally referred to reverence for God (q. 84, a. 1, a. 2, ad 2); oblation properly so called is specially referred to the recognition of divine benefits (q. 86, a. 4); sacrifice is specially referred to the protestation of the supreme dominion of God, because we have all things from God and they are God's (I-II, q. 102, a. 3).