Article Second. On the Effects of Sacramentals

47. Efficacy of sacramentals. That there is in sacramentals a special force and efficacy of producing certain supernatural effects, whether spiritual or bodily, is evident both from the persuasion of the Church and from the power conferred upon her. Concerning these effects it must be explained: a. what they are; b. what is the power conferred on the Church; c. in what way they are produced.

a. The efficacy of sacramentals is called special so that it may be distinguished both from the force and efficacy of impetrating which belongs to the prayers of the faithful, and from the meritorious force which is in the good works of the just.

b. The special efficacy of sacramentals does not consist in this, that by their own nature, insofar as they are sacred signs, they excite pious movements, by which afterward supernatural help is obtained ex opere operantis, but in this, that by the very action or by the blessed thing itself, by force of the blessing conferred, supernatural effect is obtained.

48. What effects they produce. The effects which are produced by sacramentals can be reduced especially to four:

1. The conferral of actual grace, which must be called the primary and principal effect of sacramentals; thus the blessing of an abbot, the coronation of a king, minor orders insofar as they are sacramentals, the nuptial blessing, etc., confer actual graces for rightly carrying out the offices received. Moreover, actual graces are judged to be not only sufficient but also efficacious for the effects of sacramentals.

2. The remission of venial sin, which all theologians attribute to sacramentals, although they dispute concerning the mode by which venial sins are destroyed by them. Thus holy water, ashes blessed at the beginning of Lent, the Confiteor with the prayers joined to it, chiefly have the force of destroying venial sins.

Whether sacramentals have the force of remitting temporal punishment is not evident; "nor do I see," says Suarez, "on what sufficient foundation this could be affirmed."¹

3. The restraining of the devil. The dominion of the devil over men arising from sin exerts itself by divine permission especially in a threefold way: a. in that he inflicts physical evils on men or on their goods; b. in that interiorly he urges them to sin by evil temptations; c. in that he possesses the very bodies of men. Now for restraining, weakening, or repelling these malignant influences of the devil, several sacramentals, and especially the manifold exorcisms, are employed.

a. Sacramentals produce this effect in various ways according to the variety of diabolical influence: for they either move the good angels to repel the malignant infestations of the devil with greater force and virtue, or confer helps of grace for overcoming temptations more easily, or prevent evil spirits from harming men or their goods, or finally expel the devil entirely from possessed bodies, or at least weaken his influence.

b. From ordinary exorcism, which is numbered among the sacramentals, there must be distinguished an extraordinary charism by which God sometimes confers upon holy men the power of miraculously expelling devils from possessed bodies. For the force and efficacy of ordinary exorcisms, although it is always valid for weakening the power of the devil, is not always valid for fully expelling the devil himself.

4. The producing of a temporal good, as of bodily health or of other benefits. Sacramentals produce this effect in diverse ways: by the fact that, through the special providence of God, man and his goods are preserved from future evils; or by the fact that present evils are removed and health is restored to bodies; or by the fact that temporal prosperity is conferred. Thus the blessing of the sick and most blessings which are conferred upon irrational creatures chiefly intend these effects.

Note 1. Yet individual sacramentals do not produce all these effects: for both from their institution and from the mode by which they are performed, they are diverse and destined for diverse ends, and therefore they also produce diverse effects. But what fruits each one confers must be gathered both from their institution and from the prayers by which the Church administers them.²

Note 2. Blessings and consecrations by which things or persons are consecrated by the Church and deputed to divine worship, as the consecration of a church, the consecration of a chalice, the blessing of an abbot or abbess, first tonsure, minor orders, etc., are sacramentals insofar as the consecration itself or the use of the consecrated thing has the force of conferring supernatural effects, but not insofar as they have the force of constituting a thing or person truly sacred and deputed to divine worship. For the Church consecrates things and persons and permanently destines them to divine worship not by that power by which she institutes and confects sacramentals, but by the power with which she is furnished for ruling and ordering the external worship of God in the religious society instituted by Christ. Indeed, sacramentals also are ordered to divine worship, since by their own nature they are acts of divine worship; but the power of ruling external worship does not suffice for instituting and confecting sacramentals, unless there accedes the special power of blessing and the power of restraining devils.

¹ De sacramentis, disp. 15, sect. 4, n. 9.

² Cf. Amberger III, 2, p. 197 ff.

49. On the power of the Church. For instituting and confecting sacramentals the Church is furnished with a twofold power: the power of blessing and the power of restraining devils.

1. On the power of blessing. a. That this power was handed down by Christ to the apostles, and in them to the ministers of the Church, is evident from these words of Scripture: "Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace to this house; and if there be there a son of peace, your peace shall rest upon him."¹ For the words Peace to this house do not exhibit a commonly used greeting, but a blessing by which supernatural goods are asked, as is evident from the following words.²

b. Christ taught the apostles by His example how they ought to exercise the power of blessing for the utility of men: for He Himself, imposing hands on little children, blessed them;³ He blessed the loaves and fishes afterward to be multiplied;⁴ He blessed the bread to be changed into His body;⁵ and finally, before His ascension into heaven, with hands lifted up He blessed the apostles and disciples.⁶

2. On the power over devils. That this power was handed down to the apostles and disciples, and in them to the ministers of the Church, is demonstrated by these words of Scripture: "And having called together the twelve apostles, He gave them power and authority over all devils."⁷

Note. That the Church exercises the power handed down to her by Christ especially through her priests is already evident from the very office of priests, and is expressly signified by the words which she uses in the ordination of a priest: "Deign, O Lord, to consecrate these hands ... so that whatever they bless may be blessed, and whatever they consecrate may be consecrated and sanctified." And although she confers on clerics in the ordination of exorcists the power of imposing hands over the possessed and by imposition of hands restraining unclean spirits, nevertheless it is not permitted to use this power except for priests.⁸

¹ Luke 10, 5, 6.

² Cf. Knabenbauer, Commentarius in quatuor evangelia, I, p. 387.

³ Mark 10, 16; Matt. 19, 15.

⁴ Mark 6, 41; Matt. 14, 19.

⁵ Matt. 26, 26.

⁶ Luke 24, 50.

⁷ Luke 9, 1; cf. Matt. 10, 1; Luke 10, 17.

⁸ Pontificale Romanum, De ordinatione presbyteri, De ordinatione exorcistarum.

50. In what way they produce effects. Sacramentals produce effects from the impetratory force of the Church, which, while she confects sacramentals through her ministers, herself begs God for those to whom sacramentals are administered or who afterward use them. To the question whether sacramentals produce their effect ex opere operato or ex opere operantis, it seems one must answer thus:

a. Not ex opere operantis: for by this term it is signified that the effect depends on the sanctity of the minister or on the disposition of the subject; but sacramentals have their force and efficacy not from the sanctity and devotion of the minister nor from the disposition of the subject, but from the impetratory force of the Church.

alpha. If we sometimes read that sacramentals produced richer and almost wonderful effects where they were performed by holy men, this must be attributed not to the ordinary efficacy of sacramentals, but to a singular charism conferred by God upon a determinate person in view of sanctity. Yet by these things it is not denied that the ordinary effect of sacramentals, even apart from a special charism, can be increased, and actually is increased, from the merit of the minister who exceedingly pleases God, just as the fruits of the Mass are sometimes increased in view of the sanctity of the minister offering.

beta. For perceiving the effects of sacramentals, the due disposition of the subject is required, just as the due disposition is necessary for perceiving the fruits of the sacraments. Hence it must be conceded that the effect of sacramentals is richer in proportion as the disposition, or sanctity, faith, and devotion of the subject, is more perfect; but the force of producing these effects belongs to the impetration of the Church.

b. Nor ex opere operato: for by this term it is signified that the effect is produced by force of divine institution, so that the sign itself, by force of this institution, is efficacious for producing the effects; but sacramentals are efficacious not by force of institution, but by force of the Church praying and impetrating.

c. But ex opere operantis ecclesiae. The mode by which sacramentals operate agrees with the mode of operation of the sacraments in this, that their efficacy does not depend on the merit of the minister nor on the sanctity of the subject; but it differs from the mode of operation of the sacraments in this, that efficacy belongs to them not by force of institution, but by force of the impetration of the Church performing the sacramentals. Therefore although it can truly be affirmed that sacramentals act ex opere operato, if only the negative force of this term is considered, nevertheless sacramentals are more aptly said to produce their effects ex opere operantis ecclesiae, so that for the singular mode by which the sacraments operate, the singular term ex opere operato may also be reserved.

51. The effect of sacramentals must be called infallible: for the effect is produced by the prayer of the Church; but the prayers of the Church are always heard. Yet if the effect which is intended does not always actually come from the administration or use of sacramentals, this must especially be explained from the twofold condition on which the infallible efficacy of all prayers depends. For if temporal goods are sought, such as health of body, abundance of crops, etc., it can happen that the granting of them does not conduce to the salvation of the soul; and if supernatural goods are sought, it can happen that the granting of them is not conformed to the order of divine providence and predestination.

a. Although the proximate and immediate subject of sacramentals is most diverse, namely a creature both rational and irrational, nevertheless the remote and ultimate subject is always man as wayfarer, to whose spiritual utility every effect produced through sacramentals yields.

b. From these things it is concluded that those sacramentals (as sacramentals) are worth nothing for which the impetration of the Church does not assist; but this does not assist those which are not performed with that matter and form which she herself prescribes. Therefore sacramentals in whose confection or use the conditions designated by the Church are not observed have no effect; and in this matter neither inculpable ignorance nor good faith can supply anything: for the whole force of ecclesiastical blessings, says Gardellini, is placed in the prayer and invocation of the Church, which is made through her ministers, who must use no other words or formulas than those which have been constituted for them by the Church.¹ And cn. 1148, 2 has these words: Consecrations and blessings, whether constitutive or invocative, are invalid if the formula prescribed by the Church was not used.

Article Third. On Blessings and Exorcisms

Since blessings and exorcisms are the two great genera to which all transient sacramentals are reduced, it is useful to add a few things about them specifically.

¹ Decreta authentica S. C. R. (ed. Gardellini, Rome, 1857), note to n. 4782.