Section — Prümmer, Manuale Theologiae Moralis
§ 1. On The Notion And Necessity Of Matter And Form
6. Notion. The external and sensible sign of the sacraments is composed of two elements, namely, matter and form, which must be applied by a legitimate minister. Hence Eugene IV says in the Instruction to the Armenians: "The sacraments are constituted by three things, namely, by things as matter, by words as form, and by the person of the minister conferring the sacrament with the intention of doing what the Church does; if any of these is lacking, the sacrament is not constituted."30 According to the Council of Trent,31 moreover, "the essence of a sacrament is constituted by matter and form." The Roman Catechism32 teaches similarly: "For there are two things from which every sacrament is constituted, of which one has the character of matter and is called the element, while the other has the force of form and is commonly called the word.... In this matter that testimony of St. Augustine,33 well known and widely repeated among all, is familiar: 'The word comes to the element, and it becomes a sacrament.'"
30 Denz., n. 695.
31 Session 14, c. 2, on the sacrament of penance (Denz., n. 895).
32 Part 2, c. 1, q. 8.
33 In Joann. tr. 80, n. 3 (Migne, Patr. lat. 35, 1840).
7. Twofold acceptation. Matter and form are taken in two senses in sacramental matters:
a) Matter is the whole sensible sign, for example, in baptism the washing with water together with the pronouncement of the words; form is the signification of all these things, namely, sanctifying grace. This acceptation is little used, and consequently we shall not employ it hereafter.34
b) Matter is the thing or act of the sensible sign; form is the words or signs by which those things or acts receive their determinate signification and efficacy; for example, the water and the washing made with water are the matter in the sacrament of baptism, whose form is the words: "I baptize you, etc." We take matter and form in this sense.
34 Form is still taken for sanctifying grace in the expression "an unformed sacrament," which is a sacrament not producing sanctifying grace, although it is valid. Cf. below, n. 33.
8. Origin of this terminology. "It must be observed that these words 'matter and form' with respect to the sacraments were not in use until around the year 1215 and were first employed by William of Auxerre, since they are found nowhere before him, not even in the Master of the Sentences [Peter Lombard]." Thus Billuart,35 together with Christian Pesch, Hurter, Fei, and the common opinion. Certainly the holy Fathers knew that which we call the matter and form of a sacrament, but they designated them by other words; for example, they called matter the sign or element, but form the word. Since the Scholastics, according to Peripatetic philosophy, taught that every created sensible being is composed of matter and form, by analogy they said the same thing concerning the sacraments. Matter is the determinable part, but form determines matter to an individual thing. Thus, in like manner, in the sacraments the sensible thing is indeterminate, that is, not yet determined to signify something special. But the words applied to this matter give it a special signification. This manner of speaking about the matter and form of the sacraments has been universally received in both the Latin and the Eastern Church since the thirteenth century. Only a few theologians, among whom is Durandus of Saint-Pourçain, In 4 Sent., dist. 1, q. 3, rejected this manner of speaking as though hylomorphic. Against them, it is plainly established that this manner of explanation is most apt, especially for discerning whether some sacrament is valid or not. For whenever there is a substantial change of matter or form, the sacrament is not constituted; but, on the contrary, when only an accidental change exists, the validity of the sacrament is not affected. This change will be discussed again in the following paragraph.36
Distinction. Since the time of St. Thomas,37 remote and proximate matter are customarily distinguished in the sacraments.
Remote matter is the sensible thing itself employed in the sacraments, for example, water in baptism and chrism in confirmation.
Proximate matter is a human act, namely, the actual application of the sensible thing or remote matter; for example, the proximate matter in baptism is the washing made with water; in confirmation, the proximate matter is the anointing made with chrism.
The form of a sacrament must be expressed orally in words; nevertheless, in the sacrament of matrimony, whose form is the mutual manifestation and acceptance of matrimonial consent, it can also be expressed in writing or by a nod, at least validly.
35 De sacr. diss. 1, a. 4, § 2.
36 Concerning the progress of theological science in this matter since the thirteenth century, cf. Pourrat, La théol. sacr., chap. 2, § 5. The manner of speaking indeed became different, but the thing itself was already known to the holy Fathers.
37 Cf. S. theol. 3, q. 80, a. 2.
9. Necessity of matter and form. The most common opinion of theologians, which is strongly confirmed by the words of Eugene IV, the Council of Trent, and the Roman Catechism cited above, teaches that matter and form are of the very essence of every sacrament of the New Law, and consequently are altogether necessary. Hence St. Thomas38 says: "Every sacrament is distinguished into matter and form as into parts of its essence." I pass over the opinions of Durandus, who denies this, and of certain Scotists, who even after the Councils of Florence and Trent boldly teach that the sacraments are indeed perfected, but are not intrinsically constituted, by matter and form.39
38 Ibid., q. 90, a. 2.
39 Cf. Christian Pesch, Prael. dogm. VI, n. 34.