§ 1. On The Valid Reception Of The Sacraments

87. Diverse conditions are required for validity in the diverse sacraments. In general, however, the following things are to be noted concerning all the sacraments:

1. The faith and probity of the recipient are not required for the validity of any sacrament, penance excepted. Hence those who received baptism or order as formal heretics are not to be rebaptized or reordained. In the sacrament of penance, however, true contrition or at least attrition is required for validity, and this assuredly cannot be had without faith and probity, at least begun.

2. Neither internal nor external attention is required for the validity of the sacraments, provided that the intention discussed below was present. Hence, for example, if someone is voluntarily distracted or intent upon other works while he receives sacramental absolution, he indeed sins, but receives it validly.

3. Valid baptism of water previously received is required for the validity of all the other sacraments. For baptism is the gate of all the sacraments.

4. No personal intention is required in infants and the perpetually insane for receiving the sacraments of which they are capable. For the Church then supplies the necessary intention.³²² Infants can validly receive baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, and order.³²³ According to the present discipline of the Church, however, no sacrament other than baptism, and in some regions confirmation, is customarily administered to infants and the perpetually insane.

5. In adults having the use of reason, some intention is required for the validity of all the sacraments, the Eucharist excepted, and it is diverse for the diverse sacraments. It is said: the Eucharist excepted, which, since it consists in a permanent thing, that is, in the consecrated species, as regards validity depends upon no intention either of the one ministering or of the one receiving. Hence one who were to receive the Eucharist under narcosis or in a complete loss of consciousness, or one who were to consume a host which he does not know to be consecrated, would indeed consume the true body of Christ, but only materially and without fruit if every intention were lacking.

The necessity of intention on the part of the recipient is inculcated by Innocent III,³²⁴ who rejects the opinion of those who teach that the sacraments can be conferred at least validly not only upon those sleeping and the insane, but also upon the unwilling and those contradicting, saying: "But it is contrary to the Christian religion that anyone always unwilling and altogether contradicting should be compelled to receive and preserve Christianity." St. Thomas,³²⁵ speaking of baptism, teaches: "If in an adult the intention of receiving the sacrament were lacking, he would have to be rebaptized." The reason a priori is the will of Christ instituting the sacraments in this manner, which will is gathered from the doctrine and practice of the Church and is very consonant with the essence and dignity of the sacraments. For the sacraments are the most worthy means of conferring grace. Now, it is most fitting that a man capable of the use of reason receive them voluntarily, and not merely passively or under compulsion.

The quality of the required intention is diverse for the diverse sacraments, as will be explained below when the individual sacraments are discussed. In general, however, it can be said: A lesser intention is required in the subject than in the minister of the sacraments; hence an actual and virtual intention is not required, but a habitual intention also suffices, that is, one once possessed and not retracted.³²⁶ Three sacraments, however, are excepted, namely: a) matrimony, in which at least a virtual intention is required, since the contracting parties themselves are also the ministers of that sacrament; b) according to the discipline now in force, the same holds for sacred ordination, since through it a man undertakes a new state and new grave burdens; likewise, c) for penance, in which the acts of the penitent, and notably contrition, must be present at least virtually while sacramental absolution is given.

As regards the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, and extreme unction, an implicit habitual intention suffices for validity, that is, one which is included in the Christian life or, if it concerns baptism, in the resolution to undertake the Christian life. But that will alone which is present in every contrition or attrition, namely, of doing the things necessary for salvation, does not seem to suffice. Hence, for example, a missionary can baptize a dying pagan deprived of his senses, provided that the latter previously manifested a resolution to undertake the Christian life³²⁷ or to receive baptism. But if such a resolution never was and is not present, baptism seems unable to be administered. Nevertheless, certain modern authors, for example, Vermeersch³²⁸ and Cappello,³²⁹ notwithstanding the response of the Holy Office of March 30, 1898, think that an unbeliever dying and deprived of his senses can be baptized under the condition, "if you are capable," provided that scandal is avoided. The reason is that in extreme necessity it is lawful to baptize even doubtfully validly.

As regards the objections deduced against the necessity of intention from certain historical facts, see Billuart.³³⁰ The councils, however, enumerate only the matter, form, and intention of the minister as essentially required for all the sacraments because the personal intention of the subject is not in reality required in all the sacraments, for example, in the baptism of infants.

³²² Cf. S. theol. 3, q. 68, a. 9 ad 1.

³²³ Cf. St. Alphonsus, Theol. mor., l. 6, n. 81.

³²⁴ C. 3, X 3, 42.

³²⁵ S. theol., l.c., a. 7 ad 2.

³²⁶ Cf. St. Alphonsus, l.c.

³²⁷ Cf. Holy Office, March 30, 1898 (Collectan. de Prop. Fide, n. 1993).

³²⁸ Theol. mor. III, 243.

³²⁹ De sacr. I, 243.

³³⁰ De sacr., diss. 6, a. 1.