Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume I › Book II. On the Exercise of the Christian Life, or on the Cultivation of the Virtues › Treatise II. On the Cultivation of the Moral Virtues › Dissertation I. On the Precepts of the Decalogue › Part I. On the First Precept of the Decalogue › Section II. On Opposed Vices › Chapter II. On Irreligiosity › Article II. On Sacrilege › § II. On Sacrileges in Particular

point — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Point III. On Real Sacrilege

617.

I. A sacred thing is one which is ordered to divine worship, whether of itself, as the sacraments, or by the Church. But the Church orders a thing to divine worship by consecration, as sacred vessels; by constitutive blessing, as sacred vestments; or by mere destination, which occurs with goods that belong to the dominion of the Church or of a pious place (St. Alphonsus, III, 40).

Real sacrilege

618.

II. Real sacrilege is committed:

  1. By unworthily treating things sacred by their nature, or consecrated or blessed things. To this are referred: 1. invalid or unworthy administration and reception of the sacraments; 2. profanation of relics (cf. can. 1289, § 2), altars, images of the Saints, sacred oils, etc.; 3. illicit touching of the Holy Eucharist, of sacred vessels, etc. (cf. treatise on the Holy Eucharist and can. 1306); 4. abuse of Sacred Scripture, by twisting its words to an impious or obscene sense (St. Alphonsus, III, 40).

  2. By applying to a profane use things sacred by their nature, or consecrated things, or things blessed by a constitutive blessing (St. Alphonsus, loc. cit.; cf. can. 1150). This nevertheless seems lawful if they have lost their consecration or blessing; canon 1305 explains when this occurs.

  3. By stealing sacred things, for example relics or ecclesiastical goods, provided these already belong to the dominion of the Church; otherwise if they are only owed but have not yet been handed over (St. Alphonsus, III, 42, 45, 532).

  4. By exchanging a spiritual thing for a temporal price. This is real sacrilege, which is called simony; but it will be treated specifically.

Corollary. The circumstance of time induces a grave sin of sacrilege only insofar as the action, from the sense of the faithful and of the Church, involves an extraordinary repugnance with the mystery which is celebrated at some time, as if someone on Good Friday were to institute solemn banquets furnished with meats (St. Alphonsus, III, 46, 273).

SacrilegeReal sacrilegeSacred Vessels with AccessoriesSacred Vestments

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