Scholion. On the Simulated Administration of a Sacrament

Authors do not agree in explaining the nature and morality of simulated or fictitious administration of a sacrament. It seems to us that the following must be said:

I. Notion. 1. Simulated administration of a sacrament, taken in the full sense, consists in this: that someone uses the matter and form of a sacrament, and this in such a way that he signifies the will of confecting a sacrament, which nevertheless he does not actually have (St. Alphonsus, VI, 60 and 61, where he denies simulation because matter and form are lacking).

2. Simulated administration, accepted in a less full sense, is had when someone uses the matter or form of a sacrament, and this again in such a way that he signifies the will of confecting a sacrament, which in reality he does not have (St. Alphonsus, loc. cit.).

Each simulated administration is called formal or material, according as deception of one's neighbor is intended as an end, or is chosen as a means.

3. Simulated administration of a sacrament, taken improperly, consists in this: that someone applies something which bears the appearance of the matter and form of a sacrament, or of either one, and this for the end that he may be judged to confect a sacrament.

From every simulated administration there differs the dissimulation of a denied sacrament, which has place when someone applies something which bears the appearance of the matter and form, or of either one, for the end that he may hide the denial of the sacrament; for example, if someone gives a blessing instead of absolution to one who is indisposed, lest the denial of absolution be disclosed to others (St. Alphonsus, VI, 59).

II. Morality. 1. Simulation of a sacrament, accepted in the full sense, is gravely evil, because it contains a sacrilegious lie, that is, a lie which, as having been committed through a sacramental rite, redounds upon the sacrament itself and inflicts grave injury upon it. Add that the said lie will often be gravely harmful. There is added proposition 29 condemned by Innocent XI: "Urgent grave fear is a cause for simulating the administration of the sacraments";¹ concerning which note: 1. by that proposition at least the simulation of a sacrament accepted in the full sense is condemned; 2. the authors of the said proposition understood it of material simulation (St. Alphonsus, VI, 59); hence formal simulation is to be rejected a fortiori.

2. Simulation of a sacrament accepted in the less full sense likewise seems gravely illicit, because the argument just brought forward also has force if the lie is committed through the partial rite of a sacrament.²

3. Simulation of a sacrament taken improperly of itself is quite probably not gravely illicit; for since the rite of the sacrament is applied neither wholly nor partially, the injury inflicted on the sacrament seems to be lacking, so that only a lie remains. I said of itself, because grave sin can be committed from another source, for example against charity or even against justice with respect to the subject to whom the sacrament, owed by charity or by justice, is thus denied.

4. The dissimulation of a denied sacrament, when there is a just cause, is of itself licit. For in the case neither is injury inflicted on the sacrament, nor is a lie committed, but only the truth is hidden (St. Alphonsus, VI, 59). I said of itself, because again grave sin can be had from another source, for example with respect to the subject, who can have a grave right that the truth not be hidden from him.

And these things which we have said concerning simulated administration of a sacrament, with the necessary adjustments, should also be applied to simulated reception.

Corollary I. It is neither simulation of a sacrament nor sin:

1. To place the matter and form for the sake of practice, because it is not signified that the sacrament is being confected, and therefore a lie is lacking; nor does the placing of the rite for the sake of practice inflict any injury upon the sacrament.

2. For the sake of avoiding infamy, to pronounce the customary words before one pretending to receive Communion, while not handing over the host but replacing it in the ciborium (St. Alphonsus, VI, 61). Nevertheless the case is little practical.

3. To enter the confessional and there speak to the confessor about some business. "For since matter and form are lacking there, I do not know how to understand where there is simulation of a sacrament" (St. Alphonsus, VI, 60). Nor is there a lie, unless someone "approached with the intention that bystanders believe that he is confessing" (St. Alphonsus, loc. cit.); otherwise if he did it in order to hide from others the fact that he was not confessing.

4. In contracting Matrimony, to which someone is compelled, to simulate consent; since consent of this kind is invalid, so that the matter and form of the sacrament are lacking. Nor is there sin because consent is simulated, since, on account of the opposing impediment, the words of consent can be uttered with a restriction that is not purely mental, so that a lie also is lacking (St. Alphonsus, VI, 62).

Corollary II. It is simulation of a sacrament, or at least grave sin:

1. To pronounce without intention the words of absolution over one who is indisposed, or the words of consecration over bread, or in the celebration of Mass to omit the words of consecration; indeed, also from chapter De homine, 7, de celebratione missarum, the priest who in Mass did not consecrate would sin more gravely than one who consecrated and communicated sacrilegiously (St. Alphonsus, VI, 59, 61).

2. To hand over a non-consecrated host as consecrated; here indeed there is not simulation of a sacrament, but cooperation in idolatry, at least material idolatry (St. Thomas, III, q. 80, a. 6, ad 2; St. Alphonsus, VI, 61).

¹ Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 1179.

² Cf. Holy Office, 6 September 1625 (Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 1489).