A Topic of Moral Theology
Ignorance and the validity of acts
An act done in ignorance is not thereby invalid; substantial error in contracts and marriage.
The works themselves ask 5 questions under this heading — see them together with their answers.
In the index as Ignorance · Affected ignorance · Law · Crass ignorance · Penalty · Invalidating Law
In the manuals
Read the manuals side by side → — each work's whole treatment in its own column
A Manual of Moral Theology for English-Speaking Countries
Vol. I, Bk. I, Ch. III, Section I. Ignorance, n. 6 — Ignorance does not render an act invalid which has all other requisites for its validity; and so baptism conferred by one who knows nothing about its effects will be valid, if the - matter and form are correctly applied … Read in context →
Commentaries on Human Acts (Commentarii de Actibus Humanis)
Bucceroni, Commentaries on Human Acts, Commentary V: On Ignorance, n. 7 — 7. Whether ignorance renders an act objectively null? — Resp. Negatively. The reason is that our false estimation cannot alter the objective truth of the thing. And thus an unbeliever who, in baptizing, thinks that a man… Read in context →
Summa Theologiae Moralis
Vol. I, General Moral Theology, Treatise: On Laws in General, Sect. C, Sixth Part: On Ecclesiasti…, Third Question: On the Mut…, Article I: On Ignorance, nn. 373, 374 & 375 (5 passages — hover a number to read it)
Compendium of Moral Theology
Vol. I, Tr. III, Pt. II, Chapter VI. On Invalidating Law, n. 117, Q. 2 — Question 2. Does invincible ignorance impede the effect of invalidation? Response. Negatively, because ignorance does not supply the defect of a thing essentially required, nor does it remove the grave inconveniences whi… Read in context →
Treated under the broader heading Ignorance — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology · McHugh–Callan, Moral Theology · Bucceroni, Institutions of Moral Theology · Bucceroni, Cases of Conscience · Gury-Ballerini, Compendium of Moral Theology (8th ed., 1884) · Tanquerey · Vermeersch, Theologia Moralis · Marc, Institutiones Morales · Konings, Theologia Moralis · Concina, Compendium · Slater, Cases I — these works do not divide the matter as finely as we do here, so their treatment stands one heading up (ed.)