The Requisites for Valid Ministration

28. Required conditions. For licitly administering the sacraments, these four conditions especially are required in the minister:

1. That he be in the state of grace: for holy things must be treated holily; but among sacred things the sacraments hold the chief place, whose sanctity shines forth especially from the fact that they produce the divine gift of sanctifying grace, and therefore their minister immediately concurs in producing this divine gift. Moreover, the minister in conferring the sacraments bears the person of Christ, who is holy and the holy of holies. Finally, the special office of administering the sacraments has been entrusted to the priest, and that he may perform this office holily and worthily, he has been consecrated by a special sacrament and is aided by a special help of grace.¹ Therefore he who administers the sacraments in the state of sin, whether he is a priest or not, commits irreverence against the sacraments themselves and their author, and therefore sacrilege.

Wherefore if a priest or another about to administer a sacrament knows that he is in the state of mortal sin, he is bound first to elicit contrition; but he is not bound to confession, although it is to be recommended, unless he wishes to celebrate or unless he cannot elicit perfect contrition. For the Church does not prescribe that before the administration of the sacraments, excepting the eucharist, the state of grace must be recovered by sacramental absolution rather than by perfect contrition.² And in order that a sacrament can be licitly administered, contrition probably judged to exist suffices: for since the question is not of validity, but only of the honesty of the action, it is permitted to use probability concerning the honesty of the action.

¹ St. Thomas III, q. 64, a. 6.

² Cf. Rituale Romanum, tit. 1, n. 4.

29. 2. That he act according to the norm of the Roman Ritual, whose rubrics, however, are not all of the same value. Therefore outside a case of necessity it is not permitted to administer the sacraments with the solemnities and ceremonies prescribed in the Ritual omitted.

a. The Roman Ritual, edited by Paul V by the brief Apostolicae sedi (17 Jan. 1614), was approved and communicated to all the churches of the world. The Supreme Pontiff indeed greatly desires that all churches use the Roman Ritual in sacred functions; nevertheless, he does not oblige them to its use, but only exhorts them. Although there was no precept introducing the Roman Ritual, and at first several churches retained their own rituals, nevertheless by use the Roman Ritual was gradually received in most churches, so that now there are very few churches of the Roman rite which use their own ritual. But where once it has been received, the Roman Ritual cannot be changed into another. For this reason it can truly be affirmed that today the Roman Ritual morally constitutes the norm to be observed in the administration of the sacraments in the universal Church.

b. The rubrics of the Roman Ritual are not all of the same authority and value, and the same is to be said entirely of the Missal, Breviary, Pontifical, and other liturgical books.

alpha. The Ritual contains in its rubrics the rites to be observed in the administration of the sacraments. Some of these rites are called essential, others accidental. Essential rites concern matter and form; these were instituted by Christ Himself and therefore are required for valid administration. Accidental rites concern the worthy and fitting administration of the sacraments; these have been prescribed by the Church and therefore are required not for valid but for licit administration.

beta. Some rubrics of the Ritual are preceptive, which impose an obligation in conscience; others are only directive, which impose no obligation, but contain counsels and instructions. Of those which contain a precept, some oblige under grave sin, others under light sin.

gamma. For solving the rather difficult question which rubrics are preceptive and which directive, these criteria can serve as some rule: the words of the rubric, the matter of the rubric, a declaration of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, and the consensus of authors.

c. The precept of observing the preceptive rubrics of the Ritual is of itself grave, because it pertains to the virtue of religion; but religion of itself obliges under grave sin. Therefore he who violates rubrics prescribed in the Ritual in a grave matter sins gravely. What matter is grave and what is light will be explained below in the individual sacraments.¹

¹ Cf. Pighi, Dell' autorita del rituale romano (Verona: Cinquetti, 1891).

30. 3. That he have license to administer the sacraments to others. This license belongs to priests alone, and not to all priests, but only to those to whom the care of souls (whether ordinary or auxiliary) has been entrusted. Therefore these licitly administer the sacraments to their subjects in the place in which they exercise the care of souls; but outside their own territory only when the permission of the proper pastor of that place has been received.

a. Hence a bishop sins who outside his own diocese confers orders or confirmation without the faculty of the proper bishop of that place; and a parish priest sins who outside his own parish administers sacraments without the faculty of the proper parish priest of that place.

b. Baptism in a case of necessity, if the priest of that place is not present, may be licitly administered by any other person, indeed by any man, yet with the order preserved which will be stated in its own place.

c. The last sacraments (penance, viaticum, and extreme unction) in a case of necessity, and with the proper pastor lacking, any priest licitly administers.

d. Any priest furnished with the necessary power can administer the sacrament of penance to the sick. Yet if there is need, the parish priest must be made more certain of the sacrament administered by testimony left among the sick.

31. 4. That he be immune from censures and from irregularity. a. If an excommunicated person administers a sacrament, the administration is valid but gravely illicit, except in the case in which the faithful by right seek sacraments from him. If an excommunicated person to be avoided, or an excommunicated person against whom a condemnatory or declaratory sentence has been issued, does this, the sacrament of penance is also invalid, unless the faithful seek the sacrament by right.¹ Cn. 2261, 2264. When the faithful can seek sacraments from an excommunicated person is stated in n. 43.

b. If an irregular person administers a sacrament, the sacrament likewise is valid, even penance, because an irregular person is not deprived of jurisdiction, but only of the license of exercising the order received; but the administration is gravely illicit unless the sacrament is sought by the faithful by right.²

¹ A condemnatory sentence is that by which excommunication is judicially inflicted on someone for a public delict; a declaratory sentence, when circumstances require, is added to a penalty latae sententiae contracted for a hidden delict. It effects this, that the penalty or censure must be publicly observed from the moment the delict was committed.

² In more urgent hidden cases, in which the Ordinary cannot be approached and danger of grave harm or infamy is imminent, any confessor can dispense from irregularities arising from a hidden delict, except homicide and procurement of abortion, to the end that the penitent may licitly exercise orders already received. Cn. 990.

32. How great a sin it is to administer a sacrament in the state of sin. A consecrated minister certainly commits a grave sin who solemnly confects a sacrament with the entire rite prescribed by the Church while in the state of mortal sin, except in the case in which the necessity of conferring the sacrament is urgent and there is morally lacking time to procure for himself the state of grace at least through contrition: for since the sacraments were instituted for men, they can be administered in the state of sin rather than that the salvation of a soul be endangered.

a. Therefore he commits grave sin: alpha. who celebrates in mortal sin; beta. who solemnly baptizes; gamma. who absolves; delta. who confers extreme unction; epsilon. a bishop who confirms in mortal sin; zeta. who confers sacred orders. And indeed he commits one sin in number who in one administration confers the same sacrament successively upon several persons; therefore he who absolves several, baptizes several at once, confirms several, or ordains several in the state of sin commits several sins.¹

b. He who celebrates in mortal sin, according to the mind of St. Alphonsus (n. 35), following Holzmann and Mazzotta, commits four sacrileges: alpha. because he unworthily confects the sacrament; beta. unworthily receives it; gamma. unworthily ministers it; delta. ministers it to himself as unworthy. Others, with de Lugo² and Ballerini,³ rightly teach that one celebrating unworthily commits two sacrileges, because he unworthily consecrates and unworthily receives the sacrament.

¹ Cf. De principiis^13, n. 304.

² Cf. Lugo, disp. 8, n. 161.

³ Cf. Ballerini-Palmieri IV, n. 680.

33. Corollaries. Since grave sin must not be established unless it is certainly evident, grave sin is not committed where one of the three conditions required above for grave sin is lacking; but all concede that a light irreverence is committed. Therefore they do not sin gravely:

a. A layman who, when necessity is urgent, baptizes in the state of mortal sin, because he is not ordained and does not solemnly confect the sacrament; contracting parties who contract matrimony in mortal sin, insofar as they themselves are the ministers; but insofar as they are receivers, they indeed sin gravely.

b. A priest who administers the sacrament of baptism not solemnly, but privately without ceremonies in a case of necessity: for although he is consecrated, he does not act as consecrated, or as a public minister of the Church, but only as a private person (n. 17).

c. A priest or deacon who administers the eucharist, or touches or carries it, in mortal sin; likewise a parish priest assisting at matrimony in mortal sin, because they do not confect the sacrament. St. Alphonsus (n. 35), as to the dispensing of the eucharist, whether it is done by a priest or by a deacon, follows the stricter opinion as true.

d. A priest who hears a confession but does not absolve, or who exercises other sacred functions besides the conferral of a sacrament; a deacon who assists at solemn high Mass, although he exercises his order; likewise a preacher who gives a sacred sermon in mortal sin.

e. A bishop who in mortal sin confects chrism, blesses a chalice, consecrates a church, confers first tonsure or minor orders, because he does not confect a sacrament, although he exercises an order.

f. Indeed, not even a priest who solemnly ministers in mortal sin, but when necessity is urgent, as if the sacraments had to be conferred immediately upon a dying man and he could not so quickly elicit perfect contrition.¹

g. Although he cannot be excused from light irreverence who performs the sacramentals of the Church in the state of mortal sin, because he has been ordained to perform them and through them communicates graces to the faithful; nevertheless he cannot in any way be accused of sin who recites the divine office in the state of sin, because by it he simply satisfies a burden which does not have an intrinsic connection with ordination.

Article Fifth. On the Obligation of Ministering the Sacraments

As to the sacraments to be ministered, one obligation belongs to pastors and another to those who are not pastors. For the former are bound to minister the sacraments by office, the latter only by charity; wherefore the obligation of the former and its extent are taken from justice and charity, but the obligation of the latter only from charity. But all those are bound to administer the sacraments by office to whom the care of souls has been entrusted as an office: bishops, parish priests, their coadjutors or vicars, and, as regards regulars, their superiors.

¹ Cf. Lugo, disp. 8, n. 151.

34. Obligations of pastors. 1. Pastors are bound per se under grave sin from justice to administer the sacraments to their subjects reasonably asking, if they can do so without grave inconvenience: for by undertaking the pastoral office they have bound themselves to this by a tacit contract. The gravity of the sin which the pastor commits in this case must be measured from the spiritual harm of the subjects.

a. Subjects are judged to ask reasonably not only when they ask for the sacraments because of necessity, but also when they ask because of spiritual utility, e.g., if someone asks because he is in temptation or otherwise must remain long in sin.

b. Hence he who denies the sacraments to one asking irrationally or at an importune time does not sin, as, for example, one who does not always hear scrupulous persons or devout women whenever they present themselves. He who once or twice denies the sacraments to one who is not in spiritual necessity sins only lightly, because the harm can easily be repaired.

c. He who frequently shows himself difficult and morose in administering the sacraments sins gravely, because by this manner of acting he deters the faithful from receiving the sacraments. He sins gravely who reluctantly, and only hesitatingly and slowly, goes to the sick who are in danger of life in order to administer the last sacraments to them, because from this manner of acting there arises danger of grave spiritual harm for the parishioners. Parish priests sin gravely who hear confessions only on fixed days, for example, once or twice each month, or only on Saturdays and Sundays, and refer all the faithful who desire to confess during the week to Saturday, unless the faithful can elsewhere without difficulty find an occasion of confessing. For a petition of this kind cannot be called irrational; indeed, grave spiritual harm arises for the faithful from this manner of acting: for besides the fact that frequency of the sacraments is impeded in this way, among those asking, some can be in the state of sin, others in grave temptation, and others perhaps desire to gain a particular indulgence.

2. They are bound to minister necessary sacraments not only with grave inconvenience to themselves, but even with danger to health or life, to subjects who are in extreme spiritual necessity, and indeed also to those who are in grave spiritual necessity.

a. The Sacred Congregation of the Council declared two things: alpha. that a parish priest is bound to minister to his parishioners suffering from plague only the two sacraments necessary unto salvation, namely baptism and penance; beta. that it is not permitted to a parish priest to depart from the parish in time of plague, even if he leaves a suitable vicar in his place; nevertheless it is permitted to him to reserve for himself the care of the healthy, if the vicar is prepared to undertake the care of the sick, lest, namely, the healthy dread him whom they see approaching the plague-stricken.¹

b. Extreme unction is also to be referred to the necessary sacraments for those who have been deprived of their senses before they could be absolved. Although pastors in time of contagious disease are bound to administer, with grave danger of life, only the necessary sacraments, nevertheless it is most fitting that they confer also the non-necessary sacraments on the dying, namely viaticum and extreme unction.

c. He is found in spiritual necessity who is in danger of losing salvation.

He is found in extreme spiritual necessity who cannot provide for himself, and therefore without the help of another is in danger either simply or certainly morally of losing salvation. In extreme necessity are infants dying without baptism; unbelievers and heretics in danger of death; dying sinners who do not know that contrition is necessary for them and therefore do not think about having it, or who do not know how it is to be elicited.

He is found in grave spiritual necessity who can provide for himself only with great difficulty, and therefore without the help of another is in probable danger of losing salvation, as dying sinners who, neglecting the care of salvation, have lived rather unchristianly.

He is found in common spiritual necessity who, by applying some effort, can provide for himself without difficulty. In this necessity dying Christians ordinarily are found who have lived rather piously and have diligently fulfilled Christian duties.

3. Nevertheless pastors themselves are not bound personally to minister the sacraments, but can satisfy this office through their vicars; but if they are required by name by penitents or the dying, they themselves must come personally, unless they are impeded by more serious affairs.

¹ S. C. C., decree of 12 Oct. 1576, approved by Gregory XIII, issued by S. C. C. on 6 Dec. 1576. Cf. Benedict XIV, De synodo, l. 13, c. 19, n. 2.

35. Obligations of those who are not pastors. 1. Those who are not pastors are ordinarily bound to administer sacraments only if they can do so conveniently, and they are not bound under grave sin except to one who is in grave necessity.

2. They are bound under grave sin and with great inconvenience, indeed even with grave danger of life, to administer sacraments only if others are lacking, and only to those who are in extreme necessity.

Note 1. In order that a grave obligation of administering the sacraments, and that with danger of life, can be established, whether the question concerns pastors or those who are not pastors, it is required: a. that from this obligation greater evils not follow, as if, with a priest lacking, the salvation of several others would be brought into danger; b. that the necessity of the neighbor be certain; c. that the hope of saving the neighbor be morally certain.

Note 2. A common grave necessity, or necessity of the community, is equated with extreme necessity, because among many dying persons there certainly are not lacking those who are in extreme necessity. Therefore, in a common spiritual necessity, even a priest who is not a pastor is bound, if others are lacking, to impart absolution to the dying with danger to his own life.

I. For the valid ministration of the sacraments, faith and sanctity are not required in the minister. With respect to faith, this is of faith as regards Baptism;¹ certain as regards the other sacraments. With respect to sanctity, it is of faith.²

The reason is that "the ministers of the Church operate instrumentally in the sacraments ... but, as was said above, an instrument does not act according to its own form or power, but according to the power of him by whom it is moved" (St. Thomas, III, q. 64, a. 5). Hence the efficacy of the sacraments does not depend on the disposition of the minister (St. Alphonsus, VI, 13).

II. For the valid ministration of the sacraments there are required intention, and certain other things, concerning which we shall treat individually.

¹ Council of Trent, Session 7, On Baptism, canon 4.

² Council of Trent, Session 7, On the Sacraments, canon 12.

Requirements in the Minister for Valid Performance of a Sacrament.—(a) The Person of the Minister.—As the minister represents Christ, only those may perform a Sacrament to whom Christ has given authority. Hence, ordinarily only mortals and human beings—not the Angels or departed Saints—can administer a Sacrament. Further, as the ministry of a Sacrament may include an act of power and authority, there are various ranks of ministers. Thus, the ministry of Matrimony supposes no power or orders or spiritual authority, and the ministers are the parties themselves; that of Solemn Baptism, Eucharist, Penance, and Extreme Unction supposes orders and lower authority, and the minister is the priest; that of Confirmation and Orders supposes higher authority, and the minister is the bishop.

(b) The Acts of the Minister.—As the minister acts as Christ’s responsible agent to whose wise discretion the dispensation of the Sacraments is committed, he must have at least the external attention of mind sufficient to perform all that the rite demands and the internal intention of will sufficient to make his ministry an act that is human, sacred, and definitely symbolical of the sacramental effects.

The Necessary Intention.—The intention or purpose of the minister therefore must have the following qualities:

(a) objectively, there must be an intention of doing what the Church does (i.e., of performing a sacred rite instituted by Christ, for the minister acts in the name and authority of Christ). Hence a mock sacrament—or even, more probably, a purely external performance with no purpose to enact a sacred rite—does not suffice. But, on the other hand, an unbeliever can administer validly if he really intends to do what Christians do or what Christ commanded to be done. The intention not to do what the Church does was the chief cause of the nullity of Anglican Orders;

(b) subjectively, the intention must be at least virtual, so as to ensure a deliberate act. An actual intention is not necessary, because it is often impossible on account of its difficulty; while an habitual intention is not sufficient, because it does not influence the act so as to make it human (see 2165). The interpretative intention (i.e., a purpose that never existed, but that would presumably have existed, had attention been given the matter) is with greater reason insufficient;

(c) modally, the intention must be such as to make precise the character of the action as a special sacred rite; for just as the matter awaits the form or word to receive the imprint of a sacred significance, so do the ceremonial words themselves look to the internal purpose of the minister for their fixed meaning. Hence, the Sacrament is invalid if the minister’s purpose is indeterminate (e.g., if a priest wills to consecrate ten undesignated hosts out of the hundred contained in a ciborium, or to absolve one undesignated person of a multitude); or if the purpose is self-exclusive (e.g., if a bridegroom has two mutually incompatible intentions, namely, to marry the bride and also to marry her only for a time); or if the purpose is left in suspense (e.g., if a priest makes his absolution depend on future restitution or any other non-existent condition, and most probably also if the minister makes the Sacrament depend on the recipient’s predestination or other such condition known only to God).

Rules on Plurality of Intentions.—(a) When opposite intentions are simultaneous, if one of them is predominant in the minister’s will and not insociable with the Sacrament, that one prevails and the Sacrament is valid; otherwise the Sacrament is null. (b) When opposite intentions are successive, the later prevails over the earlier, unless the earlier was stronger and meant to endure in spite of other intentions, and it has not been recalled expressly by the will.

Requisites for Use of Conditional Intention.—(a) The use must be valid or non-suspensive (2666 e), and hence (Matrimony excepted on account of its special character as a contract) the minister may not confer a Sacrament under a condition de futuro. But conditions de praesenti (e.g., “I absolve you, if you are repentant”) or de praeterito (e.g., “I baptize you, if you have not received Baptism”) are valid.

(b) The use of a conditional intention must be lawful, or justified by a sufficient reason. Normally the minister should intend absolutely to give a Sacrament, as the forms of the Sacraments are unconditional. But if the absolute intention would be disrespectful, because there is doubt whether all the requisites for the Sacrament are present, while on the other hand denial of the Sacrament would be harmful because the subject needs it, both disrespect to the Sacrament and harm to the subject are avoided by conditional administration. The doubt spoken of may refer to the recipient (e.g., whether he is living or otherwise capable, whether he is contrite or otherwise disposed) or to the Sacrament (e.g., whether it has been received or received validly, whether the form has been rightly spoken, whether the present matter is valid).

(c) The use of the conditional intention must be legal according to the rules prescribed by the Church. Thus, according to the Ritual the conditional intention in Baptism and Extreme Unction (“Si non es baptizatus,” “Si vivis”) must be expressed vocally. Moreover, conditional marriages are not permitted as a rule except there be a grave reason and the bishop consents.

Lawful Administration of Sacraments.—Lawful administration of a Sacrament demands, in addition to the conditions for validity (2665-2668), that the minister and his ministry be worthy, for even in the Old Law it was strictly commanded that holy things be treated in a holy manner (Isa., lii. 11; Lev., xxi. xxii). Hence, a person who fulfilled the conditions for validity but who lacked one or other of the qualities mentioned below would perform and confer a true Sacrament, but he would sin more or less seriously on account of the unworthy administration, unless good faith excused him.

(a) The Minister’s Worthiness before God.—The state of grace is required in consecrated ministers when they minister solemnly and ex officio in performing a Sacrament; for they act then as representatives of Christ, who is holy, and exercise most sacred functions which He appointed as means of holiness and which they were ordained to perform holily. The sin of unworthiness is a grave sacrilege. It seems there is per se no grave sin, if the minister is not consecrated (e.g., in lay Baptism), or if the ministry is not ex officio (e.g., in a Baptism of necessity given by a priest but without the solemn ceremonies), or if a Sacrament is not made or performed (e.g., when confession is heard but absolution not given, when Communion is administered, when the Blessed Sacrament is carried). It is generally admitted that there is no grave sin even in a solemn and official performance of a Sacrament, if the Sacrament is urgently necessary and the state of grace cannot be recovered in time; also in the exercise of a function which is not itself a Sacrament (e.g., to be official witness at a marriage or deacon at Mass, to preach, bless, give Minor Orders, chant or say the Office). When the state of grace is necessary for his ministry, one who is in sin must to the best of his ability recover that state by going to confession or at least by making an act of contrition.

(b) The Minister’s Worthiness Before the Church.—Since the Church is the custodian of the Sacraments, these cannot be lawfully performed or administered by those who are under her censure or who have not received her license. The excommunicated and the irregular sin gravely if they administer Sacraments, unless the faithful lawfully request administration from them (see 2683). Only priests are licensed to act as ministers of Baptism, Penance, Extreme Unction and the Eucharist, and the pastor of a place is the authorized minister for that territory; but in case of need even the laity may administer Baptism, a priest other than the pastor may give the Last Sacraments, and the sick may confess to any confessor with due faculties.

(c) Worthiness of the Ministration.—Internally the ministry should be devout and attentive; for, if private worship should be religiously made, much more the worship contained in the Sacraments (see 2150, 2244). Voluntary distractions, however, do not seem to be gravely sinful, unless the validity of the rite is imperilled by them. Externally the ministry should be dignified and rubrical. Canon 733 requires that each one observe the accidental ceremonies of his own Rite and liturgical books. Since ceremonies were instituted by the Church from the earliest ages and are prescribed in virtue of religion (Catechism of the Council of Trent, page 152), it is sinful to neglect them unless a rubric is merely directive or optional, such as the rules before and after Mass. The preceptive rubrics oblige sub gravi as to notable matter (e.g., the anointing in Baptism), sub levi as to inconsiderable matter (e.g., words, bows, crosses, etc. of minor importance); but one may be excused from guilt, or grave guilt, on account of imperfection of act (e.g., inadvertence caused by external distractions) or impossibility (e.g., ceremonies curtailed because of approaching death, scandal or wonder of the people). The Roman Ritual (Title I, n. 10) advises the explanation of the ceremonies for the benefit of those who assist at the administration of the Sacraments, and recommends the Catechism of the Council of Trent for this purpose.

Multiplication of Sins of Unworthy Administration.—How many sins are committed by the minister when Sacraments are unworthily administered to many recipients at one time, as when several children are baptized together, or a large gathering of penitents are heard one after the other, etc.?

(a) According to the strict view, there are as many distinct sins as there are distinct administrations, for each Sacrament is separate from the other. But in case of Communion, since the separate Communions are parts of the one Eucharistic banquet, there is but one sin, mortal or venial, according to the view taken of an administration that is not also performance of a Sacrament.

(b) According to the mild view, there is but one sin, since sins are not multiplied numerically when they form morally but one act on account of the unity given them by the purpose of the agent and the circumstances.

Question 2. Is a sacrament valid when conferred with conditioned intention?

Resp. Negatively, if the condition placed is concerning the future; because then, by suspending the intention of the Minister, it prevents the form from being applied here and now to the matter; nor can it afterward be applied, when the condition has been verified, since the matter and form have already ceased to be present. - Except, however, the Sacrament of Matrimony, as will be said in its own place. - But if the condition is concerning the past or concerning the present, and in reality this condition exists, any sacrament whatever will be valid. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 26.

Question 3. Is the conferral of the sacraments with conditioned intention licit, in doubt whether they have been validly conferred?

Resp. Affirmatively, if a sufficient cause is present for placing the condition. The reason is that sacraments are for men, and by conditioned conferral provision is made, insofar as can be done, both for the good of those who receive the sacrament, if perhaps they are capable of it, and also for the reverence of the sacrament. But it is certain that in extreme necessity, where no matter is present except doubtful matter, the Minister not only can, but also is bound under grave obligation to minister the sacrament under condition. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, nn. 27, 28 and 29.

XII. Baptism is valid conferred by a minister who observes the whole external rite and form of baptizing; but within, in his heart, resolves with himself: I do not intend to do what the Church does. This is the 30th.

VII. QUESTION III. That a sacrament may be valid, is there required in the minister faith, or the intention of producing the sacramental effect? ANSWER. The opinion of the Church has always been that faith is not required in the minister for the valid conferring of a sacrament, and that it is validly conferred by a heretic and an unbeliever, provided the evangelical rite be observed. In the time of St. Cyprian this truth had not been defined: therefore the holy Martyr refuted the letters of Pope St. Stephen. All likewise confess that the intention of producing the sacramental effects is not necessary in the minister.

X. QUESTION VI. Is a sacrament valid administered under a conditional form? ANSWER. Either the condition is concerning a past thing, as if thou art not baptized, I baptize thee; or concerning a present thing, as if thou art capable, I baptize thee; or concerning a future thing, as if tomorrow thou shalt have restored another's property, I absolve thee. That the sacrament is valid under a condition concerning a past or present thing, if the condition be true, but not if false, all teach. Under a future condition a sacrament cannot be performed. Since while the matter is applied and the form uttered, the present intention is suspended: if at a future time the condition shall be, then the matter and the form will not be present.