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Objection 1: It seems that faith is required of necessity in the
minister of a sacrament. For, as stated above (Article 8), the
intention of the minister is necessary for the validity of a sacrament.
But "faith directs in intention" as Augustine says against Julian
(In Psalm xxxi, cf. Contra Julian iv). Therefore, if the
minister is without the true faith, the sacrament is invalid.
Objection 2: Further, if a minister of the Church has not the true
faith, it seems that he is a heretic. But heretics, seemingly,
cannot confer sacraments. For Cyprian says in an epistle against
heretics (lxxiii): "Everything whatsoever heretics do, is carnal,
void and counterfeit, so that nothing that they do should receive our
approval." And Pope Leo says in his epistle to Leo Augustus
(clvi): "It is a matter of notoriety that the light of all the
heavenly sacraments is extinguished in the see of Alexandria, by an
act of dire and senseless cruelty. The sacrifice is no longer
offered, the chrism is no longer consecrated, all the mysteries of
religion have fled at the touch of the parricide hands of ungodly
men." Therefore a sacrament requires of necessity that the minister
should have the true faith.
Objection 3: Further, those who have not the true faith seem to be
separated from the Church by excommunication: for it is written in the
second canonical epistle of John (10): "If any man come to you,
and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house, nor say
to him; God speed you": and (Titus 3:10): "A man that is a
heretic, after the first and second admonition avoid." But it seems
that an excommunicate cannot confer a sacrament of the Church: since
he is separated from the Church, to whose ministry the dispensation of
the sacraments belongs. Therefore a sacrament requires of necessity
that the minister should have the true faith.
On the contrary, Augustine says against the Donatist Petilian:
"Remember that the evil lives of wicked men are not prejudicial to
God's sacraments, by rendering them either invalid or less holy."
I answer that, As stated above (Article 5), since the minister
works instrumentally in the sacraments, he acts not by his own but by
Christ's power. Now just as charity belongs to a man's own power so
also does faith. Wherefore, just as the validity of a sacrament does
not require that the minister should have charity, and even sinners can
confer sacraments, as stated above (Article 5); so neither is it
necessary that he should have faith, and even an unbeliever can confer
a true sacrament, provided that the other essentials be there.
Reply to Objection 1: It may happen that a man's faith is
defective in regard to something else, and not in regard to the reality
of the sacrament which he confers: for instance, he may believe that
it is unlawful to swear in any case whatever, and yet he may believe
that baptism is an efficient cause of salvation. And thus such
unbelief does not hinder the intention of conferring the sacrament.
But if his faith be defective in regard to the very sacrament that he
confers, although he believe that no inward effect is caused by the
thing done outwardly, yet he does know that the Catholic Church
intends to confer a sacrament by that which is outwardly done.
Wherefore, his unbelief notwithstanding, he can intend to do what the
Church does, albeit he esteem it to be nothing. And such an
intention suffices for a sacrament: because as stated above (Article
8, ad 2) the minister of a sacrament acts in the person of the
Church by whose faith any defect in the minister's faith is made
good.
Reply to Objection 2: Some heretics in conferring sacraments do not
observe the form prescribed by the Church: and these confer neither
the sacrament nor the reality of the sacrament. But some do observe
the form prescribed by the Church: and these confer indeed the
sacrament but not the reality. I say this in the supposition that they
are outwardly cut off from the Church; because from the very fact that
anyone receives the sacraments from them, he sins; and consequently is
hindered from receiving the effect of the sacrament. Wherefore
Augustine (Fulgentius, De Fide ad Pet.) says: "Be well
assured and have no doubt whatever that those who are baptized outside
the Church, unless they come back to the Church, will reap disaster
from their Baptism." In this sense Pope Leo says that "the light
of the sacraments was extinguished in the Church of Alexandria";
viz. in regard to the reality of the sacrament, not as to the
sacrament itself.
Cyprian, however, thought that heretics do not confer even the
sacrament: but in this respect we do not follow his opinion. Hence
Augustine says (De unico Baptismo xiii): "Though the martyr
Cyprian refused to recognize Baptism conferred by heretics or
schismatics, yet so great are his merits, culminating in the crown of
martyrdom, that the light of his charity dispels the darkness of his
fault, and if anything needed pruning, the sickle of his passion cut
it off."
Reply to Objection 3: The power of administering the sacraments
belongs to the spiritual character which is indelible, as explained
above (Question 63, Article 3). Consequently, if a man be
suspended by the Church, or excommunicated or degraded, he does not
lose the power of conferring sacraments, but the permission to use this
power. Wherefore he does indeed confer the sacrament, but he sins in
so doing. He also sins that receives a sacrament from such a man: so
that he does not receive the reality of the sacrament, unless ignorance
excuses him.
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