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F e a t u r e A r t i c l e
TO BE OR NOT TO BE A SACRAMENT
By NICHOLAS HALLIGAN, O.P.
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This Rock
Volume 5, Number 1
 January 1994 
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WHO can tamper with a sacrament? It is not
seldom that the leeway given or taken in certain liturgical practices
has raised questions or even serious concerns in the minds of some
faithful. This is particularly true with respect to the sacramental
worship of the Church, especially the Holy Eucharist, which stands
at the apex of the liturgical life of the Church.
The new approved liturgy of the Latin Rite, with its translation into
local languages, has made the prayer of the Church--which is the
prime worship life of all of us--more understandable and thus
more spiritually fruitful. As happens when serious changes take place,
there are side effects. Some have experienced a great nostalgia especially
for the previous form of the Mass. For them, in its wisdom, the Church
has granted competence to local bishops to allow, under certain prescribed
norms, the celebration of the Tridentine Mass.
On the other hand, some in the Church, clerical and lay, have new
buzz words, "the spirit of Vatican II." Feeling liberated
from the rubrical vise prescribed in the old liturgical books, some
liturgical committees and some priests and deacons feel the need to
be more "creative" in the liturgy in order that it be more
"meaningful." It is in this area that dissatisfaction, dissension,
conflict, and the loss of parishioners to other parish services have
occurred.
But, granted the problems which have arisen from time to time with
individual sacramental celebrations, we must avoid the danger of uninformed
criticism, prejudiced fixation, and a liturgical vigilante
attitude. Every Catholic has a right to feel comfortable with the
official worship of the Church and to expect that it will be carried
out in the manner which the Church has laid down. At the same time
it is necessary to be aware of precisely what is required that a sacrament
be or not be as instituted by Christ and safeguarded by the regulations
of the Church. This involves an understanding of the nature of a sacrament
and what makes it valid and lawful.
An early description of a sacrament, called "mystery" from
the Greek, is that it is a sign of a sacred thing. But it is a special
sign because it sanctifies the receiver; it causes what it signifies,
namely, the grace of God won for those redeemed by Christ and given
for the purpose for which each sacrament has been instituted. Thus
a sacrament is a sign and an instrument of Christ's saving action
at all times and in all places.
The Church did not institute the sacraments; she is not the source
of the grace they convey; she has not the arbitrary disposition of
them. The Church merely administers them on behalf of Jesus Christ.
Thus the sacraments are the central element in the life of the Church
and within the Church, forming the Mystical Body of Christ.
In each of six sacraments the power of Christ is immediately experienced:
in baptism by the remission of original sin (and any concomitant actual
sin) and the incorporation into the Church; in confirmation by the
strengthening of baptismal grace so that one might in
every way act as an adult follower of Christ; in penance by the
forgiveness of sins both serious and slight; in the last anointing
by fortifying the soul against the temptations of the final hours;
in holy orders by raising men to the status of special ministers of
Jesus Christ the High Priest; in matrimony by conferring the grace
to reflect the love of Christ for his Spouse, the Church, in the love
of husband and wife. In each of these sacraments a special sacramental
grace remains in the lives of those who continue to cooperate.
But in the Eucharist there is present not only the power or action
of Christ whereby the bread and the wine are changed into his body
and blood, but his Real Presence remains and abides with us as long
as the appearances of bread and wine remain. Thus the Eucharist is
both sacrament and sacrifice.
The bread and wine become, through the words of consecration of the
priest in the Mass acting "in the person of Christ," the
cause or instrument of the total Christ, body and blood, soul and
divinity, becoming present on the altar in a re-enactment of his Passion
and death. The Eucharist alone represents and re-presents the Passion
itself.
Baptism is our fundamental contact with Christ; it is necessary for
salvation in fact or in desire. As it is the beginning of the Christian
life, so the Eucharist, and thus the Mass in which it comes to be
present, is the summit or goal of each Christian. Baptism is ordered
to the Eucharist, and by the hallowings of all the other sacraments
preparation also is made for and directed toward receiving or consecrating
the Eucharist. Thus the Eucharist is necessary for the Christian in
fact or in desire. That is why the Mass is so central to the Christian
faith and worship and consequently why the faithful are so sensitive
to any tampering with the Eucharistic liturgy by individuals or groups.
With a better understanding of the nature and role of the sacraments
and of each sacrament in particular, what is necessary for a valid
and lawful conferral is more clearly discerned. A sacrament is said
to be valid when all the essential elements to its confection or constitution
have been employed by the minister; lacking any such element it is
invalid. It is called lawful or licit when all that has been prescribed
by the competent Church authority for its confection or administration
has been observed; when some prescription has been omitted without
proportionate reason it is an unlawful or illicit sacramental administration.
A survey of the sacraments most of us experience in life will help.
In baptism the conferral is invalidated by changing the formula "in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"
to, for example, "of the Mother and of our Brother and of the
Vivifier" or "Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier." Likewise,
only true and natural water, as so understood and used as water by
prudent people, is valid material. Doubtful substances, such as light
tea and coffee, thin soup and broth, are unacceptable.
Baptismal water, especially blessed for that purpose, is the lawful
material for this sacramental conferral, except when unavailable in
the case of necessity, such as danger of death of an infant.
As the head is the principal part where life integrally resides, to
baptize anyone on another part of the body is at least doubtfully
valid and, if done in case of necessity, the head should be baptized
later conditionally, if possible.
The norm for the lawful administration or conferral of baptism, that
is, the faithful execution of the prayers and ceremonies prescribed--and
this is applicable to all the sacraments--is summed up in canon
846 of the Code of Canon Law: "The liturgical books, approved
by the competent authority, are to be faithfully followed in the celebration
of the sacraments.
"Accordingly, no one may on a personal initiative add to or omit
or alter anything in those books." The seriousness of an unlawful
celebration is judged by the extent of the addition, omission or alteration,
"except in a case of urgent necessity when only those elements
which are required for the validity of the sacrament must be observed"
(can. 850). In baptism, for example, to pour the water only once instead
of three times at the invocation of each Person of the Trinity or
to omit the anointing with sacred chrism would probably be seriously
unlawful.
In confirmation the only valid matter is sacred chrism, that is, pure
olive oil mixed with balsam and consecrated by a bishop.
The sacrament is conferred by a bishop. A priest validly confers this
sacrament only when he is empowered by law in certain circumstances
or properly delegated by the bishop. The lawful administration requires
that all the liturgy of the sacrament be observed.
The sacrament of the anointing of the sick requires the use of olive
oil or, if opportune according to circumstances, another vegetable
or plant oil, blessed for this purpose by a bishop or a priest authorized
by law. In conferring this sacrament lawfully, "the anointings
are to be carried out accurately, with the words and the order and
manner prescribed in the liturgical books. In a case of necessity,
however, a single anointing on the forehead, or even on another part
of the body, is sufficient <:f>while the full formula
is recited" (can. 1000, 1).
In the sacrament of penance only a priest who has been given confessional
jurisdiction by a diocesan bishop can validly hear a confession. In
cases in which there is danger of death he has jurisdiction by law.
For a valid absolution a confessor must pronounce the declarative
words, "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." To recite merely some
prayerful formula, such as "May God forgive you your sins"
or "May God reconcile you for your sorrow," would be invalid.
Priests have no right to make up their own formulas; the lawful formula
is the integral one prescribed for this sacrament.
On the other hand, a penitent who deliberately represses or is unwilling
to confess a serious sin of which he is aware, or who does not have
true contrition does not receive the sacrament. The same thing occurs
if the penitent does not have a firm purpose to try to amend his ways
or refuses to accept the penance imposed or a requirement stated by
the confessor, such as ceasing the practice of birth control or fornication.
The sacrament of matrimony is unique among the sacraments in that
the ministers are the very parties contracting the marriage. It is
a sacrament which is not received by an individual alone, as in all
other sacraments, but by the two parties simultaneously and in dependence
upon each other for this reception. Thus the validity of this sacred
action depends principally and primarily on the parties to the marriage
themselves.
The Church has clearly stated the nature and purpose of a sacramental
marriage. "The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman
establish between themselves a partnership of their whole life and
which of its own nature is ordered to the well-being of the spouses
and to the procreation and upbringing of children, has, between baptized
persons, been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.
Consequently, a valid marriage contract cannot exist between baptized
persons without it being by that very fact a sacrament" (can.
1055).
This is accomplished by the consent of the parties themselves to what
marriage means as God has instituted and as the Church understands
it to be. "A marriage is brought into being by the lawfully manifested
consent of persons who are capable according to law. This consent
cannot be supplied by any human power. Matrimonial consent is an act
of the will by which a man and a woman by an irrevocable covenant
mutually give and accept one another for the purpose of establishing
a marriage" (can. 1057). Also, safeguarding the institution of
marriage, the parties to a marriage must be conscious that "the
essentials of marriage are unity and indissolubility, which in Christian
marriage obtain a special firmness by reason of the sacrament"
(can. 1056).
Moreover, the Church in its wisdom has established a particular procedure
for any Catholic to enter marriage validly. "Only those marriages
are valid which are contracted in the presence of the local ordinary
or pastor or of the priest or deacon delegated by either of them,
who, in the presence of two witnesses, assists" (can. 1108).
Thus, if the officiating priest or deacon lacks jurisdiction for this
marriage, or a witness is not qualified, the marriage will be invalid.
Similarly, if the marriage takes place before a justice of the peace
or before a non-Catholic minister (unless a special dispensation has
been granted), the marriage is invalid. Also, there may be present
a factor which impedes or invalidates the marriage, for example, lack
of age, the existence of a previous marriage, one of the parties not
being baptized, or a too-close blood or in-law relationship.
There are other serious factors which can render a marriage null and
void from the beginning. These are rooted in the incapability of one
or both parties to enter this marriage at this time. One obvious deterrent
is the lack of sufficient reason on the part of at least one party,
since marriage requires a certain amount of maturity and understanding
in performing a perfectly human act of consent. Cases of this include
the insane and gravely mentally disturbed and those totally under
the influence of intoxicants or drugs, especially at the time of the
marriage ceremony.
More difficult to determine are the psychological realities which
may be present in a spouse and which deter a sacramental marriage
from coming into existence. In marriage one assumes very serious obligations;
it is the most serious step, the greatest commitment in life, the
most responsible act one can perform, since it affects intimately
not one but two lives.
Thus the prospective spouse must have a sufficient understanding of
what marriage partnership is, what is involved especially in view
of the intended partner, be aware of the essential rights and obligations
which are to be mutually given and accepted in the marital covenant,
and possess sufficient ability to carry out the consequences of this
interpersonal commitment. In other words, whatever is lacking in the
essential quality of marital consent vitiates the contract-sacrament.
Many couples today rush into a marriage without adequate understanding
or preparation. Passing infatuation, unexpected pregnancy, just living
together with family pressure to marry, the desire of military couples
for immediate joint assignment: These and other examples, in proper
context, can indicate a lack of sufficient <:f>discretionary
judgment in the face of a lifelong and permanent commitment and partnership.
There are psychological factors which inhibit a person from being
able to assume the essential obligations of marriage, these being
a union with only one person, the intent to remain in this union permanently,
mutual assistance and help in the partnership, an openness to the
procreation of children and their education. Grave personality disorder,
which may even surface from its latent state only during the marriage
career, may cause a sacramental marriage to be unable to come into
existence at the moment the vows are pronounced. Serious
error, fraud, force, or fear can also disqualify a person from contracting
a valid marriage.
The judgment in all these cases that a particular marriage has been
void from the very beginning belongs to the competence of the local
diocesan marriage tribunal, which assembles the data according to
strict procedures spelled out in the canon law of the Church.
The formula of the marriage ceremony in the approved liturgical books
is to be followed for lawfulness (can. 1119). The extent to which
any part is omitted, altered, or addition made will be the degree
of unlawfulness. For this reason parties are not allowed to make up
their own marriage vows.
In the sacrament of the Eucharist the initiation into Christ and his
Church and growth in his fellowship and grace are brought to completion
and fulfillment. Each of the other sacraments prepares us for the
Eucharist, but in this sacrament we realize the close union of us,
members of his Mystical Body, with our Head, Jesus Christ. Among other
fruits of this union is the pledge of our future glory. Simultaneously
the Eucharist is a sacrifice-sacrament, a Communion-sacrament, and
a Presence-sacrament. This is a true sacrifice, a re-enactment of
the sacrifice of the Cross that takes place by the words of the priest
over the bread and wine as he acts in the person of Christ. Christ
is made present to us in the Mass, body and blood, soul and divinity,
for our worship and our communion.
Every faithful Catholic is conscious of the central place which the
Mass holds in our faith. Thus it is disturbing and causes concern
when something is said, taught, done, or omitted which affects the
Eucharistic liturgy.
No Mass can be celebrated, no Eucharist confected, validly without
the words of consecration pronounced without alteration and without
the presence of the required and prescribed bread and wine.
In the case of the latter there has developed a problem in some communities.
"The bread must be wheaten only, and recently made, so that there
is no danger of corruption" (can. 924, 2). Some parishioners
have been given the task of providing the bread for the Eucharist,
for which various recipes have been suggested. This has led to the
use of some invalid or at least doubtfully valid material at Mass.
The bread must be made from genuine and pure wheat flour, mixed with
natural water, baked by the application of fire heat (including electric
cooking); no other grain is valid. Any addition or admixture of milk,
wine, oil and such, or a condiment as salt or sugar, is certainly
gravely unlawful, and invalid if the amount is notable.
"The wine must be natural, made from grapes of the vine, and
not corrupt" (can. 924, 3). Wines made from other fruits or from
flowers, from unripe grapes, or from the stems and skins of grapes
after all the juice has been pressed out, and wines from which all
alcohol has been removed or to which foreign ingredients, such as
water, have been added in equal or in greater quantities are invalid
materials for the Eucharist. Wine which possesses more than 20 percent
alcohol is invalid. To be lawful wine should not contain more than
18 percent alcohol; wines which would not ordinarily ferment beyond
12 percent alcohol cannot be fortified beyond this limit. The use
of "must" (Latin: mustum) is no longer granted to
priests; intinction suffices.
What pertains to the very essence of the Eucharistic sacrifice, which
is the Mass, namely, transubstantiation, must be approached with the
greatest reverence, care, and attention. Thus one should approach
the procurement of the elements of bread and wine in this spirit.
In addition to care for the proper fabrication of the wheatened bread,
sacramental or Mass wine should be obtained from sources beyond suspicion
which can guarantee pure and unadulterated wine.
It is the norm of the Church that it is never permissible to follow
a probable opinion or course of action with regard to the validity
of any sacrament, especially the Eucharist, when a safer opinion or
procedure is available which insures the validity (cf. Denz.-Schon.
2101).
Christ is always present in his Church, especially in its liturgical
celebrations. It is in the liturgy of the sacraments that the action
of Christ is directly and normally experienced by us. It is therefore
a serious responsibility of those who confer the sacraments to do
so according to the expressed mind of the Church, the appointed guardian
of these sources of holiness. Any abuses disturb the faithful in their
right to a proper administration.
On the other hand, the faithful are able to make a prudent judgment
in a situation regarding the correctness or not of a particular action
or omission when they have an understanding about
what pertains to the validity and what to the lawfulness of the sacramental
action. Instances of their concern usually arise regarding the Mass
celebration and in great part in the area of lawfulness.
Recognizing that problems are apt to arise in the liturgy of the sacraments,
an instruction, Inaestimabile Donum (April 3, 1980), of the
Congregation of the Sacraments and Divine Worship, quotes Thomas Aquinas
(Summa Theologiae, II:II, q. 83, a. 1): "One who
offers worship to God on the Church's behalf in a way contrary to
that which is laid down by the Church with God-given authority and
which is customary in the Church is guilty of falsification."
The instruction goes on: "None of these things can bring good
results. The consequences are--and cannot fail to be--the
impairing of the unity of faith and worship in the Church, doctrinal
uncertainty, scandal and bewilderment among the People of God, and
the near inevitability of violent reactions. The faithful have a right
to a true liturgy, which means the liturgy desired and laid down by
the Church, which has in fact indicated where adaptations may be made
as called for by pastoral requirements in different places or by different
groups of people. Undue experimentation, changes and creativity bewilder
the faithful.
"The use of unauthorized texts means a loss of the necessary
connection between the lex orandi and the lex credendi.
The Second Vatican Council's admonition in this regard must be remembered:
`No person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything
in the liturgy on his own authority.' And Paul VI of venerable memory
stated that `Anyone who takes advantage of the reform to indulge in
arbitrary experiments is wasting energy and offending ecclesial sense.'"
Nicholas Halligan, O.P., resides at Saint Dominic's
Priory in Washington, D.C. and is the author of Sacraments and
Their Celebration, which is available from This Rock. See
this issue's catalogue.
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