THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION
Importance Of Instruction On Extreme Unction
In all thy works, the Scriptures teach, remember thy last
end, and thou shalt never sin, words which convey to the pastor a silent
admonition to omit no opportunity of exhorting the faithful to constant
meditation on death. The Sacrament of Extreme Unction, because inseparably
associated with recollection of the day of death, should, it is obvious, form a
subject of frequent instruction, not only because it is right to explain the
mysteries of salvation, but also because death, the inevitable doom of all men,
when recalled to the minds of the faithful, represses depraved passion. Thus
shall they be less disturbed by the approach of death, and will pour forth
their gratitude in endless praises to God, who has not only opened to us the
way to true life in the Sacrament of Baptism, but has also instituted that of
Extreme Unction, to afford us, when departing this mortal life, an easier way
to heaven.
Names of this Sacrament
In explaining what is more necessary on this subject we
shall follow almost the same order observed in the exposition of the other
Sacraments. Hence we shall first show that this Sacrament is called Extreme
Unction, because among all the unctions prescribed by our Lord to His Church,
this is the last to be administered.
For this reason it was also called by our predecessors in
the faith, the Sacrament of the anointing of the sick, and also the Sacrament
of the dying, names which easily turn the minds of the faithful to the
remembrance of that last hour.
Extreme Unction Is a True Sacrament
That Extreme Unction is strictly speaking a Sacrament, is
first to be explained; and this the words of St. James the Apostle,
promulgating the law of this Sacrament, clearly establish. Is any man, he says,
sick amongst you ? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer
of faith shall save the sick man; and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he be
in sins, they shall be forgiven him. When the Apostle says that sins are
forgiven, he ascribes to Extreme Unction the nature and efficacy of a
Sacrament.
That such has been at all times the doctrine of the
Catholic Church on Extreme Unction, many Councils testify, and the Council of
Trent denounces anathema against all who presume to teach or think otherwise.
Innocent I also recommends this Sacrament with great earnestness to the
attention of the faithful.
Extreme Unction Is But One Sacrament
Pastors, therefore, should teach that Extreme Unction is
a true Sacrament, and that, although administered with many anointings, each
given with a peculiar prayer, and under a peculiar form, it constitutes not
many, but one Sacrament. It is one, however, not in the sense that it is
composed of inseparable parts, but because each of the parts contributes to its
perfection, as is the case with every object composed of many parts. As a house
which consists of a great variety of parts derives its perfection from unity of
plan, so is this Sacrament, although composed of many and different things and
words, but one sign, and it effects only that one thing of which it is the
sign.
Essential Parts of Extreme Unction
Pastors should also teach what are the component parts of
this Sacrament, its matter and form. These St. James does not omit, and each is
replete with its own peculiar mysteries.
The Matter Of Extreme Unction
Its element, then, or matter, as defined by Councils,
particularly by the Council of Trent, consists of oil consecrated by the
Bishop. Not any kind of oil extracted from fatty or greasy substances, but
olive oil alone (can be the matter of this Sacrament).
Thus its matter is most significant of what is inwardly
effected in the soul by the Sacrament. Oil is very efficacious in soothing
bodily pain, and the power of this Sacrament lessens the pain and anguish of
the soul. Oil also restores health, brings joy, feeds light, and is very
efficacious in refreshing bodily fatigue. All these effects signify what the
divine power accomplishes in the sick man through the administration of this
Sacrament. So much will suffice in explanation of the matter.
The Form Of Extreme Unction
The form of the Sacrament is the word and solemn prayer
which the priest uses at each anointing: By this Holy Unction may God pardon
thee whatever sins thou hast committed by the evil use of sight, smell or
touch.
That this is the true form of this Sacrament we learn
from these words of St. James: Let them pray over him . . . and the prayer of
faith shall save the sick man. Hence we can see that the form is to be applied
by way of prayer. The Apostle does not say of what particular words that prayer
is to consist; but this form has been handed down to us by the faithful
tradition of the Fathers, so that all the Churches retain the form observed by
the Church of Rome, the mother and mistress of all Churches. Some, it is true,
alter a few words, as when for God pardon thee, they say (God) remit, or (God)
spare, and sometimes, May (God) remedy all the evil thou hast committed. But as
there is no change of meaning, it is clear that all religiously observe the
same form.
It should not excite surprise that, while the form of
each of the other Sacraments either absolutely signifies what it expresses,
such as I baptise thee, or I Sign thee with the sign of the cross, or is
pronounced, as it were, by way of command, as in administering Holy Orders,
Receive power, the form of Extreme Unction alone is expressed by way of prayer.
Wisely has it been so appointed. For since this Sacrament is administered not
only for the spiritual grace which it bestows, but also for the recovery of
health, which, however, is not always obtained, therefore use a deprecative
form, in order to implore of God's mercy what the virtue of the Sacrament does
not always and uniformly effect.
The Ceremonies Of Extreme Unction
In the administration of this Sacrament special rites are
also used, consisting principally of prayers offered by the priest for the
recovery of the sick person. There is no Sacrament, the administration of which
is accompanied with more numerous prayers; and with good reason, for at that
moment more than ever the faithful require the assistance of pious prayers. All
who may be present, and especially the pastor, should pour out their fervent
aspirations to God, and earnestly commend to His mercy the life and salvation
of the sufferer.
Institution of Extreme Unction
Having thus proved that Extreme Unction is truly and
properly to be numbered among the Sacraments, we rightly infer that it owes its
institution to Christ our Lord. It was subsequently made known and promulgated
to the faithful by the Apostle St. James.
Our Saviour Himself, however, seems to have given some
indication of it, when He sent His disciples two and two before Him; for the
Evangelist informs us that going forth, they preached that all should do
penance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many who were
sick, and healed them.
This anointing cannot be supposed to have been invented
by the Apostles, but was commanded by our Lord. Nor did its power arise from
any natural virtue. Its efficacy, we must believe, was mystical, having been
instituted to heal the maladies of the soul, rather than to cure the diseases
of the body. This is the doctrine taught by St. Denis, St. Ambrose, St.
Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Great; so that it cannot be at all doubted that
Extreme Unction is to be recognised and venerated as one of the seven
Sacraments of the Catholic Church.
The Subject of Extreme Unction
But although instituted for the use of all, Extreme
Unction is not lo be administered indiscriminately to all.
The Subject Must Be In Danger Of Death
In the first place, it is not to be administered to
persons in sound health, according to these words of St. James: Is anyone sick
amongst you? This is also proved by the fact that Extreme Unction was
instituted as a remedy not only for the diseases of the soul, but also for
those of the body. Now only the sick need a remedy, and therefore this Sacrament
is to be administered to those only whose malady is such as to excite
apprehensions of approaching death.
It is, however, a very grievous sin to defer the Holy
Unction until, all hope of recovery being lost, life begins to ebb, and the
sick person is fast verging into a state of insensibility. It is obvious that
if the Sacrament is administered while consciousness and reason are yet
unimpaired, and the mind is capable of eliciting acts of faith and of directing
the will to sentiments of piety, a more abundant participation of its graces
must be received. Though this heavenly medicine is in itself always salutary,
pastors should be careful to apply it when its efficacy can be aided by the
piety and devotion of the sick person.
The Danger Must Arise From Sickness
Extreme Unction, then, can be administered to no one who
is not dangerously sick; not even to those who are in danger of death, as when
they undertake a perilous voyage, or enter into battle with the sure prospect
of death, or have been condemned to death and are on the way to execution.
The Person Anointed Must Have Attained The Use Of Reason
Furthermore, all those who have not the use of reason are
not fit subjects for this Sacrament; and likewise children who, having
committed no sins, do not need the Sacrament as a remedy against the remains of
sin. The same is true of idiots and insane persons, unless they give
indications in their lucid intervals of a disposition to piety, and express a
desire to be anointed. To persons who from their birth never enjoyed the use of
reason this Sacrament is not to be administered; but if a sick person, while in
the possession of his faculties, expresses a wish to receive Extreme Unction
and afterwards becomes delirious he is to be anointed.
Administration of Extreme Unction
The Sacred Unction is to be applied not to the entire
body, but to the organs of sense only, -- to the eyes, on account of sight; to
the ears, on account of hearing; to the nostrils, on account of smell; to the
mouth, on account of taste and speech; to the hands, on account of touch. The
sense of touch, it is true, is diffused throughout the entire body, yet it is
more developed in the hands.
This manner of administering Extreme Unction is observed
throughout the universal Church, and is in keeping with the medicinal nature of
the Sacrament. As in corporal disease, although the malady affects the entire
body, yet the cure is applied to that part only which is the seat and origin of
the disease; so likewise this Sacrament is applied not to the entire body, but
to those members in which the power of sensation is most conspicuous, and also
to the loins, which are, as it were, the seat of concupiscence, and to the
feet, by which we move from one place to another.
Here it is to be observed that, during the same illness,
and while the danger of dying continues the same, the sick person is to be
anointed but once. Should he, however, recover after he has been anointed, he
may receive the aid of this Sacrament as often as he shall have relapsed into
the same danger of death. This Sacrament, therefore, is evidently to be
numbered among those which may be repeated.
Dispositions for the Reception of Extreme Unction
As all care should be taken that nothing impede the.
grace of the Sacrament, and as nothing is more opposed to it than the
consciousness of mortal guilt, the constant practice of the Catholic Church
must be observed of administering the Sacrament of Penance and the Eucharist
before Extreme Unction.
And next, let parish priests strive to persuade the sick
person to receive this Sacrament from the priest with the same faith with which
those of old who were to be healed by the Apostles used to present themselves.
But the salvation of his soul is to be the first object of the sick man's
wishes, and after that the health of the body, with this qualification, if it
be for the good of his soul.
Nor should the faithful doubt that those holy and solemn
prayers which are used by the priest, not in his own person, but in that of the
Church and of our Lord Jesus Christ, are heard by God; and they are most
particularly to be exhorted on this one point, to take care that the Sacrament
of this most salutary oil be administered to them holily and religiously, when
the sharper conflict seems at hand, and the energies of the mind as well as of
the body appear to be failing.
The Minister of Extreme Unction
Who the minister of Extreme Unction is we learn from the
same Apostle that promulgated the law of the Lord; for he says: Let him bring
in the priests (presbyters). By which name, as the Council of Trent has well
explained, he does not mean persons advanced in years, or of chief authority
among the people, but priests who have been duly ordained by Bishops with the
imposition of hands.
To the priest, therefore, has been committed the
administration of this Sacrament; not, however, to every priest, as holy Church
has decreed, but to the proper pastor who has jurisdiction, or to another
authorised by him to discharge this office.
In this, however, as also in the administration of the
other Sacraments, it is to be most distinctly remembered that the priest is the
representative of Christ our Lord, and of His spouse, holy Church.
The Effects of Extreme Unction
The advantages we receive from this Sacrament are also to
be accurately explained, so that if nothing else can allure the faithful to its
reception, they may be induced at least by its utility; for we are naturally
disposed to measure almost all things by our interests.
Pastors, therefore, should teach that by this Sacrament
is imparted grace that remits sins, and especially lighter, or as they are
commonly called, venial sins; for mortal sins are removed by the Sacrament of
Penance. Extreme Unction was not instituted primarily for the remission of
grave offences; only Baptism and Penance accomplish this directly.
Another advantage of the Sacred Unction is that it
liberates the soul from the languor and infirmity which it contracted from
sins, and from all the other remains of sin. The time most opportune for this
cure is when we are afflicted with severe illness and danger to life impends,
for it has been implanted in man by nature to dread no human visitation so much
as death. This dread is greatly augmented by the recollection of our past sins,
especially if our conscience accuses us of grave offences; for it is written:
They shall come with fear at the thought of their sins, and their iniquities
shall stand against them to convict them. Another source of vehement anguish is
the anxious thought that we must soon afterwards stand before the judgment seat
of God, who will pass on us a sentence of strictest justice according to our
deserts. It often happens that, struck with this terror, the faithful feel
themselves deeply agitated; and nothing conduces more to a tranquil death than
to banish sadness, await with a joyous mind the coming of our Lord, and be
ready willingly to surrender the deposit entrusted whenever it shall be His
will to demand it back. To free the minds of the faithful from this solicitude,
and fill the soul with pious and holy joy is, then, an effect of the Sacrament
of Extreme Unction.
From it, moreover, we derive another advantage, which may
justly be deemed the greatest of all. For although the enemy of the human race
never ceases, while we live, to meditate our ruin and destruction, yet at no
time does he more violently use every effort utterly to destroy us, and, if
possible, deprive us of all hope of the divine mercy, than when he sees the last
day of life approach. Therefore arms and strength are supplied to the faithful
in this Sacrament to enable them to break the violence and impetuosity of the
adversary, and to fight bravely against him; for the soul of the sick is
relieved and encouraged by the hope of the divine goodness, strengthened by
which it bears more lightly ail the burdens of sickness, and eludes with
greater ease the artifice and cunning of the devil who lies in wait for it.
Finally, the recovery of health, if indeed advantageous,
is another effect of this Sacrament. And if in our days the sick obtain this
effect less frequently, this is to be attributed, not to any defect of the
Sacrament, but rather to the weaker faith of a great part of those who are
anointed with the sacred oil, or by whom it is administered; for the Evangelist
bears witness that the Lord wrought not many miracles among His own, because of
their unbelief.
It may also be truly said at the Christian religion,
since it has struck its roots more deeply in the minds of men, stands now less
in need of the aids of such miracles than it did formerly, at the commencement
of the rising Church. Nevertheless, faith should be strongly excited in this
respect, and whatever it may please God in His wisdom to do with regard to the
health of the body, the faithful ought to rely on a sure hope of attaining, by
virtue of this sacred oil, health of the soul, and of experiencing, should the
hour of their departure from life be at hand, the fruit of that glorious
assurance: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.
Admonition
We have thus explained briefly the Sacrament of Extreme
Unction. But if these points are developed by the pastor at greater length and
with the care the subject demands, it is not to be doubted that the faithful
will derive very great fruit of piety from his instruction.
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS
Importance Of Instruction On This Sacrament
If one attentively considers the nature and essence of
the other Sacraments, it will readily be seen that they all depend on the
Sacrament of Orders to such an extent that without it some of them could not be
constituted or administered at all; while others would be deprived of all their
solemn ceremonies, as well as of a certain part of the religious respect and
exterior honour accorded to them. Wherefore in continuing the exposition of the
doctrine of the Sacraments, it will be necessary for pastors to bear in mind
that it is their duty to explain with even special care the Sacrament of
Orders.
This explanation will be highly advantageous. First of
all to the pastor himself, then to all those who have entered on the
ecclesiastical state, and finally to the people in general. To the pastor
himself, because by treating of this subject he himself will be more deeply
moved to stir up within him the grace he has received in this Sacrament; to
those who have been called to the portion of the Lord, partly by animating them
with a like spirit of piety, and partly by affording them an opportunity of
acquiring a knowledge of such things as will enable them all the more easily to
advance to higher orders; to the rest of the faithful, first, because it
enables them to understand the respect due to the Church's ministers, and
secondly, because as it often happens that many may be present who have
destined their children, while yet young, for the Church's service, or who
desire to embrace that life themselves, it is far from right that such persons
should be unacquainted with the principal truths regarding this particular state.
Dignity of this Sacrament
In the first place, then, the faithful should be shown
how great is the dignity and excellence of this Sacrament considered in its
highest degree, the priesthood.
Bishops and priests being, as they are, God's interpreters
and ambassadors, empowered in His name to teach mankind the divine law and the
rules of conduct, and holding, as they do, His place on earth, it is evident
that no nobler function than theirs can be imagined. Justly, therefore, are
they called not only Angels, but even gods, because of the fact that they
exercise in our midst the power and prerogatives of the immortal God.
In all ages, priests have been held in the highest
honour; yet the priests of the New Testament far exceed all others. For the
power of consecrating and offering the body and blood of our Lord and of
forgiving sins, which has been conferred on them, not only has nothing equal or
like to it on earth, but even surpasses human reason and understanding.
And as our Saviour was sent by His Father, and as the
Apostles and disciples were sent into the whole world by Christ our Lord, so
priests are daily sent with the same powers, for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ.
Requirements in Candidates for Orders
Holiness, Knowledge, Prudence
The burden of this great office, therefore, should not be
rashly imposed on anyone, but is to be conferred on those only who by their
holiness of life, their knowledge, faith and prudence, are able to bear it.
Divine Call
Let no one take the honour to himself, but he that is
called by God as Aaron was; and they are called by God who are
called by the lawful ministers of His Church. It is to
those who arrogantly intrude themselves into this ministry that the Lord must
be understood to refer when He says: I did not send prophets, yet they ran.
Nothing can be more unhappy and wretched than such a class of men as this, and
nothing more calamitous to the
Right Intention
In every action we undertake it is of the highest
importance to have a good motive in view, for if the motive is good, the rest
proceeds harmoniously. The candidate for Holy Orders, therefore, should first
of all be admonished to entertain no purpose unworthy of so exalted an office.
This subject demands all the greater attention, since in
these days the faithful often sin gravely in this respect. Some there are who
embrace this state to secure the necessaries of life, and who, consequently, seek
in the priesthood, just as other men do in the lowest walks of life, nothing
more or less than gain. Though both the natural and divine law lay down, as the
Apostle remarks, that he who serves the altar should live by the altar; yet to
approach the altar for the sake of gain and money is one of the very gravest of
sacrileges.
Some are attracted to the priesthood by ambition and love
of honours; while there are others who desire to be ordained simply in order
that they may abound in riches, as is proved by the fact that unless some
wealthy benefice were conferred on them, they would not dream of receiving Holy
Orders. It is such as these that our Saviour describes as hirelings, who, in
the words of Ezechiel, feed themselves and not the sheep, and whose baseness
and dishonesty have not only brought great disgrace on the ecclesiastical
state, so much so that hardly anything is now more vile and contemptible in the
eyes of the faithful, but also end in this, that they derive no other fruit
from their priesthood than was derived by Judas from the Apostleship, which
only brought him everlasting destruction.
But they, on the other hand, who are lawfully called by
God, and who undertake the ecclesiastical state with the single motive of
promoting the honour of God, are truly said to enter the Church by the door.
This, however, must not be understood as if the same law
did not bind all men equally. Men have been created to honour God, and this the
faithful in particular, who have obtained the grace of Baptism, should do with
their whole heart, their whole soul, and with all their strength.
But those who desire to receive the Sacrament of Orders,
should aim not only at seeking the glory of God in all things-an obligation
admittedly common to all men, and particularly to the faithful -- but also to
serve Him in holiness and justice in whatever sphere of His ministry they may
be placed. Just as in the army all the soldiers obey the general's orders,
though they all have not the same functions to discharge, one being a
centurion, another a prefect, so in like manner, though all the faithful should
diligently practice piety and innocence, which are the chief means of honouring
God, yet they who are in Holy Otters have certain special duties and functions
to discharge in the Church. Thus they offer Sacrifice for themselves and for
all the people; they explain God's law and exhort and form the faithful to
observe it promptly and cheerfully; they administer the Sacraments of Christ
our Lord by means of which all grace is conferred and increased; and, in a
word, they are separated from the rest of the people to fill by far the
greatest and noblest of all ministries.
The Twofold Power Conferred by this Sacrament
Having explained all this, the pastor should now turn his
attention to the special properties of this Sacrament, so that the faithful who
desire to enter into the ecclesiastical state may understand the nature of the
office to which they are called and the extent of the power bestowed by God on
the Church and her ministers.
This power is twofold: the powers of orders and the power
of jurisdiction. The power of orders has for its object the real body of Christ
our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist. The power of jurisdiction refers altogether
to the mystical body of (Christ. The scope of this power is to govern and rule
the Christian people, and lead them to the unending bliss of heaven.
The Power Of Orders
The power of orders not only embraces the power of
consecrating the Eucharist, but also fits and prepares the souls of men for its
reception. It also embraces all else that can have any reference to the
Eucharist. Regarding this power numerous passages of Sacred Scripture may be
adduced; but the weightiest and most striking are those which are read in
Greatness Of This Power
This power far excels that given under the law of nature
to certain ones who had charge of sacred things. The period previous to the
written law must have had its priesthood and its spiritual power, since it is
certain that it had its law; for these two, as the Apostle testifies, are so
closely connected that if the priesthood is transferred, the law must
necessarily be transferred also. Guided, therefore, by a natural instinct, men
recognised that God is to be worshipped; and hence it follows that in every
nation some, whose power might in a certain sense be called spiritual, were
given the care of sacred things and of divine worship.
This power was also possessed by the Jews; but though it
was superior in dignity to that with which priests were invested under the law
of nature, yet it must be regarded as far inferior to the spiritual power that
is found in the New Law. For the latter is heavenly, and surpasses all the
power of Angels; it is derived not from the Mosaic priesthood, but from Christ
our Lord who was a priest, not according to the order of Aaron, but according
to the order of Melchisedech. For He it is who, Himself endowed with the
supreme power of granting grace and remitting sins, left to His Church this
power, although He limited it in extent and attached it to the Sacraments.
Names of this Sacrament
Hence to exercise this power certain ministers are
appointed and solemnly consecrated, which consecration is called the Sacrament
of Orders, or Sacred Ordination. The Fathers used this word, which in itself
has a most extensive signification, to show the dignity and excellence of God's
ministers.
In fact, order, when understood in its strict meaning and
acceptation, is the arrangement of superior and inferior things so disposed as
to stand in mutual relation towards each other. Now as in this ministry there
are many grades and various functions, and as all these are disposed and
arranged according to a definite plan, the name Order has been well and
properly applied to it.
Holy Orders Is a Sacrament
That Sacred Ordination is to be numbered among the
Sacraments of the Church, the Council of Trent has established by the same line
of reasoning as we have already used several times. Since a Sacrament is a sign
of a sacred thing, and since the outward action in this consecration denotes
the grace and power bestowed on him who is consecrated, it becomes clearly
evident that Order must be truly and properly regarded as a Sacrament. Thus the
Bishop, handing to him who is being ordained a chalice with wine and water, and
a paten with bread, says: Receive the power of offering sacrifice, etc. In
these words, pronounced along with the application of the matter, the Church
has always taught that the power of consecrating the Eucharist is conferred,
and that a character is impressed on the soul which brings with it grace
necessary for the due and proper discharge of that office, as the Apostle
declares thus: I admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God which is in
thee, by the imposition of my hands; for God hath not given us the spirit of
fear, but of power, and of love, and of sobriety.
Number of Orders
Now, to use the words of the holy Council: The ministry
of so sublime a priesthood being a thing all divine, it is but befitting its
worthier and more reverent exercise that in the Church's well-ordered
disposition there should be several different orders of ministers destined to
assist the priesthood by virtue of their office, -- orders arranged in such a
way that those who have already received clerical tonsure should be raised,
step by step, from the lower to the higher orders.
It should be taught, therefore, that these orders are
seven in number, and that this has been the constant teaching of the Catholic
Church. These orders are those of porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon,
deacon and priest.
That the number of ministers was wisely established thus
may be proved by considering the various offices that are necessary for the
celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the consecration and
administration of the Blessed Eucharist, this being the principal scope of
their institution.
They are divided into major or sacred, and minor orders.
The major or sacred orders are priesthood, deaconship and subdeaconship; while
the minor orders are those of acolyte, exorcist, lector and porter, concerning
each of which we shall now say a few words so that the pastor may be able to
explain them to those especially whom he knows to be about to receive any of
the orders in question.
Tonsure
In the beginning should be explained first tonsure, and
it should be shown that this is a sort of preparation for the reception of
orders. As men are prepared for Baptism by exorcisms and for Matrimony by
engagement, so to those who dedicate themselves to God by tonsure the way is
opened that leads to the Sacrament of Orders; for by the cutting off of hair is
signified the character and disposition of him who desires to devote himself to
the sacred ministry.
The Name "Cleric"
Regarding the name cleric, which is then given him for
the first time, it is derived from the fact that he thereby begins to take the
Lord for his lot and inheritance, just as those, who among the Jews were
attached to the service of God, were forbidden by the Lord to have any part of
the ground that would be distributed in the land of promise: , he said, am thy
portion and inheritance. And although these words are true of all the faithful,
yet it is certain that they apply in a special way to those who consecrate
themselves to the service of God.
Origin And Meaning Of Tonsure
The hair of the head is cut off in the form of a crown.
It should be always worn thus, and should be enlarged according as one is
advanced to higher orders.
The Church teaches that this usage is derived from
Apostolic origin, as mention is made of it by the most ancient and
authoritative Fathers, such as St. Denis the Areopagite, St. Augustine and St.
Jerome.
It is said that the Prince of the Apostles first
introduced this usage in memory of the crown of thorns which was put upon our
Saviour's head, so that the devices resorted to by the impious for the ignominy
and torture of Christ might be used by His Apostles a sign of honour and glory,
as well as to signify that the ministers of the Church should strive to
resemble Christ our Lord and represent Him in all things.
Some, however, assert that by tonsure is denoted the
royal dignity, that is, the portion reserved especially for those who are
called to the inheritance of the Lord. It will readily be seen that what the
Apostle Peter says of all the faithful: You are a chosen generation, a kingly
priesthood, a holy nation, applies especially and with much greater reason to
the ministers of the Church.
Still there are some who consider that by the circle,
which is the most perfect of all figures, is signified the profession of a more
perfect life undertaken by ecclesiastics; while in view of the fact that the
hair of their heads, which is a kind of bodily superfluity, is cut off, others
think that it denotes contempt for external things, and detachment of soul from
all human cares.
The Minor Orders
Porter
After tonsure it is customary to advance to the first
order, which is that of porter. The function (of porter) is to guard the keys
and doors of the church, and to allow no one to enter there to whom access has
been forbidden. Formerly the porter used to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass, to see that no one approached too near the altar, or disturbed the priest
during the celebration of the divine mysteries. Other duties were also assigned
to him, as may be seen from the ceremonies used at his ordination.
Thus the Bishop, taking the keys from the altar, hands
them to him who is being made porter, and says: Let your conduct be that of one
who has to render to God an account of those things that are kept under these
keys.
How great was the dignity of this order in the ancient
Church may be inferred from a usage which exists in the Church in these times.
For the office of treasurer, which is still numbered among the more honourable
functions of the Church, was entrusted to porters, and carried with it also the
guardianship of the sacristy.
Reader
The second degree of orders is the office of reader,
whose duty it is to read in the church in a clear and distinct voice the books
of the Old and of the New Testament, and especially those which are read during
the nocturnal psalmody. Formerly it was also his duty to teach the faithful the
first rudiments of the Christian religion.
Hence it is that when ordaining him, the Bishop, in the
presence of the people, handing him a book in which are set down all that
regards this office, says: Take, and be you an announcer of the word of God; if
you faithfully and profitably discharge your office, you shall have a part with
those who from the be- ginning have well ministered the word of God.
Exorcist
The third order is that of exorcists, to whom is given
the power to invoke the name of the Lord over those who are possessed by
unclean spirits. Hence the Bishop when ordaining them presents to them a book
in which the exorcisms are contained, and at the same time pronounces this form
of words: Take, and commit to memory, and have the power of imposing hands over
the possessed, whether baptised or catechumen.
Acolyte
The fourth degree is that of acolytes, and it is the last
of the orders that are called minor and not sacred. Their duty is to attend and
serve the ministers who are in major orders, that is, the deacon and subdeacon,
in the Sacrifice of the altar. They also carry and attend to the lights during
the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass, and especially during the reading
of the Gospel, from which fact they are also called candle-bearers.
Therefore at the ordination of acolytes the Bishop
observes the following rite: First of all he carefully warns them of the nature
of their office; then hands to each of them a light, saying: Receive this
candlestick and candle, and remember that henceforth you are given the charge
of lighting the candles of the church, in the name of the Lord. Then he hands
them empty cruets in which are presented the wine and water for the Sacrifice,
saying: Receive these cruets to supply wine and water for t) c Eucharist of
Christ's blood, in the name of the Lord.
The Major Orders
Subdeacon
From the minor orders, which are not sacred, and of which
we have been speaking until now, one lawfully enters and ascends to major and
Sacred Orders.
Now the subdiaconate is the first degree of (major
orders). Its function, as the name itself indicates, is to serve the deacon at
the altar. It is the subdeacon who should prepare the altar linen, the vessels
and the bread and wine necessary for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice. He
also it is who presents water to the Bishop or priest when he washes his hands
during the Sacrifice of the Mass. It is also the subdeacon who now reads the
Epistle which in former times was read at Mass by the deacon. He assists as
witness at the Holy Sacrifice, and guards the celebrant from being disturbed by
anyone during the sacred ceremonies.
The various duties that pertain to the subdeacon are
indicated by the solemn ceremonies used at his ordination. In the first place
the Bishop warns him that the obligation of perpetual continence is attached to
this order, and declares that no one is to be admitted among the subdeacons who
is not ready and willing to accept the obligation in question. Then, after the
solemn recitation of the Litanies, the Bishop enumerates and explains the
duties and functions of the subdeacon. Thereupon each one of those who are
being ordained receives the chalice and sacred paten from the Bishop; and, to
show that he is to serve the deacon, the subdeacon receives from the archdeacon
cruets filled with wine and water, together with a basin and towel with which
to wash and dry the hands. At the same time the Bishop pronounces these words:
See what sort of ministry is entrusted to you; I admonish you therefore, to
show yourself worthy to please God. Other prayers follow, and finally, when the
Bishop has clothed the subdeacon with the sacred vestments, for each of which
there are special words and ceremonies, he gives kiln the book of the Epistles,
saying: Receive the book of the Epistles with power to read them in the Holy
Church of God, as well for the living as for the dead.
Deacon
The second degree of Sacred Orders is that of the
deacons, whose functions are much more extensive and have always been regarded
as more holy. His duty it is to be always at the side of the Bishop, guard him
while he preaches, serve him and the priest during the celebration of the
divine mysteries, as well as during the administration of the Sacraments, and to
read the Gospel in the Sacrifice of the Mass. In former times he frequently
warned the faithful to be attentive to the holy mysteries; he administered our
Lord's blood in those churches in which the custom existed that the faithful
should receive the Eucharist under both species; and to him was entrusted the
distribution of the Church's goods, as well as the duty of providing for all
that was necessary to each one's sustenance. To the deacon also, as the eye of
the Bishop, it belongs to see who they are in the city a that lead a good and
holy life, and who not; who are present at the Holy Sacrifice and sermons at
appointed times, and who not; so that he may be able to give an account of all
to the Bishop, and enable him to admonish and advise each one privately, or to
rebuke and correct publicly, according as he may deem more profitable. He
should also read out the list of the catechumens and present to the Bishop
those who are to be admitted to orders. Finally in the absence of a Bishop or
priest, he can explain the Gospel, but not from the pulpit, thus letting it be
seen that this is not his proper office.
The Apostle shows the great care that should be taken
that no one unworthy of the diaconate be promoted to this order, when in his
Epistle to Timothy he sets forth a deacon's character, virtues and integrity.
The same point is also gathered from the rites and solemn ceremonies which the
Bishop employs when ordaining him. The Bishop uses more numerous and more
solemn prayers at the ordination of a deacon than at that of a subdeacon, and
he also adds other kinds of sacred vestments. Moreover, he imposes hands on
him, just as we read the Apostles used to do when ordaining the first deacons.
Finally, he hands him the book of the Gospels, with these words: Receive the
power to read the Gospel in the Church of God both for the living and the dead
in the name of the Lord.
Priest
The third and highest degree of all Sacred Orders is the
priesthood. The Fathers of the first centuries usually designated those who had
received this order by two names. At one time they called them presbyters -- a
Greek word signifying elders, not only because of the ripe years very necessary
for this order, but much more on account of their gravity, knowledge and
prudence; for it is written: Venerable old age is not that of long time nor
counted by the number of years; but the understanding of a man is grey hairs
and an unspotted life is old age. At other times they call them priests, both
because they are consecrated to God, and because to them it belongs to
administer the Sacraments and take charge of things sacred and divine.
Twofold Priesthood
But as Sacred Scripture describes a twofold priesthood,
one internal and the other external, it will be necessary to have a distinct
idea of each to enable pastors to explain the nature of the priesthood now
under discussion.
The Internal Priesthood
Regarding the internal priesthood, all the faithful are
said to be priests, once they have been washed in the saving waters of Baptism.
Especially is this name given to the just who have the Spirit of God, and who,
by the help of divine grace, have been made living members of the great
High-priest, Jesus Christ; for, enlightened by faith which is inflamed by
charity, they offer tip spiritual sacrifices to God on the altar of their
hearts. Among such sacrifices must be reckoned every good and virtuous action
done for the glory of God.
Hence we read in the Apocalypse: Christ hath washed us
front our sins. in his own blood and hath made us a kingdom, and priests to God
and his Father. In like manner was it said by the Prince of the Apostles: Be
you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house a holy priesthood
offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; while the
Apostle exhorts us to present our bodies a living sacrifice holy , pleasing
unto God your reasonable service. And long before this David had said: A
sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humble heart O God thou
wilt not despise. All this clearly regards the internal priesthood.
The External Priesthood
The external priesthood, on the contrary, does not
pertain to the faithful at large, but only to certain men who have been
ordained and consecrated to God by the lawful imposition of hands and by the
solemn ceremonies of holy Church, and who are thereby devoted to a particular
sacred ministry.
This distinction of the priesthood can be seen even in
the Old Law. That David spoke of the internal priesthood, we have just shown.
On the other hand, everyone knows the many and various precepts given by the
Lord to Moses and Aaron regarding the external priesthood. Along with this He
appointed the whole tribe of Levi to the ministry of the Temple, and He forbade
by law that anyone belonging to another tribe should dare to intrude himself
into that function. Hence it was that King Ozias was afflicted with leprosy by
the Lord for having usurped the sacerdotal ministry, and had to suffer grave
chastisements for his arrogance and sacrilege.
Now as the same distinction (of a twofold) priesthood may
be noted in the New Law, the faithful should be cautioned that what we are now
about to say concerns that external priesthood which is conferred on certain
special individuals. This alone belongs to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Functions of the Priesthood
The office of a priest, then, is to offer Sacrifice to
God and to administer the Sacraments of the Church. This is proved by the very
ceremonies used at his ordination. When-ordaining a priest, the Bishop first of
all imposes hands on him, as do all the other priests who are present. Then he
puts a stole on his shoulders and arranges it over his breast in the form of a
cross, declaring thereby that the priest is clothed with power from on high,
enabling him to carry the cross of Christ our Lord and the sweet yoke of God's
law, and to inculcate this law not only by words, but also by the example of a
most holy and virtuous life.
He next anoints his hands with holy oil, and then gives
him the chalice with wine and the paten with a host, saying at the same time:
Receive the power to offer Sacrifice to God and to celebrate Masses both for
the living and for the dead. By these words and ceremonies the priest is
constituted an interpreter and mediator between God and man, which indeed must
be regarded as the principal function of the priesthood.
Lastly, placing
his hands a second time on the head (of the person ordained the Bishop) says:
Receive the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them,
and whose sins you shall retain they are retained, thus communicating to him
that divine power of forgiving and retaining sin which was given by our Lord to
His disciples. Such, then, are the special and principal functions of the sacerdotal
order.
Degrees of the Priesthood
Priests
Now although (the sacerdotal order) is one alone, yet it
has various degrees of dignity and power. The first degree is that of those who
are simply called priests, and of whose functions we have hitherto been
speaking.
Bishops
The second is that of Bishops, who are placed over the
various dioceses to govern not only the other ministers of the Church, but the
faithful also, and to promote their salvation with supreme vigilance and care.
Hence it is that in Sacred Scripture they are often called pastors of the
sheep. Their office and duty has been well described by St. Paul in his sermon
to the Ephesians, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles; while St. Peter, the
Prince of the Apostles, has also laid down a divine rule for the exercise of
the episcopal office. And if Bishops strive to conform their actions according
to this rule, there can be no doubt that they will be good pastors and will be
also esteemed as such. Bishops are also called pontiffs. This name is derived
from the pagans, who thus designated their chief priests.
Archbishops
The third degree is that of Archbishops, who preside over
a number of Bishops and who are called Metropolitans, because they are Bishops
of those cities which are regarded as the metropolis of their respective
provinces. Hence they enjoy greater dignity and more extensive power than
Bishops, although their Ordination is the same.
Patriarchs
In the fourth degree come Patriarchs, that is to say, the
first and highest of the Fathers. Formerly, besides the Roman Pontiff, there
were in the universal Church only four Patriarchs, who, however, were not of
equal dignity. Thus Constantinople, though it reached the patriarchal honour
only after all the others, yet it obtained a higher rank by reason of being the
capital of the Empire. Next in rank came the Patriarch of Alexandria, which
Church had been founded by St. Mark the Evangelist by order of the Prince of
the Apostles. The third was that of Antioch, where Peter fixed his first See.
Finally, that of Jerusalem, a See first governed by James, the brother of our
Lord.
The Pope
Above all these, the Catholic Church has always placed
the Supreme Pontiff of Rome, whom Cyril of Alexandria, in the Council of Ephesus,
named the Chief Bishop, Father and Patriarch of the whole world. He sits in
that chair of Peter in which beyond every shadow of doubt the Prince of the
Apostles sat to the end of his days, and hence it is that in him the Church
recognises the highest degree of dignity, and a universality of jurisdiction
derived, not from the decrees of men or Councils, but from God Himself.
Wherefore he is the Father and guide of all the faithful, of all the Bishops,
and of all the prelates, no matter how high their power and office; and as
successor of St. Peter, as true and lawful Vicar of Christ our Lord, he governs
the universal Church.
From what has been said, therefore, pastors should teach
what are the principal duties and functions of the various ecclesiastical
orders and degrees, and also who is the minister of this Sacrament.
The Minister of Holy Orders
Beyond all doubt, it is to the Bishop that the
administration (of orders) belongs, as is easily proved by the authority of
Holy Scripture, by most certain tradition, by the testimony of all the Fathers,
by the decrees of the Councils, and by the usage and practice of Holy Church.
It is true that permission has been granted to some
abbots occasionally to administer those orders that are minor and not sacred;
yet there is no doubt whatever that it is the proper office of the Bishop, and
of the Bishop alone to confer the orders called holy or major.
To ordain subdeacons, deacons and priests, one Bishop
suffices; but in accordance with an Apostolic tradition that has been always
observed in the Church, Bishops are consecrated by three Bishops.
The Recipient of Holy Orders
We now come to indicate who are fit to receive this
Sacrament, and especially the priestly order, and what are the principal dispositions
required of them.
From (what we shall lay down concerning the dispositions
requisite for the priesthood) it will be easy to determine what ought to be
observed in conferring the other orders, due account being taken of the office
and dignity of each. Now the extreme caution I hat should be used in conferring
this Sacrament is gathered from the fact that, while all the other Sacraments
impart grace to the recipient for his own use and sanctification, he, on the
other hand, who receives Holy Orders is made partaker of heavenly grace
precisely that by his ministry he may promote the welfare of the Church and
therefore of all mankind.
Hence we readily understand why it is that ordinations
take place only on special days, on which, moreover, in accordance with a very
ancient practice of the Catholic Church, a solemn fast is appointed in order
that by holy and fervent prayer the faithful may obtain from God ministers who
will be well qualified to exercise properly and to the advantage of the Church
the power of so great a ministry.
Qualifications for the Priesthood
Holiness Of Life
The chief and most necessary quality requisite in him who
is to be ordained a priest is that he be recommended by integrity of life and
morals: first because, by procuring or permitting his ordination while
conscious of mortal sin, a man renders himself guilty of a new and enormous
crime; and secondly, because the priest is bound to give to others the example
of a holy and innocent life.
In this connection pastors should set forth the rules
which the Apostle laid down to Titus and Timothy, and he should also explain
that those bodily defects, which, by the Lord's command excluded from the
service of the altar in the Old Law, should for the most part be understood of
deformities of soul in the New Law. This is why the holy custom has been
established in the Church that he who is about to be admitted to orders should
first take great care to cleanse his conscience in the Sacrament of Penance.
Competent Knowledge
In the second place there is required of the priest not
only that knowledge which concerns the use and administration of the
Sacraments; but he should also be versed in the science of Sacred Scripture, so
as to be able to instruct the people in the mysteries of the Christian faith
and the precepts of the divine law, lead them to piety and virtue, and reclaim
them from sin.
The priest's duties are twofold. The first is to
consecrate and administer the Sacraments properly; the second is to instruct the
people entrusted to him in all that they must know or do in order to be saved.
Hence the words of the Prophet Malachias: The lips of the priest shall keep
knowledge, and they shall seek the Law at his mouth; because he is the angel of
the Lord of hosts.
Now to fulfil the first of these duties it is enough for
him to be endowed with a moderate share of knowledge. As for the second, it is
no mere ordinary, but very special knowledge that is required. At the same
time, however, it should be remembered that a profound knowledge of abstruse
questions is not demanded of all priests in an equal degree. It is enough that
each one knows all that is necessary for the discharge of his office and
ministry.
Canonical Fitness
This Sacrament should not be conferred on children, nor
on the insane or mad, because they are devoid of the use of reason. Yet if it
does happen to be administered to them, we must unhesitatingly believe that the
sacramental character becomes impressed on their souls. As for the precise age
requisite for the reception of the various orders, this will easily be found in
the decrees of the Council of Trent.
Slaves also are excluded. He who is not his own master
and who is in the power of another, should not be dedicated to the divine service.
Homicides and men of blood are also rejected, because
they are excluded by a law of the Church and are declared irregular.
The same must be said of the illegitimate and of all
those not born in lawful wedlock. It is only right that those who are dedicated
to the divine service should have nothing in them which could expose them to
the well-deserved derision or contempt of others.
Finally, those who are notably maimed or deformed should
not be admitted. A defect or deformity of this kind cannot but offend the eye
and stand in the way of the due administration of the Sacraments.
Effects of Holy Orders
This much being explained, it now remains for pastors to
point out the effects of this Sacrament. It is evident that the Sacrament of
Orders, while mainly concerned, as already explained, with the welfare and
beauty of the Church, nevertheless also confers on the soul of him who is
ordained the grace of sanctification, fitting and qualifying him for the proper
discharge of his functions and for the administration of the Sacraments, in the
same way as by the grace of Baptism each one is qualified to receive the other
Sacraments.
Another grace is clearly conferred by this Sacrament;
namely, a special power with reference to the most Blessed Sacrament of the
Eucharist. This power is full and perfect in the priest, because he alone can
consecrate the body and blood of our Lord; but it is greater or less in the
inferior ministers in proportion as their ministry approaches the Sacrament of
the Altar.
This power is also called a spiritual character, because
those who have been ordained are distinguished from the rest of the faithful by
a certain interior mark impressed on the soul, by which they are dedicated to
the divine worship. It is this grace which the Apostle seems to have had in
view when he said to Timothy: Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was
given thee by prophecy, with imposition of hands of the priesthood; and again:
I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee by the
imposition of my hands.
Admonition
This much will suffice for the Sacrament of Orders. We
have aimed at presenting nothing more than the principal points that bear on
the subject, so as to supply the pastor with sufficient matter for instructing
the faithful, and directing them to Christian piety.
THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY
Importance Of Instruction On This Sacrament
As it is the duty of the pastor to seek the holiness and
perfection of the faithful, his earnest desires must be in full accordance with
those expressed by the Apostle when writing to the Corinthians: I would that
all men were even as myself, that is, that all should embrace the virtue of
continence. No greater happiness can befall the faithful in this life than to
have their souls distracted by no worldly cares, the unruly desires of the
flesh tranquillised and restrained, and the mind fixed on the practice of piety
and the contemplation of heavenly things.
But as, according to the same Apostle, every one hath his
proper gift from God, one after this manner, and another after that; and as
marriage is gifted with great and divine blessings, so much so as truly and
properly to hold a place among the other Sacraments of the Catholic Church, and
as its celebration was honoured by the presence of our Lord Himself, it is
clear that this subject should be explained, particularly since we find that
St. Paul and the Prince of the Apostles have in many places minutely described
to us not only the dignity but also the duties of the married state. Filled
with the Spirit of God (these Apostles) well understood the numerous and
important advantages which must flow to Christian society from a knowledge, and
an inviolable observance by the faithful of the sanctity of marriage; while
they saw that from ignorance or disregard of (its holiness), many and serious
calamities and losses must be brought upon the Church.
Nature and Meaning of Marriage
The nature and meaning of marriage are, therefore, to be
first explained. Vice not infrequently assumes the semblance of virtue, and
hence care must be taken that the faithful be not deceived by a false
appearance of marriage, and thus stain their souls with turpitude and wicked
lusts. To explain this subject, let us begin with the meaning of the word
itself.
Names Of This Sacrament
The word matrimony is derived from the fact that the
principal object which a female should propose to herself in marriage is to
become a mother; or from the fact that to a mother it belongs to conceive,
bring forth and train her offspring.
It is also called wedlock (conjugium) from joining
together, because a lawful wife is united to her husband, as it were, by a
common yoke.
It is called nuptials, because, as St. Ambrose observes,
the bride veiled her face through modesty -- a custom which would also seem to
imply that she was to be subject and obedient to her husband.
Definition Of Matrimony
Matrimony, according to the general opinion of
theologians, is defined: The conjugal union of man and woman, contracted
between two qualified persons, which obliges them to live together throughout
life.
In order that the different parts of this definition may
be better understood, it should be taught that, although a perfect marriage has
all the following conditions, -- namely, internal consent, external compact
expressed by words, the obligation and tie which arise from the contract, and
the marriage debt by which it is consummated; yet the obligation and tie
expressed by the word union alone have the force and nature of marriage.
The special character of this union is marked by the word
conjugal. This word is added because other contracts, by which men and women
bind themselves to help each other in consideration of money received or other
reason, differ essentially from matrimony.
Next follow the words between qualified persons; for
persons excluded by law cannot contract marriage, and if they do their marriage
is invalid. Persons, for instance, within the fourth degree of kindred, a boy
before his fourteenth year, and a female before her twelfth, the ages
established by law, cannot contract marriage.
The words, which obliges them to live together throughout
life, express the indissolubility of the tie which binds husband and wife.
Essence And Cause Of Marriage
Hence it is evident that marriage consists in the tie
spoken of above. Some eminent theologians, it is true, say that it consists in
the consent, as when they define it: The consent of the man and woman. But we
are to understand them to mean that the consent is the efficient cause of
marriage, which is the doctrine of the Fathers of the Council of Florence;
because, without the consent and contract, the obligation and tie cannot
possibly exist.
The Kind of Consent Required in Matrimony
It is most necessary that the consent be expressed in
words denoting present time.
Mutual
Marriage is not a mere donation, but a mutual agreement;
and therefore the consent of one of the parties is insufficient for marriage,
the consent of both being essential.
External
To declare this consent words are obviously necessary. If
the internal consent alone, without any external indication, were sufficient
for marriage, it would then seem to follow as a necessary consequence, that
were two persons, living in the most separate and distant countries, to consent
to marry, they would contract a true and indissoluble marriage, even before
they had mutually signified to each other their consent by letter or messenger
-- a consequence as repugnant to reason as it is opposed to the decrees and
established usage of holy Church.
Present
Rightly was it said that the consent must be expressed in
words which have reference to present time; for words which signify a future
time, promise, but do not actually unite in marriage. Besides, it is evident
that what is to be done has no present existence, and what has no present
existence can have little or no firmness or stability. Hence a man who has only
promised to marry a certain woman acquires by the promise no marriage rights,
since his promise has not yet been fulfilled. Such promises are, it is true,
obligatory, and their violation involves the offending party in a breach of
faith. But he who has once entered into the matrimonial alliance, regret it as
he afterwards may, cannot possibly change, or invalidate, or undo what has been
done.
As, then, the marriage contract is not a mere promise,
but a transfer of right, by which the man actually yields the dominion of his
body to the woman, the woman the dominion of her body to the man, it must
therefore be made in words which designate the present time, the force of which
words abides with undiminished efficacy from the moment of their utterance, and
binds the husband and wife by a tie that cannot be broken.
Instead of words, however, it may be sufficient for
marriage to substitute a nod or other unequivocal sign of internal consent.
Even silence, when the result of female modesty, may be sufficient, provided
the parents answer for their daughter.
The Essence of Marriage Constituted by the Consent
Hence pastors should teach the faithful that the nature
and force of marriage consists in the tie and obligation; and that, without
consummation, the consent of the parties, expressed in the manner already
explained, is sufficient to constitute a true marriage. It is certain that our
first parents before their fall, when, according to the holy Fathers, no
consummation took place, were really united in marriage. Hence the Fathers say
that marriage consists not in its use but in the consent. This doctrine is
repeated by St. Ambrose in his book On Virgins.
Twofold Consideration of Marriage
When these matters have been explained, it should be
taught that matrimony is to be considered from two points of view, either as a
natural union, since it was not invented by man but instituted by nature; or as
a Sacrament, the efficacy of which transcends the order of nature.
Marriage As A Natural Contract
As grace perfects nature, and as that was not first which
is spiritual, but that which is natural; afterwards that which is spiritual,
the order of our matter requires that we first treat of Matrimony as a natural
contract, imposing natural duties, and next consider what pertains to it as a
Sacrament.
Instituted By God
The faithful, therefore, are to be taught in the first
place that marriage was instituted by God. We read in Genesis that God created
them male and female, and blessed them, saying: "Increase and
multiply"; and also: "It is not good for man to be alone: let us make
him a help like unto himself.,' And a little further on: But for Adam there was
not found a helper like himself. Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam;
and when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for
it. And the Lord God built a rib which he took from Adam. into a woman, and
brought her to Adam; and Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones, and
flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man:
wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife;
and they shall be two in one flesh," These words, according to the
authority of our Lord Himself, as we read in St. Matthew, prove the divine
institution. of Matrimony.
Marriage Is Indissoluble By Divine Law
Not only did God institute marriage; He also, as the
Council of Trent declares, rendered it perpetual and indissoluble.' What God
hath joined together, says our Lord, let not man separate.
Although it belongs to marriage as a natural contract to
be indissoluble, yet its indissolubility arises principally from its nature as
a Sacrament, as it is the sacramental character that, in all its natural
relations, elevates marriage to the highest perfection. In any event,
dissolubility is at once opposed to the proper education of children, and to
the other advantages of marriage.
Marriage Not Obligatory On All
The words increase and multiply, which were uttered by
the Lord, do not impose on every individual an obligation to marry, but only declare
the purpose of the institution of marriage. Now that the human race is widely
diffused, not only is there no law rendering marriage obligatory, but, on the
contrary, virginity is highly exalted and strongly recommended in Scripture as
superior to marriage, and as a state of greater perfection and holiness. For
our Lord and Saviour taught as follows: He that can take it, let him take it;
and the Apostle says: Concerning virgins I have no commandment from the Lord;
but I give counsel as having obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful.
The Motives And Ends Of Marriage
We have now to explain why man and woman should be joined
in marriage. First of all, nature itself by an instinct implanted in both sexes
impels them to such companionship, and this is further encouraged by the hope
of mutual assistance in bearing more easily the discomforts of life and the
infirmities of old age.
A second reason for marriage is the desire of family, not
so much, however, with a view to leave after us heirs to inherit our property
and fortune, as to bring up children in the true faith and in the service of
God. That such was the principal object of the holy Patriarchs when they
married is clear from Scripture. Hence the Angel, when informing Tobias of the
means of repelling the violent assaults of the evil demon, says: I will show
thee who they are over whom the devil can prevail; for they who in such manner
receive matrimony as to shut out God from themselves and from their mind, and
to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule which have not
understanding, over them the devil hath power. He then adds: Thou shalt take
the virgin with the fear of the Lord, moved rather for love of children than
for lust, that in the seed of Abraham thou mayest obtain a blessing in
children. It was also for this reason that God instituted marriage from the
beginning; and therefore married persons who, to prevent conception or procure
abortion, have recourse to medicine, are guilty of a most heinous crime --
nothing less than wicked conspiracy to commit murder.
A third reason has been added, as a consequence of the
fall of our first parents. On account of the loss of original innocence the
passions began to rise in rebellion against right reason; and man, conscious of
his own frailty and unwilling to fight the battles of the flesh, is supplied by
marriage with an antidote by which to avoid sins of lust. For fear of
fornication, says the Apostle, let every man have his own wife, and let every
woman have her own husband; and a little after, having recommended to married
persons a temporary abstinence from the marriage debt, to give themselves to
prayer, he adds: Return together again, lest Satan tempt you for your
incontinency.
These are ends, some one of which, those who desire to
contract marriage piously and religiously, as becomes the children of the
Saints, should propose to themselves. If to these we add other causes which
induce to contract marriage, and, in choosing a wife, to prefer one person to
another, such as the desire of leaving an heir, wealth, beauty, illustrious
descent, congeniality of disposition -- such motives, because not inconsistent
with the holiness of marriage, are not to be condemned. We do not find that the
Sacred Scriptures condemn the Patriarch Jacob for having chosen Rachel for her
beauty, in preference to Lia.
So much should be explained regarding Matrimony as a
natural contract.
Marriage Considered as a Sacrament
It will now be necessary to explain that Matrimony is far
superior in its sacramental aspect and aims at an incomparably higher end. For
as marriage, as a natural union, was instituted from the beginning to propagate
the human race; so was the sacramental dignity subsequently conferred upon it
in order that a people might be begotten and brought up for the service and
worship of the true God and of Christ our Saviour.
Thus when Christ our Lord wished to give a sign of the
intimate union that exists between Him and His Church and of His immense love
for us, He chose especially the sacred union of man and wife. That this sign
was a most appropriate one will readily appear from the fact that of all human
relations there is none that binds so closely as the marriage-tie, and from the
fact that husband and wife are bound to one another by the bonds of the
greatest affection and love. Hence it is that Holy Writ so frequently
represents to us the divine union of Christ and the Church under the figure of
marriage.
Marriage Is A Sacrament
That Matrimony is a Sacrament the Church, following the
authority of the Apostle, has always held to be certain and incontestable. In
his Epistle to the Ephesians he writes: Men should love their wives as their
own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever hated his
own flesh, but nourisheth it and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the church;
for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause
shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall adhere to his wife, and they
shall be two in one flesh. This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and
in the church. Now his expression, this is a great sacrament, undoubtedly
refers to Matrimony, and must be taken to mean that the union of man and wife,
which has God for its Author, is a Sacrament, that is, a sacred sign of that
most holy union that binds Christ our Lord to His Church.
That this is the true and proper meaning of the Apostle's
words is shown by the ancient holy Fathers who have interpreted them, and by
the explanation furnished by the Council of Trent. It is indubitable,
therefore, that the Apostle compares the husband to Christ, and the wife to the
Church; that the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the head of the
Church; and that for this very reason the husband should love his wife and the
wife love and respect her husband. For Christ loved his church, and gave
himself for her; while as the same Apostle teaches, the church is subject to
Christ.
That grace is also signified and conferred by this
Sacrament, which are two properties that constitute the principal
characteristics of each Sacrament, is declared by the Council as follows: By
his passion Christ, the Author and Perfecter of the venerable Sacraments,
merited for us the grace that perfects the natural love (of husband and wife),
confirms their indissoluble union, and sanctifies them. It should, therefore,
be shown that by the grace of this Sacrament husband and wife are joined in the
bonds of mutual love, cherish affection one towards the other, avoid illicit
attachments and passions, and so keep their marriage honourable in all things,
. . . and their bed undefiled.
Marriage before Christ
It Was Not A Sacrament
How much the Sacrament of Matrimony is superior to the
marriages made both previous to and under the (Mosaic) Law may be judged from
the fact that though the Gentiles themselves were convinced there was something
divine in marriage, and for that reason regarded promiscuous intercourse as
contrary to the law of nature, while they also considered fornication, adultery
and other kinds of impurity to be punishable offences; yet their marriages
never had any sacramental value.
Among the Jews the laws of marriage were observed far
more religiously, and it cannot be doubted that their unions were endowed with
more holiness. As they had received from God the promise that in the seed of
Abraham all nations should be blessed," it was justly considered by them
to be a very pious duty to bring forth children, and thus contribute to the
propagation of the chosen people from whom Christ the Lord and Saviour was to
derive His birth in His human nature. Still their unions also fell short of the
real nature of a Sacrament.
Before Christ Marriage Had Fallen From Its Primitive
Unity And Indissolubility
It should be added that if we consider the law of nature
after the fall and the Law of Moses we shall easily see that-marriage had
fallen from its original honour and purity. Thus under the law of nature we
read of many of the ancient Patriarchs that they had several wives at the same
time; while under the Law of Moses it was permissible, should cause exist, to
repudiate one's wife by giving her a bill of divorce. Both these (concessions)
have been suppressed by the law of the Gospel, and marriage has been restored
to its original state.
Christ Restored to Marriage its Primitive Qualities
Unity Of Marriage
Though some of the ancient Patriarchs are not to be
blamed for having married several wives, since they did not act thus without
divine dispensation, yet Christ our Lord has clearly shown that polygamy is not
in keeping with the nature of Matrimony. These are His words: For this cause
shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they
shall be two in one flesh; and He adds: wherefore they are no more two but one
flesh. In these words He makes it clear that God instituted marriage to be the
union of two, and only two persons. The same truth He has taught very
distinctly in another passage, wherein He says: Whosoever shall put away his wife
and marry another, committeth adultery against her; and if the wife shall put
away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. For if it
were lawful for a man to have several wives, there is no reason why he who
takes to himself a second wife, along with the wife he already has, should be
regarded as more guilty of adultery than if he had dismissed his first wife and
taken a second.
Hence it is that when an infidel who, following the
customs of his country has married several wives, happens to be converted to
the true religion, the Church orders him to dismiss all but the first, and
regard her alone as his true and lawful wife.
Indissolubility Of Marriage
The self-same testimony of Christ our Lord easily proves
that the marriage-tie cannot be broken by any sort of divorce. For if by a bill
of divorce a woman were freed from the law that binds her to her husband, she
might marry another husband without being in the least guilty of adultery. Yet
our Lord says clearly: Whosoever shall put away his wife and shall marry
another committeth adultery. Hence it is plain that the bond of marriage can be
dissolved by death alone, as is confirmed by the Apostle when he says: A woman
is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband die she
is at liberty; let her marry whom she will, only in the Lord; and again: To
them that are married, not I but the Lord commandeth, that the wife depart not
from her husband; and if she depart that she remain unmarried or be reconciled
to her husband. To the wife, then, who for a just cause has left her husband,
the Apostle offers this alternative: Let her either remain unmarried or be
reconciled to her husband. Nor does holy Church permit husband and wife to
separate without weighty reasons.
Advantages Of Indissolubility
Lest, however, the law of Matrimony should seem too
severe on account of its absolute indissolubility, the advantages of this
indissolubility should be pointed out.
The first (beneficial consequence) is that men are given
to understand that in entering Matrimony virtue and congeniality of disposition
are to be preferred to wealth or beauty -- a circumstance that cannot but prove
of the very highest advantage to the interests of society at large.
In the second place, if marriage could be dissolved by
divorce, married persons would hardly ever be without causes of disunion, which
would be daily supplied by the old enemy of peace and purity; while, on the
contrary, now that the faithful must remember that even though separated as to
bed and board, they remain none the less bound by the bond of marriage with no
hope of marrying another, they are by this very fact rendered less prone to
strife and discord. And even if it sometimes happens that husband and wife
become separated, and are unable to bear the want of their partnership any
longer, they are easily reconciled by friends and return to their common life.
The pastor should not here omit the salutary admonition
of St. Augustine who, to convince the faithful that they should not consider it
a hardship to receive back the wife they have put away for adultery, provided
she repents of her crime, observes: Why should not the Christian husband
receive back his wife when the Church receives her? And why should not the wife
pardon her adulterous but penitent husband when Christ has already pardoned
him? True it is that Scripture calls him foolish who keepeth an adulteress ;
but the meaning refers to her who refuses to repent of her crime and quit the
disgraceful course she has entered on.
From all this it will be clear that Christian marriage is
far superior in dignity and perfection to that of Gentiles and Jews.
The Three Blessings of Marriage
The faithful should also be shown that there are three
blessings of marriage: children, fidelity and the Sacrament. These are
blessings which to some degree compensate for the inconveniences referred to by
the Apostle in the words: Such shall have tribulation of the flesh, and they
lead to this other result that sexual intercourse, which is sinful outside of
marriage, is rendered right and honourable.
Offspring
The first blessing, then, is a family, that is to say,
children born of a true and lawful wife. So highly did the Apostle esteem this
blessing that he says: The woman shall be saved by bearing children.' These
words are to be understood not only of bearing children, but also of bringing
them up and training them to the practice of piety; for the Apostle immediately
subjoins: If she continue in faith. Scripture says: Hast thou children?
Instruct them and bow down their necks from childhood. The same is taught by
the Apostle; while Tobias, Job and other holy Patriarchs in Sacred Scripture
furnish us with beautiful examples of such training. The duties of both parents
and children will, however, be set forth in detail when we come to speak of the
fourth Commandment.
Fidelity
The second advantage of marriage is faith, not indeed
that virtue which we receive in Baptism; but the fidelity which binds wife to
husband and husband to wife in such a way that they mutually deliver to each
other power over their bodies, promising at the same time never to violate the
holy bond of Matrimony. This is easily inferred from the words pronounced by
Adam when taking Eve as his wife, and which were afterwards confirmed by Christ
our Lord in the Gospel: Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother and shall
cleave to his wife and they shall be two in one flesh. It is also inferred from
the words of the Apostle: The wife hath not power of her own body, but the
husband: and in like manner, the husband hath not power of his own body but the
wife. Justly, then, did the Lord in the Old Law ordain the most severe
penalties against adulterers who violated this conjugal fidelity.
Matrimonial fidelity also demands that they love one
another with a special, holy and pure love; not as adulterers love one another
but as Christ loves His Church. This is the rule laid down by the Apostle when
he says: Husbands, love your wives as Christ also loved the church. And surely
(Christ's) love for His Church was immense; it was a love inspired not by His
own advantage, but only by the advantage of His spouse.
Sacrament
The third advantage is called the Sacrament, that is to
say, the indissoluble bond of marriage. As the Apostle has it: The Lord
commanded that the wife depart not from the husband, and if she depart that she
remain unmarried or be reconciled to' her husband; and let not the husband put
away his wife. And truly, if marriage as a Sacrament represents the union of
Christ with His Church, it also necessarily follows that just as Christ never
separates Himself from His Church, so in like manner the wife can never be
separated from her husband in so far as regards the marriage-tie.
The Duties of Married People
The more easily to preserve the holy state (of marriage)
from dissensions, the duties of husband and wife as inculcated by St. Paul and
by the Prince of the Apostles must be explained.
Duties Of A Husband
It is the duty of the husband to treat his wife
generously and honourably. It should not be forgotten that Eve was called by
Adam his companion. The woman, he says, whom thou gavest me as a companion.
Hence it was, according to the opinion of some of the holy Fathers, that she
was formed not from the feet but from the side of man; as, on the other hand,
she was not formed from his head, in order to give her to understand that it
was not hers to command but to obey her husband.
The husband should also be constantly occupied in some
honest pursuit with a view to provide necessaries for the support of his family
and to avoid idleness, the root of almost every vice.
He is also to keep all his family in order, to correct
their morals, and see that they faithfully discharge their duties.
Duties Of A Wife
On the other hand, the duties of a wife are thus summed
up by the Prince of the Apostles: Let wives be subject to their husbands. that
if any believe not the word, they may be won without the word by the
conversation of the wives, considering your chaste conversation with fear. Let
not their adorning be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold,
or the putting on of apparel: but the hidden man of the heart in the
incorruptibility of a quiet and meek spirit, which is rich in the sight of God.
For after this manner heretofore the holy women also, who trusted in God,
adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed
Abraham, calling hint lord.
To train their children in the practice of virtue and to
pay particular attention to their domestic concerns should also be especial
objects of their attention. The wife should love to remain at home, unless
compelled by necessity to go out; and she should never presume to leave home
without her husband's consent.
Again, and in this the conjugal union chiefly consists,
let wives never forget that next to God they are to love their husbands, to
esteem them above all others, yielding to them in all things not inconsistent
with Christian piety, a willing and ready obedience.
The Law of the Church on Marriage
The Rite To Be Observed
Having explained these matters, pastors should next teach
what rites are to be observed in contracting marriage. There is no need,
however, that we dwell on these questions here. The Council of Trent has laid
down fully and accurately what must be chiefly observed; and this decree will
not be unknown to pastors. It will suffice, then, to admonish them-to study to
make themselves acquainted, from the doctrine of the Council, with what regards
this subject, and to explain it carefully to the faithful.
But above all, lest young persons, whose period of life
is marked by extreme indiscretion, should be deceived by a merely nominal
marriage and foolishly rush into sinful love-unions, the pastor cannot too
frequently remind them that there can be no true and valid marriage unless it
be contracted in the presence of the parish priest, or of some other priest
commissioned by him, or by the Ordinary, and that of a certain number of
witnesses.
The Impediments Of Marriage
The impediments of marriage are also to be explained, a
subject so minutely and accurately treated by many grave and learned writers on
the virtues and vices as to render it an easy task to draw upon their labours,
particularly as the pastor has occasion to have such works continually in his
hands. The instructions, therefore, which such books contain, and also the
decrees of the Council with regard to the impediments arising from spiritual relationship,
from public honesty, and from fornication, the pastor should peruse with
attention and expound with care.
The Recipient of Matrimony
Dispositions With Which The Sacrament Is To Be Approached
From the above may be learned the dispositions with which
the faithful should contract matrimony. They should consider that they are
about to enter upon a work that is not human but divine. The example of the
Fathers of the Old Law, who esteemed marriage as a most holy and religious
rite, although it had not then been raised to the dignity of a Sacrament, shows
the singular purity of soul and piety (with which Christians should approach
marriage).
Consent Of Parents
Among other things, children should be exhorted earnestly
that they owe as a tribute of respect to their parents, or to those under whose
guardianship and authority they are placed, not to contract marriage without
their knowledge, still less in defiance of their express wishes. It should be
observed that in the Old Law children were always given in marriage by their
fathers; and that the will of the parent is always to have very great influence
on the choice of the child, is clear from these words of the Apostle He that
giveth his virgin in marriage doth well; and he that giveth her not, doth
better.
The Use Of Marriage
Finally, the use of marriage is a subject which pastors
should so treat as to avoid any expression that may be unfit to meet the ears
of the faithful, that may be calculated to offend the piety of some, or excite
the laughter of. others. The words of the Lord are chaste words; and the
teacher of a Christian people should make use of the same kind of language, one
that is characterised by singular gravity and purity of soul. Two lessons of
instruction to the faithful are, then, to be specially insisted upon.
The first is that marriage is not to be used for purposes
of lust or sensuality, but that its use is to be restrained within those limits
which, as we have already shown, have been fixed by the Lord. It should be
remembered that the Apostle admonishes: They that have wives, let them be as
though they had them not, and that St. Jerome says: The love which a wise man
cherishes towards his wife is the result of judgment, not the impulse of
passion; he governs the impetuosity of desire, and is not hurried into
indulgence. There is nothing more shameful than that a husband should love his
wife as an adulteress.
But as every blessing is to be obtained from God by holy
prayer, the faithful are also to be taught sometimes to abstain from the
marriage debt, in order to devote themselves to prayer. Let the faithful
understand that (this religious continence), according to the proper and holy
injunction of our predecessors, is particularly to be observed for at least three
days before Communion, and oftener during the solemn fast of Lent.
Thus will they find the blessings of marriage to be daily
increased by an abundance of divine grace; and living in the pursuit of piety,
they will not only spend this life in peace and tranquillity, but will also
repose in the true and firm hope, which confoundeth not, of arriving, through
the divine goodness, at the possession of that life which is eternal.