Folia Canonica 11. (2008)
PROCEEDINGS OF TENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. "Questioni attuali intorno al Battesimo" Budapest, 4th February 2008 - Michael Carragher: Intention of the Minister as Substantive Element of Baptism
INTENTION OF THE MINISTER AND BAPTISM 223 not. Nor could they say: “We baptize thee”: since neither baptizes. For if of two men, one write one part of a book, and the other write the other, it would not be a proper form of speech to say: “We wrote this book,” but the figure of synecdoche in which the whole is put for the part. 9. May a disabled person baptize? A dumb person cannot baptize because they are unable to pronounce the words. If the disability means that a person cannot pour the water then that individual cannot baptize. 10. May un-baptized people baptize one another?*' But afterwards it was decided by the Church that the unbaptized, whether Jews or Pagans, can confer the sacrament of Baptism, provided they baptize in the form of the Church. Wherefore Pope Nicolas I replies to the questions propounded by the Bulgars: “You say that many in your country have been baptized by someone, whether Christian or pagan you know not. If these were baptized in the name of the Trinity, they must not be rebaptized.” But if the form of the Church be not observed, the sacrament of Baptism is not conferred. And thus is to be explained what Gregory II [Gregory III] writes to Bishop Boniface: “Those whom you assert to have been baptized by pagans,” namely, with a form not recognized by the Church, “we command you to rebaptizc in the name of the Trinity.” And the reason of this is that, just as on the part of the matter, as far as the essentials of the sacrament are concerned, any water will suffice, so, on the part of the minister, any man is competent. Consequently, an unbaptized person can baptize in a case of urgency. So that two unbaptized persons may baptize one another, one baptizing the other and being afterwards baptized by him: and each would receive not only the sacrament but also the reality of the sacrament. But if this were done outside a case of urgency, each would sin grievously, both the baptizer and the baptized, and thus the baptismal effect would be frustrated, although the sacrament itself would not be invalidated. 31 31 Summa Theologiae 111, 67. a.5. Respondeo dicendum quod hanc quaestionem Augustinus indeterminatam reliquit. Dicit enim, in II contra epistolam parmeniani, haec quidem alia quaestio est, utrum et ab his qui nunquam fuerunt christiani, possit baptismus dari, nec aliquid hinc temere affirmandum est, sine auctoritate tanti sacri Concilii quantum tantae rei sufficit. Postmodum vero per ecclesiam determinatum est quod nonbaptizati, sive sint Iudaei sive Pagani, possunt sacramentum baptismi conferre, dummodo in forma ecclesiae baptizent. Unde Nicolaus Papa respondet ad consulta bulgarorum, a quodam nescitis christiano an Pagano, multos in patria vestra baptizatos asseritis. Hi si in nomine trinitatis baptizati sunt, rebaptizari non debent. Si autem forma ecclesiae non fuerit observata, sacramentum baptismi non confertur. Et sic intelligcndum est quod Gregorius II scribit bonifacio episcopo, quos a Paganis baptizatos asseruisti, scilicet ecclesiae forma non servata, ut de novo baptizes in nomine trinitatis, mandamus. Et huius ratio est quia, sicut ex parte materiae, quantum ad necessitatem sacramenti, sufficit quaecumque aqua, ita etiam sufficit ex parte ministri quicumque homo. Et ideo etiam nonbaptizatus in articulo necessitatis baptizare potest. Ut sic duo nonbaptizati se invicem baptizent, dum prius unus baptizaret alium, et postea baptizaretur ab eodem, et consequeretur uterque non solum sacramentum, sed etiam rem sacramenti. Si vero extra articulum necessitatis hoc fieret, uterque graviter peccaret, scilicet baptizans et baptizatus, et per hoc impediretur baptismi effectus, licet non tolleretur ipsum sacramentum.
