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 217 Augustine says (Tract, lxxx in Joan.) on John 15:3, “Now you are clean by reason of the word,” etc.: “Whence hath water this so great virtue, to touch the body and wash the heart, but by the word doing it, not because it is spoken, but because it is believed?” 3) Thirdly, a sacrament may be considered on the part of the sacramental signification. Now Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ, ii) that “words are the principal signs used by men“; because words can be formed in various ways for the purpose of signifying various mental concepts, so that we are able to express our thoughts with greater distinctness by means of words. And therefore in order to insure the perfection of sacramental signification it was necessary to determine the signification of the sensible things by means of certain words. For water may signify (a) both a cleansing by reason of its humidity, (b) and refreshment by reason of its being cool: but when we say, (c) “I baptize thee,” it is clear that we use water in baptism in order to signify a spiritual cleansing. (d) Belief and not pronouncement: As Augustine says (Tract, lxxx super Joan.), the word operates in the sacraments “not because it is spoken,” i.e. not by the outward sound of the voice, “but because it is “ in accordance with the sense of the words which is held by faith. And this sense is indeed the same for all, though the same words as to their sound be not used by all. Consequently no in what language this sense is expressed, the sacrament is complete. (e) Corruption changes the meaning. If he who corrupts the pronunciation of the sacramental words—does so on purpose, he does not seem to intend to do what the intends: and thus the sacrament seems to be defective. But if he do this through or a slip of the tongue, and if he so far mispronounce the words as to deprive them of sense, the sacrament seems to be defective. 7. Liturgical act20 In the sacrament of Baptism something is done which is essential to the sacrament, and something which belongs to a certain solemnity of the sacrament. Essential indeed, to the sacrament are both the form which designates the principal cause of the sacrament; and the minister who is the instrumental cause; and the use of the matter, namely, washing with water, which designates the principal sacramental effect. But all the other things which the 20 Summa Theologiae, 111, q. 66, a. 10. Respondeo dicendum quod in sacramento baptismi aliquid agitur quod est de necessitate sacramenti, et aliquid est quod ad quandam solemnitatem sacramenti pertinet. De necessitate quidem sacramenti est et forma, quae designat principalem causam sacramenti; et minister, qui est causa instrumentális; et usus materiae, scilicet ablutio in aqua, quae designat principalem sacramenti effectum. Cetera vero omnia quae in ritu baptizandi observat ecclesia, magis pertinent ad quandam solemnitatem sacramenti. Quae quidem adhibentur sacramento propter tria. Primo quidem, ad excitandam devotionem fidelium, et reverentiam ad sacramentum. Si enim simpliciter fieret ablutio in aqua, absque solemnitate, de facili ab aliquibus aestimaretur quasi quaedam communis ablutio. Secundo, ad fidelium instructionem. Simplices enim, qui litteris non erudiuntur, oportet erudire per aliqua sensibilia signa, puta per picturas, et aliqua huiusmodi. Et per hunc modum per ea quae in sacramentis aguntur, vel instruuntur, vel sollicitantur ad quaerendum de his quae per huiusmodi sensibilia signa significantur. Et ideo, quia, praeter principalem sacramenti effectum, oportet quaedam alia scire circa baptismum, conveniens fuit ut etiam quibusdam exterioribus signis repraesentarentur. Tertio, quia per orationes et benedictiones et alia huiusmodi cohibetur vis Daemonis ab impedimento sacramentalis effectus.
