no 



THE MEANS OF GRACE 



this: Perfect contrition, including the votum 

 sacramenti, restores sanctifying grace, and the 

 administration of all the Sacraments, with the 

 exception of the consecration of the Eucharist, is 

 always, morally speaking, a matter of necessity. 

 When the celebration of Mass is a matter of 

 necessity, as sometimes happens, it will suffice for 

 the priest to make an act of perfect contrition, but 

 he is bound to receive the Sacrament of Penance 

 as soon thereafter as an opportunity offers, i. e., 

 at least within three days, according to the com- 

 mon interpretation of the law. 4 



It follows that all those who are ex officio en- 

 trusted with the administration of the means of 

 grace, are in duty bound to hold themselves in 

 readiness to administer the Sacraments, in other 

 words, to be habitually in the state of grace. 5 



So much for the interior disposition of the minister. 

 Now for the act of administration. As the minister 

 acts in the name and by authority of the Church, 

 the first rule is that he must comply with her directions. 

 Sancta sancte tractanda. Hence it is a mortal sin know- 

 ingly to employ the wrong matter or form, or, except in 



4 Cone. Trident., Sess. VI, c. 

 5-6. — Missale Rom., De Defect, 

 in Cel. Missae, tit. 8, n. 2 sq. — 

 Prop. Damnat. ab Alexandro VII., 

 38: "Mandatum Tridcntini factum 

 sacerdoti sacrificanti ex necessitate 

 cum peccato mortali, confitendi 

 quamprimum, est consilium, non 

 pracceptum." — Prop. 39: "Ilia par- 

 ticula 'quamprimum' intellegitur, 

 quum saccrdos suo tempore confite- 



bitur." (Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 

 1 1 38 sq.). — Cfr. Ferreres, Comp. 

 Theol. M., cd. 8a, Vol. II, n. 43'. 

 qu. 5. 



B Cfr. St. Augustine, Enarr. in 

 Ps., CIll, s. 1, n. 9: "Videant, 

 qualem rationem habituri sunt cum 

 Deo, qui Sanctis non sancte utun- 

 tur." (Migne, Pat. Lot., XXXVII, 

 '343)- 



