Bonaventure

Notae numeratae infra respondent signis in corpore latino superiore atque in versione anglica; numeratio Quaracchi in singulis paginis impressis a novo incipit, hic autem in seriem unam (1–14) redacta est.

Articulus II. De dispensatione huius Sacramenti.

Consequenter quantum ad secundum articulum quaestionis quaeritur de huius Sacramenti dispensatione. Et circa hoc quatuor quaeruntur. Primo quaeritur, quis debeat administrare hoc Sacramentum. Secundo, cui debeat dispensari. Tertio, in quo membro sive loco. Quarto et ultimo, quoties.

Quaestio I. Quis debeat administrare hoc Sacramentum.

Circa primum proceditur sic. Videtur, quod huius Sacramenti administratio solis episcopis competat:

1. Primo per simile. Sacramentum confirmationis, quod habet materiam consecratam, a solis episcopis traditur¹: ergo pari ratione et Sacramentum istud.

2. Item, in moralibus nobilioris artificis est uti instrumento facto quam ipsum facere — unde nobilior est miles, qui utitur ense, quam faber, qui facit — ergo si episcopus solus oleum consecrat², videtur, quod ipse solus hoc oleo inungere debeat.

3. Item, in naturalibus videmus, quod eadem vis, quae praeparat materiam, inducit formam, et hoc spectat ad rectum ordinem operandi³: si ergo gratia et virtus conformis est naturae; cum episcopus materiam praeparet, videtur, quod ipse solus Sacramentum consummet; et hoc est in ipsa unctione: ergo etc.

Sed contra ostenditur, quod extendat se ad omnes:

4. Quia verbum et elementum constituunt Sacramentum⁴; sed oleum consecratum potest administrari per simplicem laicum, et verbum dici: ergo et Sacramentum administrari.

5. Item, quod ita debeat esse, videtur: quia illud est Sacramentum eorum qui sunt in extremo mortis articulo; sed talibus frequenter non potest subveniri per sacerdotem: ergo videtur, quod saltem per laicum eis subveniri possit.

6. Item, hoc ostenditur exemplo, quia legitur in legenda sanctae Genovefae⁵, quod ipsa inungebat oleo infirmos et curabat eos: ergo videtur, quod hoc saltem spectet ad viros sanctos.

Conclusio. Extremae unctionis minister est sacerdos, tum ratione materiae, quae est oleum consecratum, quod contingi non debet nisi manibus consecratis, tum ratione formae, quae est per modum orandi, quod est officium sacerdotum.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod huius Sacramenti dispensatio ex officio spectat ad sacerdotes; et istud confirmat auctoritas et ratio: auctoritas, quia Iacobi ultimo⁶ dicitur: Inducat presbyteros, et orent super eum; ratio, quia, cum huius Sacramenti materia sit oleum consecratum, non debet administrari nec contingi nisi ab eo qui habet manus consecratas; et talis est sacerdos: ideo non se extendit ad omnes. — Nec ad solos episcopos: quia, cum hoc sit Sacramentum periclitantium, qui non possunt adire praelatos, sed magis e converso, oporteret, multos perire, si a solis episcopis dari deberet. Ideo disposuit Spiritus sanctus, quod unguentum non solum esset in capite, vel in barba Aaron, sed etiam descenderet usque in oram vestimenti⁷, scilicet usque ad inferiores sacerdotes. — Nec solum sumitur ratio a parte unctionis, verum etiam a parte orationis. Quoniam enim officium mediationis p. 597 sacerdotibus competit; sicut competit offerre dona et sacrificia pro peccatis⁸ nec solis episcopis nec etiam laicis; sic etiam dispensatio huius Sacramenti, cuius efficacia principaliter consistit in oratione fidei, cuius est sacerdos minister de ratione sui officii.

Ad 1. Ad illud ergo quod obiicitur de confirmatione, dicendum, quod nullo modo est simile: primum, quia confirmandi possunt adire episcopum, non sic inungendi. Praeterea, manuum impositio solis Apostolis competebat, sed infirmorum curatio usque ad alios discipulos descendebat; et Sacramentum confirmationis est Sacramentum impositionis manuum, Sacramentum unctionis est ad curationem ordinatum⁹.

Ad 2. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod in moralibus nobilius est uti instrumento etc.; dicendum, quod illud veritatem¹⁰ habet ut plurimum in moralibus. Et ratio huius est, quoniam gradus dignitatis est in eis secundum ordinationem ad finem, et utens instrumento immediatior est fini quam fabricans; sed in his operibus Ecclesiae est gradus secundum comparationem ad primum principium, ex quo fluit totum regimen et operatio in corpore Ecclesiae: et ideo virtus prior est superior. Unde superior est episcopus, qui ordinat sacerdotem ad celebrandum, quam ipse sacerdos, qui celebrat; sic in proposito est intelligendum. Praeterea, non est tantae servitutis oleum consecrare, sicut infirmos inungere; primum enim sufficienter potuit fieri ab uno, secundum vero minime: ideo magis voluit Spiritus sanctus secundum communicari quam primum.

Ad 3. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod eiusdem est formam inducere, cuius est materiam praeparare; dicendum, quod verum est de forma, quae perficit illam praeparationem; sicut faber fabricando ferrum¹¹ inducit formam ensis, sic episcopus, quando benedicit, inducit consecrationem; sed propter hoc non oportet, quod illo oleo utatur, sicut nec faber ense.

Ad 4. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod verbum et elementum faciunt Sacramentum; dicendum, quod verum est in aliquibus Sacramentis, quorum dispensatio omnibus est commissa; sed non est verum in omnibus, ut in eucharistia; et sic intelligendum de unctione extrema¹².

Ad 5. Ad illud quod obiicitur de extremo mortis articulo, dicendum, quod devotio potest supplere absentiam sacerdotis; et ideo non est necesse omnibus committi, maxime cum sacerdos satis de facili possit adesse, nisi absit¹³ propter negligentiam infirmi.

Ad 6. Ad illud quod obiicitur de sancta Genovefa, dicendum, quod, sicut supra¹⁴ habitum est, quod quidam absolvunt merito, quidam ex officio; sic intelligendum est in proposito. Unde sicut ad solos sacerdotes pertinet absolvere, tamen viri sancti frequenter impetrant vitae merito quod alii faciunt ex officio; sic in unctione intelligendum est.

Article II. On the dispensing of this Sacrament.

Next, with regard to the second article of the question, inquiry is made concerning the dispensing of this Sacrament. And concerning this, four things are asked. First it is asked, who ought to administer this Sacrament. Second, to whom it ought to be dispensed. Third, in what member or place. Fourth and last, how often.

Question I. Who ought to administer this Sacrament.

Concerning the first, one proceeds thus. It seems that the administration of this Sacrament belongs to bishops alone:

1. First, by a similitude. The Sacrament of confirmation, which has consecrated matter, is conferred by bishops alone¹: therefore by parity of reasoning also this Sacrament.

2. Likewise, in moral matters it belongs to the nobler craftsman to use the finished instrument rather than to make it — whence the soldier who uses the sword is nobler than the smith who makes it — therefore if the bishop alone consecrates the oil², it seems that he alone ought to anoint with this oil.

3. Likewise, in natural things we see that the same power which prepares the matter induces the form, and this pertains to the right order of operating³: if therefore grace and power are conformed to nature; since the bishop prepares the matter, it seems that he alone should complete the Sacrament; and this is in the anointing itself: therefore etc.

But on the contrary it is shown that it extends to all:

4. Because word and element constitute the Sacrament⁴; but consecrated oil can be administered by a simple layman, and the word can be spoken: therefore the Sacrament also can be administered.

5. Likewise, that it ought to be so seems [true]: because it is the Sacrament of those who are in the extreme article of death; but such persons frequently cannot be assisted by a priest: therefore it seems that at least by a layman they may be assisted.

6. Likewise, this is shown by an example, because it is read in the legend of St. Genevieve⁵ that she anointed the sick with oil and cured them: therefore it seems that this at least pertains to holy men.

Conclusion. The minister of extreme unction is the priest, both by reason of the matter, which is consecrated oil, which ought not to be touched except by consecrated hands, and by reason of the form, which is by way of praying, which is the office of priests.

I respond: It must be said that the dispensing of this Sacrament by office pertains to priests; and this both authority and reason confirm: authority, because in the last [chapter] of James⁶ it is said: Let him bring in the presbyters, and let them pray over him; reason, because, since the matter of this Sacrament is consecrated oil, it ought not to be administered nor touched except by one who has consecrated hands; and such is the priest: therefore it does not extend to all. — Nor to bishops alone: because, since this is the Sacrament of those in peril, who cannot approach prelates, but rather the reverse, it would be necessary that many should perish, if it had to be given by bishops alone. Therefore the Holy Spirit disposed that the ointment should be not only on the head, or on the beard of Aaron, but should also run down to the hem of the garment⁷, namely down to the lower priests. — Nor is the reason taken only from the side of the anointing, but also from the side of the prayer. For since the office of mediation p. 597 belongs to priests; just as it belongs [to them] to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins⁸ neither to bishops alone nor also to laymen; so also the dispensing of this Sacrament, whose efficacy consists principally in the prayer of faith, of which the priest is minister by reason of his office.

To the first, then, that which is objected concerning confirmation: it must be said that it is in no way similar: first, because those to be confirmed can approach a bishop, but not so those to be anointed. Moreover, the imposition of hands belonged to the Apostles alone, but the curing of the sick descended even to the other disciples; and the Sacrament of confirmation is the Sacrament of the imposition of hands, [while] the Sacrament of unction is ordained to healing⁹.

To the second, that which is objected, that in moral matters it is nobler to use the instrument, etc.: it must be said that this holds true for the most part in moral matters¹⁰. And the reason for this is that the degree of dignity in them is according to ordination to the end, and the one using the instrument is nearer to the end than the one making it; but in these works of the Church there is a degree according to comparison to the first principle, from which flows the whole governance and operation in the body of the Church: and therefore the prior power is superior. Whence the bishop, who ordains the priest to celebrate, is superior to the priest himself, who celebrates; so it must be understood in the matter at hand. Moreover, it is not of such [great] servitude to consecrate oil as to anoint the sick; for the first could sufficiently be done by one, but the second by no means: therefore the Holy Spirit rather willed the second to be shared than the first.

To the third, that which is objected, that it belongs to the same [agent] to induce the form whose it is to prepare the matter: it must be said that this is true of the form which perfects that preparation; just as the smith by forging the iron¹¹ induces the form of the sword, so the bishop, when he blesses, induces the consecration; but on account of this it is not necessary that he use that oil, just as neither [does] the smith [use] the sword.

To the fourth, that which is objected, that word and element make the Sacrament: it must be said that this is true in some Sacraments, whose dispensing is committed to all; but it is not true in all, as in the Eucharist; and so it is to be understood of extreme unction¹².

To the fifth, that which is objected concerning the extreme article of death: it must be said that devotion can supply the absence of a priest; and therefore it is not necessary that it be committed to all, especially since a priest can readily enough be present, unless he be absent¹³ through the negligence of the sick person.

To the sixth, that which is objected concerning St. Genevieve: it must be said that, as was held above¹⁴, some absolve by merit, some by office; so it is to be understood in the matter at hand. Whence just as it belongs to priests alone to absolve, yet holy men frequently obtain by the merit of [their] life what others do by office; so it is to be understood in unction.