Conditional Administering of Sacraments?

Abstract

The author discusses the problem of conditional administering of two sacraments: of Penance and of the Anointing of the Sick. On the basis of the teaching of the Church—lex credendi (mainly the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Codex Iuris Canonici) and lex orandi (past rituals and currently valid liturgical texts)—the author claims that the Catholic Church has only recognized two sacraments as conditionally administered: of Baptism and of Anointing of the Sick. The idea of conditional administering of Penance has only been discussed in handbooks of moral theology, whose authors not only pondered upon the issue, but also admitted it as an option which they often encouraged. Contemporary theology of sacred sacraments strongly highlights the fact that they are sacraments of faith. Hence, they can only be accepted by believers who are expected to participate in them with awareness. The Sacrament of Penance, in particular, requires such acts like penitence and confession as prerequisite to absolution. Hence, there can be no conditional absolution or conditional Anointing of the Sick. These sacraments are either administered to those who have the required dispositions, or they are not administered at all.