Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that it is not always unlawful to give money for the sacraments. Baptism is the door of the sacraments, as we shall state in the TP, Question 68, Article 6; TP, Question 73, Article 3. But seemingly it is lawful in certain cases to give money for Baptism, for instance if a priest were unwilling to baptize a dying child without being paid. Therefore it is not always unlawful to buy or sell the sacraments.

Objection 2: Further, the greatest of the sacraments is the Eucharist, which is consecrated in the Mass. But some priests receive a prebend or money for singing masses. Much more therefore is it lawful to buy or sell the other sacraments.

Objection 3: Further, the sacrament of Penance is a necessary sacrament consisting chiefly in the absolution. But some persons demand money when absolving from excommunication. Therefore it is not always unlawful to buy or sell a sacrament.

Objection 4: Further, custom makes that which otherwise were sinful to be not sinful; thus Augustine says (Contra Faust. xxii, 47) that "it was no crime to have several wives, so long as it was the custom." Now it is the custom in some places to give something in the consecration of bishops, blessings of abbots, ordinations of the clergy, in exchange for the chrism, holy oil, and so forth. Therefore it would seem that it is not unlawful.

Objection 5: Further, it happens sometimes that someone maliciously hinders a person from obtaining a bishopric or some like dignity. But it is lawful for a man to make good his grievance. Therefore it is lawful, seemingly, in such a case to give money for a bishopric or a like ecclesiastical dignity.

Objection 6: Further, marriage is a sacrament. But sometimes money is given for marriage. Therefore it is lawful to sell a sacrament.

On the contrary, It is written (I, qu. i ): "Whosoever shall consecrate anyone for money, let him be cut off from the priesthood."

I answer that, The sacraments of the New Law are of all things most spiritual, inasmuch as they are the cause of spiritual grace, on which no price can be set, and which is essentially incompatible with a non-gratuitous giving. Now the sacraments are dispensed through the ministers of the Church, whom the people are bound to support, according to the words of the Apostle (1 Cor. 9:13), "Know you not, that they who work in the holy place, eat the things that are of the holy place; and they that serve the altar, partake with the altar?"

Accordingly we must answer that to receive money for the spiritual grace of the sacraments, is the sin of simony, which cannot be excused by any custom whatever, since "custom does not prevail over natural or divine law" . Now by money we are to understand anything that has a pecuniary value, as the Philosopher states (Ethic. iv, 1). On the other hand, to receive anything for the support of those who administer the sacraments, in accordance with the statutes of the Church and approved customs, is not simony, nor is it a sin. For it is received not as a price of goods, but as a payment for their need. Hence a gloss of Augustine on 1 Tim. 5:17, "Let the priests that rule well," says: "They should look to the people for a supply to their need, but to the Lord for the reward of their ministry."

Reply to Objection 1: In a case of necessity anyone may baptize. And since nowise ought one to sin, if the priest be unwilling to baptize without being paid, one must act as though there were no priest available for the baptism. Hence the person who is in charge of the child can, in such a case, lawfully baptize it, or cause it to be baptized by anyone else. He could, however, lawfully buy the water from the priest, because it is merely a bodily element. But if it were an adult in danger of death that wished to be baptized, and the priest were unwilling to baptize him without being paid, he ought, if possible, to be baptized by someone else. And if he is unable to have recourse to another, he must by no means pay a price for Baptism, and should rather die without being baptized, because for him the baptism of desire would supply the lack of the sacrament.

Reply to Objection 2: The priest receives money, not as the price for consecrating the Eucharist, or for singing the Mass (for this would be simoniacal), but as payment for his livelihood, as stated above.

Reply to Objection 3: The money exacted of the person absolved is not the price of his absolution (for this would be simoniacal), but a punishment of a past crime for which he was excommunicated.

Reply to Objection 4: As stated above, "custom does not prevail over natural or divine law" whereby simony is forbidden. Wherefore the custom, if such there be, of demanding anything as the price of a spiritual thing, with the intention of buying or selling it, is manifestly simoniacal, especially when the demand is made of a person unwilling to pay. But if the demand be made in payment of a stipend recognized by custom it is not simoniacal, provided there be no intention of buying or selling, but only of doing what is customary, and especially if the demand be acceded to voluntarily. In all these cases, however, one must beware of anything having an appearance of simony or avarice, according to the saying of the Apostle (1 Thess. 5:22), "From all appearance of evil restrain yourselves."

Reply to Objection 5: It would be simoniacal to buy off the opposition of one's rivals, before acquiring the right to a bishopric or any dignity or prebend, by election, appointment or presentation, since this would be to use money as a means of obtaining a spiritual thing. But it is lawful to use money as a means of removing unjust opposition, after one has already acquired that right.

Reply to Objection 6: Some say that it is lawful to give money for Matrimony because no grace is conferred thereby. But this is not altogether true, as we shall state in the Third Part of the work . Wherefore we must reply that Matrimony is not only a sacrament of the Church, but also an office of nature. Consequently it is lawful to give money for Matrimony considered as an office of nature, but unlawful if it be considered as a sacrament of the Church. Hence, according to the law , it is forbidden to demand anything for the Nuptial Blessing.

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod non semper sit illicitum pro sacramentis pecuniam dare. Baptismus enim est ianua sacramentorum, ut in III parte dicetur.

Sed licet, ut videtur, in aliquo casu dare pecuniam pro baptismo, puta quando sacerdos puerum morientem sine pretio baptizare non vellet. Ergo non semper est illicitum emere vel vendere sacramenta.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, maximum sacramentorum est eucharistia, quae in Missa consecratur. Sed pro Missis cantandis aliqui sacerdotes praebendam vel pecuniam accipiunt.

Ergo licet multo magis alia sacramenta emere vel vendere.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, sacramentum poenitentiae est sacramentum necessitatis, quod praecipue in absolutione consistit. Sed quidam absolventes ab excommunicatione pecuniam exigunt.

Ergo non semper est illicitum sacramenta emere vel vendere.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, consuetudo facit ut non sit peccatum illud quod alias peccatum esset, sicut Augustinus dicit quod habere plures uxores, quando mos erat, crimen non erat.

Sed apud quosdam est consuetudo quod in consecrationibus episcoporum, benedictionibus abbatum, et ordinibus clericorum, pro chrismate vel oleo sancto et aliis huiusmodi aliquid detur.

Ergo videtur quod hoc non sit illicitum.

Argumentum 5

Praeterea, contingit quandoque quod aliquis malitiose impedit aliquem vel ab episcopatu obtinendo, vel ab aliqua alia dignitate.

Sed licet unicuique redimere suam vexationem. Ergo licitum videtur in tali casu pecuniam dare pro episcopatu, vel aliqua alia ecclesiastica dignitate.

Argumentum 6

Praeterea, matrimonium est quoddam sacramentum.

Sed quandoque datur pecunia pro matrimonio.

Ergo licitum est sacramenta pecunia vendere.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dicitur I, qu. I, qui per pecuniam quemquam consecraverit, alienus sit a sacerdotio.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod sacramenta novae legis sunt maxime spiritualia, inquantum sunt spiritualis gratiae causa, quae pretio aestimari non potest, et eius rationi repugnat quod non gratuito detur. Dispensantur autem sacramenta per ecclesiae ministros, quos oportet a populo sustentari, secundum illud apostoli, I ad Cor. IX, nescitis quoniam qui in sacrario operantur, quae de sacrario sunt edunt, et qui altari deserviunt, cum altario participantur? sic igitur dicendum est quod accipere pecuniam pro spirituali sacramentorum gratia est crimen simoniae, quod nulla consuetudine potest excusari, quia consuetudo non praeiudicat iuri naturali vel divino.

Per pecuniam autem intelligitur omne illud cuius pretium potest pecunia aestimari, ut philosophus dicit, in IV ethic..

Accipere autem aliqua ad sustentationem eorum qui sacramenta ministrant, secundum ordinationem ecclesiae et consuetudines approbatas, non est simonia, neque peccatum, non enim accipitur tanquam pretium mercedis, sed tanquam stipendium necessitatis.

Unde super illud I ad Tim. V, qui bene praesunt presbyteri etc., dicit Glossa Augustini, accipiant sustentationem necessitatis a populo, mercedem dispensationis a domino.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod in casu necessitatis potest quilibet baptizare. Et quia nullo modo est peccandum, pro eodem est habendum si sacerdos absque pretio baptizare non velit, ac si non esset qui baptizaret. Unde ille qui gerit curam pueri in tali casu licite posset eum baptizare, vel a quocumque alio facere baptizari. Posset tamen licite aquam a sacerdote emere, quae est pure elementum corporale. Si autem esset adultus qui baptismum desideraret, et immineret mortis periculum, nec sacerdos eum vellet sine pretio baptizare, deberet, si posset, per alium baptizari. Quod si non posset ad alium habere recursum, nullo modo deberet pretium pro baptismo dare, sed potius absque baptismo decedere, suppletur enim ei ex baptismo flaminis quod ex sacramento deest.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod sacerdos non accipit pecuniam quasi pretium consecrationis eucharistiae aut Missae cantandae, hoc enim esset simoniacum, sed quasi stipendium suae sustentationis, ut dictum est.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod pecunia non exigitur ab eo qui absolvitur quasi pretium absolutionis, hoc enim esset simoniacum, sed quasi poena culpae praecedentis, pro qua fuit excommunicatus.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, consuetudo non praeiudicat iuri naturali vel divino, quo simonia prohibetur. Et ideo si aliqua ex consuetudine exigantur quasi pretium rei spiritualis, cum intentione emendi vel vendendi, est manifeste simonia, et praecipue si ab invito exigantur. Si vero accipiantur quasi quaedam stipendia per consuetudinem approbatam, non est simonia, si tamen desit intentio emendi vel vendendi, sed intentio referatur ad solam consuetudinis observantiam; et praecipue quando aliquis voluntarie solvit. In his tamen omnibus sollicite cavendum est quod habet speciem simoniae vel cupiditatis, secundum illud apostoli, I ad Thess. Ult., ab omni specie mala abstinete vos.

Ad 5

Ad quintum dicendum quod antequam alicui acquiratur ius in episcopatu, vel quacumque dignitate seu praebenda, per electionem vel provisionem seu collationem, simoniacum esset adversantium obstacula pecunia redimere, sic enim per pecuniam pararet sibi viam ad rem spiritualem obtinendam.

Sed postquam iam ius alicui acquisitum est, licet per pecuniam iniusta impedimenta removere.

Ad 6

Ad sextum dicendum quod quidam dicunt quod pro matrimonio licet pecuniam dare, quia in eo non confertur gratia.

Sed hoc non est usquequaque verum, ut in III parte huius operis dicetur.

Et ideo aliter dicendum est, quod matrimonium non solum est ecclesiae sacramentum, sed etiam naturae officium. Et ideo dare pecuniam pro matrimonio inquantum est naturae officium, licitum est, inquantum vero est ecclesiae sacramentum, est illicitum. Et ideo secundum iura prohibetur ne pro benedictione nuptiarum aliquid exigatur.