Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that the sacramental species cannot be corrupted, because corruption comes of the separation of the form from the matter. But the matter of the bread does not remain in this sacrament, as is clear from what was said above (Question 75, Article 2). Therefore these species cannot be corrupted.

Objection 2: Further, no form is corrupted except accidentally, that is, when its subject is corrupted; hence self-subsisting forms are incorruptible, as is seen in spiritual substances. But the sacramental species are forms without a subject. Therefore they cannot be corrupted.

Objection 3: Further, if they be corrupted, it will either be naturally or miraculously. But they cannot be corrupted naturally, because no subject of corruption can be assigned as remaining after the corruption has taken place. Neither can they be corrupted miraculously, because the miracles which occur in this sacrament take place in virtue of the consecration, whereby the sacramental species are preserved: and the same thing is not the cause of preservation and of corruption. Therefore, in no way can the sacramental species be corrupted.

On the contrary, We perceive by our senses that the consecrated hosts become putrefied and corrupted.

I answer that, Corruption is "movement from being into non-being" (Aristotle, Phys. v). Now it has been stated (Article 3) that the sacramental species retain the same being as they had before when the substance of the bread was present. Consequently, as the being of those accidents could be corrupted while the substance of the bread and wine was present, so likewise they can be corrupted now that the substance has passed away.

But such accidents could have been previously corrupted in two ways: in one way, of themselves; in another way, accidentally. They could be corrupted of themselves, as by alteration of the qualities, and increase or decrease of the quantity, not in the way in which increase or decrease is found only in animated bodies, such as the substances of the bread and wine are not, but by addition or division; for, as is said in Metaph. iii, one dimension is dissolved by division, and two dimensions result; while on the contrary, by addition, two dimensions become one. And in this way such accidents can be corrupted manifestly after consecration, because the dimensive quantity which remains can receive division and addition; and since it is the subject of sensible qualities, as stated above (Article 1), it can likewise be the subject of their alteration, for instance, if the color or the savor of the bread or wine be altered.

An accident can be corrupted in another way, through the corruption of its subject, and in this way also they can be corrupted after consecration; for although the subject does not remain, still the being which they had in the subject does remain, which being is proper, and suited to the subject. And therefore such being can be corrupted by a contrary agent, as the substance of the bread or wine was subject to corruption, and, moreover, was not corrupted except by a preceding alteration regarding the accidents.

Nevertheless, a distinction must be made between each of the aforesaid corruptions; because, when the body and the blood of Christ succeed in this sacrament to the substance of the bread and wine, if there be such change on the part of the accidents as would not have sufficed for the corruption of the bread and wine, then the body and blood of Christ do not cease to be under this sacrament on account of such change, whether the change be on the part of the quality, as for instance, when the color or the savor of the bread or wine is slightly modified; or on the part of the quantity, as when the bread or the wine is divided into such parts as to keep in them the nature of bread or of wine. But if the change be so great that the substance of the bread or wine would have been corrupted, then Christ's body and blood do not remain under this sacrament; and this either on the part of the qualities, as when the color, savor, and other qualities of the bread and wine are so altered as to be incompatible with the nature of bread or of wine; or else on the part of the quantity, as, for instance, if the bread be reduced to fine particles, or the wine divided into such tiny drops that the species of bread or wine no longer remain.

Reply to Objection 1: Since it belongs essentially to corruption to take away the being of a thing, in so far as the being of some form is in matter, it results that by corruption the form is separated from the matter. But if such being were not in matter, yet like such being as is in matter, it could be taken away by corruption, even where there is no matter; as takes place in this sacrament, as is evident from what was said above.

Reply to Objection 2: Although the sacramental species are forms not in matter, yet they have the being which they had in matter.

Reply to Objection 3: This corruption of species is not miraculous, but natural; nevertheless, it presupposes the miracle which is wrought in the consecration, namely, that those sacramental species retain without a subject, the same being as they had in a subject; just as a blind man, to whom sight is given miraculously, sees naturally.

Articulus 4

Argumentum 1

Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod species sacramentales corrumpi non possunt. Corruptio enim accidit per separationem formae a materia. Sed materia panis non remanet in hoc sacramento, ut ex supra dictis patet.

Ergo huiusmodi species non possunt corrumpi.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, nulla forma corrumpitur nisi per accidens, corrupto subiecto, unde formae per se subsistentes incorruptibiles sunt, sicut patet in substantiis spiritualibus. Sed species sacramentales sunt formae sine subiecto.

Ergo corrumpi non possunt.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, si corrumpuntur, aut hoc erit naturaliter, aut miraculose. Sed non naturaliter, quia non est ibi assignare aliquod corruptionis subiectum, quod maneat corruptione terminata.

Similiter etiam nec miraculose, quia miracula quae sunt in hoc sacramento, fiunt virtute consecrationis, per quam species sacramentales conservantur; non est autem idem causa conservationis et corruptionis. Ergo nullo modo species sacramentales corrumpi possunt.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod sensu deprehenditur hostias consecratas putrefieri et corrumpi.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod corruptio est motus ex esse in non esse.

Dictum est autem supra quod species sacramentales retinent idem esse quod prius habebant substantia panis et vini existente.

Et ideo, sicut esse horum accidentium poterat corrumpi substantia panis et vini existente, ita etiam potest corrumpi illa substantia abeunte.

Poterant autem huiusmodi accidentia primo corrumpi dupliciter, uno modo, per se; alio modo, per accidens. Per se quidem, sicut per alterationem qualitatum, et augmentum vel diminutionem quantitatis, non quidem per modum augmenti vel diminutionis, qui invenitur in solis corporibus animatis, qualia non sunt substantia panis et vini, sed per additionem vel divisionem; nam, sicut dicitur in III metaphys., per divisionem una dimensio corrumpitur et fiunt duae, per additionem autem e converso ex duabus fit una.

Et per hunc modum manifeste possunt corrumpi huiusmodi accidentia post consecrationem, quia et ipsa quantitas dimensiva remanens potest divisionem et additionem recipere; et, cum sit subiectum qualitatum sensibilium, sicut dictum est, potest etiam esse subiectum alterationis eorum, puta si alteretur color aut sapor panis aut vini.

Alio modo poterant corrumpi per accidens, per corruptionem subiecti. Et hoc modo possunt corrumpi etiam post consecrationem.

Quamvis enim subiectum non remaneat, remanet tamen esse quod habebant huiusmodi accidentia in subiecto, quod quidem est proprium et conforme subiecto. Et ideo huiusmodi esse potest corrumpi a contrario agente, sicut corrumpebatur substantia panis vel vini, quae etiam non corrumpebatur nisi praecedente alteratione circa accidentia.

Distinguendum tamen est inter utramque praedictarum corruptionum. Quia, cum corpus christi et sanguis succedant in hoc sacramento substantiae panis et vini, si fiat talis immutatio ex parte accidentium quae non suffecisset ad corruptionem panis et vini, propter talem immutationem non desinit corpus et sanguis christi esse sub hoc sacramento, sive fiat immutatio ex parte qualitatis, puta cum modicum immutatur color aut sapor vini aut panis; sive ex parte quantitatis, sicut cum dividitur panis aut vinum in tales partes quod adhuc in eis possit salvari natura panis aut vini. Si vero fiat tanta immutatio quod fuisset corrupta substantia panis aut vini, non remanent corpus et sanguis christi sub hoc sacramento.

Et hoc tam ex parte qualitatum, sicut cum ita immutatur color et sapor et aliae qualitates panis aut vini quod nullo modo posset compati natura panis aut vini, sive etiam ex parte quantitatis, puta si pulverizetur panis, vel vinum in minimas partes dividatur, ut iam non remaneant species panis vel vini.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, quia ad corruptionem per se pertinet quod auferatur esse rei inquantum esse alicuius formae est in materia, consequens est quod per corruptionem separetur forma a materia. Si vero huiusmodi esse non esset in materia, simile tamen ei quod est in materia, posset per corruptionem auferri etiam materia non existente, sicut accidit in hoc sacramento, ut ex dictis patet.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod species sacramentales, licet sint formae non in materia, habent tamen esse quod prius in materia habebant.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod corruptio illa specierum non est miraculosa, sed naturalis, praesupponit tamen miraculum quod est factum in consecratione, scilicet quod illae species sacramentales retineant esse sine subiecto quod prius habebant in subiecto; sicut et caecus miraculose illuminatus naturaliter videt.