Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern AuthoritiesCallan, Charles J. (Charles Jerome)
Religion
Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities
Callan, Charles J. (Charles Jerome)
Christian ethics -- Catholic authors
(b) The Church is able to give determinative interpretation of the
Positive Divine Law--that is, to settle in what manner a law must be
fulfilled. Examples: Christ gave the command that the Eucharist should
be received, but it was the Church that determined when and how often
one must receive Communion to comply with the wishes of Christ. Christ
instituted only generically the essential rite of some Sacraments,
leaving it to the Church to determine the rite more specifically.
360. The Law of Christ and Impossibility.--(a) Impossibility does not
excuse from a law, in which an act is necessary not because it is
prescribed, but is prescribed because it is a necessary means without
which, even if one be not guilty of negligence, salvation cannot be had
(necessity of means). Example: Infants who die without Baptism are not
held guilty of neglecting the Sacraments, but lack of it deprives them
of the supernatural bliss promised by Christ. Only Baptism confers
regeneration, and only the regenerated are capable of the vision of God.
(b) Impossibility can excuse from a law in which an act is necessary
because it is prescribed, and which therefore makes one guilty of sin,
if one willfully neglects it (necessity of precept). Example: An adult
who dies without the Eucharist cannot be saved if he was guilty of
grave negligence; but he can be saved, if it was not his own fault that
he did not receive Holy Communion. The Eucharist increases supernatural
life, but inculpable lack of it does not exclude from that life.
361. Impossibility--or what is called impossibility--does not always
excuse even from those divine laws which have only the necessity of
precept.
(a) Physical impossibility is the lack of power to perform an act; for
example, it is physically impossible for a blind man to read. This kind
of impossibility, of course, excuses from guilt and punishment.
Example: Titus is dying and thinks of the command that he should
receive Viaticum. But he is unable to receive Communion without
vomiting. Hence, in his case the impossibility excuses from the divine
command.
(b) Moral impossibility is the inability to perform an act without
serious inconvenience; for example, it is morally impossible for one
who has weak eyes to read small print. This kind of impossibility does
not excuse, if a greater evil will result from the non-observance of
the law than the evil of inconvenience that will result from its
observance. Examples: Eleazer would not eat the meats forbidden by the
law of Moses, preferring to die rather than give public scandal (II
Mach., vii. 18). The command of Christ that pastors minister to their
flocks obliges, even if it involves danger of death, when there is a
great public necessity (as in time of pestilence) or an urgent private
necessity (as when an infant is about to die without Baptism).
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