Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that chrism is not a fitting matter for this sacrament. For this sacrament, as stated above (Article 1, ad 1), was instituted by Christ when He promised His disciples the Holy Ghost. But He sent them the Holy Ghost without their being anointed with chrism. Moreover, the apostles themselves bestowed this sacrament without chrism, by the mere imposition of hands: for it is written (Acts 8:17) that the apostles "laid their hands upon" those who were baptized, "and they received the Holy Ghost." Therefore chrism is not the matter of this sacrament: since the matter is essential to the sacrament.

Objection 2: Further, Confirmation perfects, in a way, the sacrament of Baptism, as stated above (Question 65, Articles 3,4): and so it ought to be conformed to it as perfection to the thing perfected. But the matter, in Baptism, is a simple element, viz. water. Therefore chrism, which is made of oil and balm, is not a fitting matter for this sacrament.

Objection 3: Further, oil is used as the matter of this sacrament for the purpose of anointing. But any oil will do for anointing: for instance, oil made from nuts, and from anything else. Therefore not only olive oil should be used for this sacrament.

Objection 4: Further, it has been stated above (Question 66, Article 3) that water is used as the matter of Baptism, because it is easily procured everywhere. But olive oil is not to be procured everywhere; and much less is balm. Therefore chrism, which is made of these, is not a fitting matter for this sacrament.

On the contrary, Gregory says (Registr. iv): "Let no priest dare to sign the baptized infants on the brow with the sacred chrism." Therefore chrism is the matter of this sacrament.

I answer that, Chrism is the fitting matter of this sacrament. For, as stated above (Article 1), in this sacrament the fulness of the Holy Ghost is given for the spiritual strength which belongs to the perfect age. Now when man comes to perfect age he begins at once to have intercourse with others; whereas until then he lives an individual life, as it were, confined to himself. Now the grace of the Holy Ghost is signified by oil; hence Christ is said to be "anointed with the oil of gladness" (Ps. 44:8), by reason of His being gifted with the fulness of the Holy Ghost. Consequently oil is a suitable matter of this sacrament. And balm is mixed with the oil, by reason of its fragrant odor, which spreads about: hence the Apostle says (2 Cor. 2:15): "We are the good odor of Christ," etc. And though many other things be fragrant, yet preference is given to balm, because it has a special odor of its own, and because it confers incorruptibility: hence it is written (Ecclus. 24:21): "My odor is as the purest balm."

Reply to Objection 1: Christ, by the power which He exercises in the sacraments, bestowed on the apostles the reality of this sacrament, i.e. the fulness of the Holy Ghost, without the sacrament itself, because they had received "the first fruits of the Spirit" (Rm. 8:23). Nevertheless, something of keeping with the matter of this sacrament was displayed to the apostles in a sensible manner when they received the Holy Ghost. For that the Holy Ghost came down upon them in a sensible manner under the form of fire, refers to the same signification as oil: except in so far as fire has an active power, while oil has a passive power, as being the matter and incentive of fire. And this was quite fitting: for it was through the apostles that the grace of the Holy Ghost was to flow forth to others. Again, the Holy Ghost came down on the apostles in the shape of a tongue. Which refers to the same signification as balm: except in so far as the tongue communicates with others by speech, but balm, by its odor. because, to wit, the apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost, as teachers of the Faith; but the rest of the believers, as doing that which gives edification to the faithful.

In like manner, too, when the apostles imposed their hands, and when they preached, the fulness of the Holy Ghost came down under visible signs on the faithful, just as, at the beginning, He came down on the apostles: hence Peter said (Acts 11:15): "When I had begun to speak, the Holy Ghost fell upon them, as upon us also in the beginning." Consequently there was no need for sacramental sensible matter, where God sent sensible signs miraculously.

However, the apostles commonly made use of chrism in bestowing the sacrament, when such like visible signs were lacking. For Dionysius says (Eccl. Hier. iv): "There is a certain perfecting operation which our guides," i.e. the apostles, "call the sacrifice of Chrism."

Reply to Objection 2: Baptism is bestowed that spiritual life may be received simply; wherefore simple matter is fitting to it. But this sacrament is given that we may receive the fulness of the Holy Ghost, Whose operations are manifold, according to Wis. 7:22, "In her is the" Holy "Spirit . . . one, manifold"; and 1 Cor. 12:4, "There are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit." Consequently a compound matter is appropriate to this sacrament.

Reply to Objection 3: These properties of oil, by reason of which it symbolizes the Holy Ghost, are to be found in olive oil rather than in any other oil. In fact, the olive-tree itself, through being an evergreen, signifies the refreshing and merciful operation of the Holy Ghost.

Moreover, this oil is called oil properly, and is very much in use, wherever it is to be had. And whatever other liquid is so called, derives its name from its likeness to this oil: nor are the latter commonly used, unless it be to supply the want of olive oil. Therefore it is that this oil alone is used for this and certain other sacraments.

Reply to Objection 4: Baptism is the sacrament of absolute necessity; and so its matter should be at hand everywhere. But it is enough that the matter of this sacrament, which is not of such great necessity, be easily sent to all parts of the world.

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod chrisma non sit conveniens materia huius sacramenti. Hoc enim sacramentum, ut dictum est, institutum est a christo promittente discipulis spiritum sanctum. Sed ipse misit eis spiritum sanctum absque chrismatis unctione. Ipsi etiam apostoli hoc sacramentum conferebant per solam manus impositionem, absque chrismate, dicitur enim Act. VIII quod apostoli imponebant manus super baptizatos, et accipiebant spiritum sanctum.

Ergo chrisma non est materia huius sacramenti, quia materia est de necessitate sacramenti.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, confirmatio quodammodo perficit sacramentum baptismi, sicut supra dictum est, et ita debet ei conformari sicut perfectio perfectibili. Sed in baptismo est materia simplex elementum, scilicet aqua. Ergo huius sacramenti non est conveniens materia chrisma, quod conficitur ex oleo et balsamo.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, oleum assumitur in materia huius sacramenti ad inungendum. Sed quolibet oleo potest fieri inunctio, puta oleo quod fit ex nucibus, et ex quibuscumque aliis rebus. Non ergo solum oleum olivarum debet assumi ad huiusmodi sacramentum.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, supra dictum est quod aqua assumitur ut materia ad baptizandum quia ubique de facili invenitur. Sed oleum olivarum non ubique invenitur, et multo minus balsamum. Non ergo chrisma, quod ex his conficitur, est conveniens materia huius sacramenti.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Gregorius dicit, in registro, presbyteri baptizatos infantes signare in frontibus sacro chrismate non praesumant.

Ergo chrisma est materia huius sacramenti.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod chrisma est conveniens materia huius sacramenti.

Sicut enim dictum est, in hoc sacramento datur plenitudo spiritus sancti ad robur spirituale, quod competit perfectae aetati. Homo autem, cum ad perfectam aetatem pervenerit, incipit iam communicare actiones suas ad alios, antea vero quasi singulariter sibi ipsi vivit. Gratia vero spiritus sancti in oleo designatur, unde christus dicitur esse, unctus oleo laetitiae, propter plenitudinem spiritus sancti quam habuit. Et ideo oleum competit materiae huius sacramenti. Admiscetur autem balsamum propter fragrantiam odoris, quae redundat ad alios, unde et apostolus dicit, II Cor. II, christi bonus odor sumus, etc.. Et licet multa alia sint odorifera, tamen praecipue accipitur balsamum, propter hoc quod habet praecipuum odorem, et quia etiam incorruptionem praestat, unde Eccli. XXIV dicitur, quasi balsamum non mixtum odor meus.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod christus ex potestate quam habet in sacramentis, contulit apostolis rem huius sacramenti, idest plenitudinem spiritus sancti, sine sacramento, eo quod ipsi primitias spiritus sancti acceperunt, sicut dicitur Rom. VIII.

Nihilominus tamen aliquid conforme materiae huius sacramenti exhibitum fuit apostolis sensibiliter in collatione spiritus sancti. Quod enim spiritus sanctus sensibiliter super eos descendit in specie ignis, ad eandem significationem refertur ad quam refertur oleum, nisi quod ignis habet vim activam, oleum autem vim passivam, inquantum est materia et fomentum ignis. Et hoc satis competebat, nam per apostolos gratia spiritus sancti erat ad alios derivanda. Super apostolos etiam spiritus sanctus descendit in figura linguae. Quod ad idem refertur significandum quod significat balsamum, nisi quod lingua per locutionem est communicativa ad alterum, balsamum vero per odorem; quia scilicet apostoli replebantur spiritu sancto ut fidei doctores, alii vero fideles ut operatores eorum quae pertinent ad aedificationem fidelium. Similiter etiam ad impositionem manus apostolorum, et etiam ad eorum praedicationem, descendebat plenitudo spiritus sancti super fideles sub visibilibus signis, sicut a principio descenderat super apostolos, unde Petrus dicit, Act. XI, cum coepissem loqui, cecidit spiritus sanctus super eos, sicut et in nos in initio.

Et ideo non erat necessaria sensibilis materia sacramentalis, ubi sensibilia signa miraculose exhibebantur divinitus.

Utebantur tamen apostoli communiter chrismate in exhibitione sacramenti, quando huiusmodi visibilia signa non exhibebantur.

Dicit enim dionysius, IV cap. Eccl. Hier., est quaedam perfectiva operatio, quam duces nostri, idest apostoli, chrismatis hostiam nominant.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod baptismus datur ad spiritualem vitam simpliciter consequendam, et ideo competit illi sacramento materia simplex. Sed hoc sacramentum datur ad plenitudinem consequendam spiritus sancti, cuius est multiformis operatio, secundum illud Sap. VII, est autem in illa spiritus sanctus, unicus, multiplex, et I Cor. XII dicitur, divisiones gratiarum sunt, idem autem spiritus.

Et ideo convenienter huius sacramenti est materia composita.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod proprietates olei quibus significatur spiritus sanctus, magis inveniuntur in oleo olivarum quam in quocumque alio oleo. Unde et ipsa oliva, semper frondibus virens, virorem et misericordiam spiritus sancti significat.

Hoc etiam oleum proprie dicitur oleum, et maxime habetur in usu ubi haberi potest. Quilibet autem alius liquor ex similitudine huius oleum nominatur, nec est in usu communi, nisi in supplementum apud eos quibus deest oleum olivarum. Et ideo hoc oleum solum assumitur in usum huius et quorundam aliorum sacramentorum.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod baptismus est sacramentum absolutae necessitatis, et ideo eius materia debet ubique inveniri.

Sufficit autem quod materia huius sacramenti, quod non est tantae necessitatis, possit de facili ad omnia loca terrarum deferri.