Franciscan Studies

THE SACRAMENTAL GRACE OF CONFIRMATION IN THIRTEENTH-CENTURY THEOLOGY The object of this paper is to study the effect of the grace of confirma­ tion as set forth in the theological writings of the 13th century after the Fourth Lateran Council. We shall be concerned mainly with officially theological writings exclusive of scriptural and canonical literature. We shall, moreover, follow the chronological sequence of the literature under consideration, except in the instance of St.Thomas Aquinas, where the si­ multaneous consideration of his contribution best suits our purpose. Some documents have unfortunately had to be omitted, but we believe that sufficient evidence has been furnished to show the status and develop­ ment of this doctrine during the 13th century. As we consider the different authors we shall find that they con­ sistently associate certain salient characteristics with the grace of confirmation. These characteristics form, as it were, the static elements of their concept of that grace. Enumerating such features as they occur will therefore enable us to clarify these authors’ consistent teaching on one aspect of the grace of confirmation. On the other hand, we shall see that, from another viewpoint, their teaching on this grace underwent a definite development. And this development, we shall find, was itself part of a broadening of the authors’ understanding of sacramental grace itself. Guy d’Orchelles1 The first document of the period, the Tractatus de sacramentis of Guy d’Orchelles, defines confirmation as ‘a sacrament given to man for the augment of grace, or given to man for strengthening;’ however, despite the author’s explicit positing of the sacrament for an augment of grace, he immediately modifies his meaning to interpret the definition given as equating the augment of grace mentioned as denoting properly 1 Cf. Guidonis de Orchellis Tractatus de sacramentis ex eius Summa de sacramentis et officiis Ecclesiae, ed. by D. and O. Van den E ynde, O.F.M., Franciscan Institute Publications, text series n. 4, The Franciscan Institute, St. Bonaventure, N. Y., rg53. To this edition the editors have appended the Summarium eiudem tractatus e codice Duacensi 434 I. With reference to the date of the Tractatus, the editors assign it to 1215—1220 (cf. ed. cit. p. XLI), or more closely ‘to not much after the years 1216—1217’ (ibid.). 32 speaking, ‘proprie,’ a strengthening equivalent to a special fortitude acquired by the recipient of the sacrament, ‘a fortitude’ namely ‘for combating bravely against enemies.’2 The augment of grace mentioned simply equates itself to a ‘strengthening,’ or a gift of fortitude. In the overall consideration of the sacrament within the limits of the century the very mention of an augment of grace in connection with the sacra­ ment has its salient significance,but its essential meaning lay undeveloped in the present author. When the words of the Psalm, ‘Panis cor hominis confirmât,’ evokes the objection that the Eucharist would then rather appear the sacrament of confirmation, or the medium of confirmation, — an item repeated and resolved almost inevitably by the authors of the century, our author responds to remove any overlapping of the effects of the Eucharist and confirmation by positing with confirmation the per se effect of fortitude, or to discern its immediate effect as fortitude, but with the Eucharist the effect primarily of charity, and only secon­ darily that of fortitude as attendant upon augmented charity.3 What our author means by an augment of grace he further elucidates when, following in a tradition, he proceeds to identify the sacrament itself with its character, and to state that this character as the sacrament is not a sign properly speaking of more grace, non est signum proprie, or of greater grace, but rather of agility, or strenuousness, in combat. The character, then, the author proceeds to imply, as the sacrament or efficacious sign in confirmation effects agility or strenuousness in combat, and takes its visible signification as a sacrament for the exterior anointing performed, whereby the recipient becomes anointed as an athlete in preparation for combat.4 Such exterior athletic anointing signifies an interior strenuousness imparted toward spiritual combat equivalent to the gift of fortitude bestowed by the sacrament. The augment of grace spoken of...