Ex opere operato

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ex opere operato ( Latin for “through the act performed”) means: something works independently of the attitude of those who do it and independently of the attitude of those in whom and for whom it is done.

In Catholic dogmatics , the term is the designation for the objective mode of action of the sacraments on the basis of their correct execution, regardless of the moral disposition of the donor. The effectiveness of a sacrament occurs when the recipient does not counteract it. This view of the Catholic Church is also shared by the Orthodox, Oriental and Anglican churches.

The opposite opinion, that the effectiveness of the sacraments depends on the attitude of the donor or recipient, is expressed by the Latin formula ex opere operantis .

Text of the Council of Trent

At the seventh session of the Council of Trent on March 3, 1547, Can. 8 of the decree on the sacraments stipulates: "Anyone who says that through the sacraments of the new covenant grace is not bestowed on the basis of the act performed, but that only belief in the divine promise is sufficient to obtain grace is sufficient, he is occupied with the anathema ."

The Second Vatican Council

In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy , the Second Vatican Council , following Cyril of Alexandria, emphasizes the statement: “You [the Christians] should give thanks to God and make the immaculate offering not only through the hands of the priest, but also together with him and thereby learn to offer oneself. Through Christ, the mediator, they are to come from day to day to ever fuller unity with God and with one another, so that finally God may be all in all. "

catechism

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes sentences 1127–1128 and 1131 in question 229:

“Why are the sacraments effective? The sacraments work ex opere operato ("on the basis of the sacramental act performed") [...] "

swell

  1. ^ Heinrich Denzinger , Compendium of Confessions of Faith and Krchlilchen Teaching Decisions No. 1608, Herder, Freiburg, 40th edition 2005, ISBN 3-451-28520-7
  2. ^ Constitution on Sacred Liturgy , Chapter 2, Article 48, quoted from LThK , 1966, Supplementary Volume I; see. also the comment on this article
  3. ^ German Bishops' Conference (ed.): Catechism of the Catholic Church - Compendium , Pattloch Verlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-629-02140-9 .

literature

  • Johann Adam Möhler : Symbolism, or representation of the dogmatic opposites of Catholics and Protestants according to their public confessions ; 8th, unchanged original edition; Mainz 1872, p. 255
  • Karl Rahner , Angelus Häußling : The many masses and the one sacrifice , chap. I, Herder Verlag, Freiburg 1966