Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 170 (2/2)

(2) Of the number of its parts;

(3) What kind of parts are they?

(4) Of its division into subjective parts.

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FIRST ARTICLE [III, Q. 90, Art. 1]

Whether Penance Should Be a.s.signed Any Parts?

Objection 1: It would seem that parts should not be a.s.signed to Penance. For it is the Divine power that works our salvation most secretly in the sacraments. Now the Divine power is one and simple.

Therefore Penance, being a sacrament, should have no parts a.s.signed to it.

Obj. 2: Further, Penance is both a virtue and a sacrament. Now no parts are a.s.signed to it as a virtue, since virtue is a habit, which is a simple quality of the mind. In like manner, it seems that parts should not be a.s.signed to Penance as a sacrament, because no parts are a.s.signed to Baptism and the other sacraments. Therefore no parts at all should be a.s.signed to Penance.

Obj. 3: Further, the matter of Penance is sin, as stated above (Q.

84, A. 2). But no parts are a.s.signed to sin. Neither, therefore, should parts be a.s.signed to Penance.

_On the contrary,_ The parts of a thing are those out of which the whole is composed. Now the perfection of Penance is composed of several things, viz. contrition, confession, and satisfaction.

Therefore Penance has parts.

_I answer that,_ The parts of a thing are those into which the whole is divided materially, for the parts of a thing are to the whole, what matter is to the form; wherefore the parts are reckoned as a kind of material cause, and the whole as a kind of formal cause (Phys. ii). Accordingly wherever, on the part of matter, we find a kind of plurality, there we shall find a reason for a.s.signing parts.

Now it has been stated above (Q. 84, AA. 2, 3), that, in the sacrament of Penance, human actions stand as matter: and so, since several actions are requisite for the perfection of Penance, viz., contrition, confession, and satisfaction, as we shall show further on (A. 2), it follows that the sacrament of Penance has parts.

Reply Obj. 1: Every sacrament is something simple by reason of the Divine power, which operates therein: but the Divine power is so great that it can operate both through one and through many, and by reason of these many, parts may be a.s.signed to a particular sacrament.

Reply Obj. 2: Parts are not a.s.signed to penance as a virtue: because the human acts of which there are several in penance, are related to the habit of virtue, not as its parts, but as its effects. It follows, therefore, that parts are a.s.signed to Penance as a sacrament, to which the human acts are related as matter: whereas in the other sacraments the matter does not consist of human acts, but of some one external thing, either simple, as water or oil, or compound, as chrism, and so parts are not a.s.signed to the other sacraments.

Reply Obj. 3: Sins are the remote matter of Penance, inasmuch, to wit, as they are the matter or object of the human acts, which are the proper matter of Penance as a sacrament.

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SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 90, Art. 2]

Whether Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction Are Fittingly a.s.signed As Parts of Penance?

Objection 1: It would seem that contrition, confession, and satisfaction are not fittingly a.s.signed as parts of Penance. For contrition is in the heart, and so belongs to interior penance; while confession consists of words, and satisfaction in deeds; so that the two latter belong to interior penance. Now interior penance is not a sacrament, but only exterior penance which is perceptible by the senses. Therefore these three parts are not fittingly a.s.signed to the sacrament of Penance.

Obj. 2: Further, grace is conferred in the sacraments of the New Law, as stated above (Q. 62, AA. 1, 3). But no grace is conferred in satisfaction. Therefore satisfaction is not part of a sacrament.

Obj. 3: Further, the fruit of a thing is not the same as its part.

But satisfaction is a fruit of penance, according to Luke 3:8: ”Bring forth ... fruits worthy of penance.” Therefore it is not a part of Penance.

Obj. 4: Further, Penance is ordained against sin. But sin can be completed merely in the thought by consent, as stated in the Second Part (I-II, Q. 72, A. 7): therefore Penance can also. Therefore confession in word and satisfaction in deed should not be reckoned as parts of Penance.

_On the contrary,_ It seems that yet more parts should be a.s.signed to Penance. For not only is the body a.s.signed as a part of man, as being the matter, but also the soul, which is his form. But the aforesaid three, being the acts of the penitent, stand as matter, while the priestly absolution stands as form. Therefore the priestly absolution should be a.s.signed as a fourth part of Penance.

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