50. The imposition of hands while conferring
this sacrament is not prescribed for the Greeks. In his treatise de
Confirmatione, chap. 4, Morinus writes: "The Latins have always joined the
imposition of hands to anointing, but the Greeks have always kept these rites
separate and have used only anointing in conferring this sacrament. Neither old
nor new euchologies mention the imposition of hands." The same point is
made by Goarius, in Euchologio, p. 299, no. 28. Renaudot in his Opus de
Perpetuitate, vol. 5, bk. 2, chap. 12, affirms that for many centuries in the
Greek church no evidence is to be found of an imposition of hands in conferring
the sacrament of Confirmation. As authorities for this statement he cites the
modern Greek theologians, Simeon of Thessalonica, Gabriel of Philadelphia,
Sirinus, and others. Recently Chardon, in Historia Sacramentorum, bk. 1, chap.
1, De Confirmatione, argues that in earlier centuries the Greek church did
include the imposition of hands in the rite of Confirmation, but he does grant
that for many centuries since then, there is no evidence for this. Finally
Guiseppe Agostino Orsi O. P., at present the master of Our apostolic palace,
proves by marshalling much learned evidence in his historical theological
dissertation, de Chrismate Confirmatorio, that among the Greeks the matter of
the sacrament of Confirmation is the holy oil, not the imposition of hands.
This gives no grounds for asserting, as some have rashly done, that the
sacrament of Confirmation does not exist in the Greek church because it does
not include the imposition of hands. For no one can believe that the sacrament
of Confirmation did not exist for many centuries in so large a portion of the
Christian world especially in a church renowned for its learning and its
sanctity. Goarius (loc. Cit.) gives an apt expression to Our opinion: "Few
men in my judgment will attempt to assert that so large a portion of the
Christian world, which is learned and loyal to apostolic and ecclesiastical rules,
either rejected, neglected or remained in ignorance of this perfect
sacrament."
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