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Summa Theologiae · III, q. 80

Question 80. Of the Use or Receiving of This Sacrament in General

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Third Part. 12 articles.

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Text: Summa Theologiae, Project Gutenberg #19950, Third Part (Tertia Pars), translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The Third Part of the Summa in the English Dominican translation (first printed 1911 to 1925; second and revised edition from 1920). A sample check on 2026-11-09 against pre-1931 printings at the Internet Archive (first printings of 1915 and 1916 and the second and revised edition of the 1920s) found that the article text matches, with no 1947 introduction, synopsis, or index. The phrase “From the Complete American Edition” in Gutenberg's catalog title is a provenance note only. Question and article numbers were added by the transcriber. The Gutenberg text ends at question 90 of the Third Part, where Aquinas stopped writing; the Supplement is a separate edition here, transcribed from 1917 to 1922 printings of the same translation. Rights: Public domain (US)

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We have now to consider the use or receiving of this sacrament, first of all in general; secondly, how Christ used this sacrament.

Under the first heading there are twelve points of inquiry:

(1) Whether there are two ways of eating this sacrament, namely, sacramentally and spiritually?

(2) Whether it belongs to man alone to eat this sacrament spiritually?

(3) Whether it belongs to the just man only to eat it sacramentally?

(4) Whether the sinner sins in eating it sacramentally?

(5) Of the degree of this sin;

(6) Whether this sacrament should be refused to the sinner that approaches it?

(7) Whether nocturnal pollution prevents man from receiving this sacrament?

(8) Whether it is to be received only when one is fasting?

(9) Whether it is to be given to them who lack the use of reason?

(10) Whether it is to be received daily?

(11) Whether it is lawful to refrain from it altogether?

(12) Whether it is lawful to receive the body without the blood?

Articles

  1. Whether There Are Two Ways to Be Distinguished of Eating Christ's Body?
  2. Whether It Belongs to Man Alone to Eat This Sacrament Spiritually?
  3. Whether the Just Man Alone May Eat Christ Sacramentally?
  4. Whether the Sinner Sins in Receiving Christ's Body Sacramentally?
  5. Whether to Approach This Sacrament with Consciousness of Sin Is the Gravest of All Sins?
  6. Whether the Priest Ought to Deny the Body of Christ to the Sinner Seeking It?
  7. Whether the Seminal Loss That Occurs During Sleep Hinders Anyone from Receiving This Sacrament?
  8. Whether Food or Drink Taken Beforehand Hinders the Receiving of This Sacrament?
  9. Whether Those Who Have Not the Use of Reason Ought to Receive This Sacrament?
  10. Whether It Is Lawful to Receive This Sacrament Daily?
  11. Whether It Is Lawful to Abstain Altogether from Communion?
  12. Whether It Is Lawful to Receive the Body of Christ Without the Blood?

Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, Third Part. Project Gutenberg #19950. Project Gutenberg record. Public domain in the USA. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Project Gutenberg notices retained. The full Project Gutenberg license is kept in the hosted text.