Whether It Is Lawful to Grant Spiritual Things in Return for an
Equivalent of Service, or for an Oral Remuneration?
Objection 1: It would seem that it is lawful to grant spiritual
things in return for an equivalent of service, or an oral
remuneration. Gregory says (Regist. iii, ep. 18): "It is right that
those who serve the interests of the Church should be rewarded." Now
an equivalent of service denotes serving the interests of the Church.
Therefore it seems lawful to confer ecclesiastical benefices for
services received.
Obj. 2: Further, to confer an ecclesiastical benefice for service
received seems to indicate a carnal intention, no less than to do so
on account of kinship. Yet the latter seemingly is not simoniacal
since it implies no buying or selling. Therefore neither is the
former simoniacal.
Obj. 3: Further, that which is done only at another's request would
seem to be done gratis: so that apparently it does not involve
simony, which consists in buying or selling. Now oral remuneration
denotes the conferring of an ecclesiastical benefice at some person's
request. Therefore this is not simoniacal.
Obj. 4: Further, hypocrites perform spiritual deeds in order that
they may receive human praise, which seems to imply oral
remuneration: and yet hypocrites are not said to be guilty of simony.
Therefore oral remuneration does not entail simony.
_On the contrary,_ Pope Urban [*Urban II, Ep. xvii ad Lucium] says:
"Whoever grants or acquires ecclesiastical things, not for the
purpose for which they were instituted but for his own profit, in
consideration of an oral remuneration or of an equivalent in service
rendered or money received, is guilty of simony."
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 2), the term "money" denotes
"anything that can have a pecuniary value." Now it is evident that a
man's service is directed to some kind of usefulness, which has a
pecuniary value, wherefore servants are hired for a money wage.
Therefore to grant a spiritual thing for a service rendered or to be
rendered is the same as to grant it for the money, received or
promised, at which that service could be valued. Likewise, to grant a
person's request for the bestowal of a temporary favor is directed to
some kind of usefulness which has a pecuniary value. Wherefore just
as a man contracts the guilt of simony by accepting money or any
external thing which comes under the head of "real remuneration," so
too does he contract it, by receiving "oral remuneration" or an
"equivalent in service rendered."
Reply Obj. 1: If a cleric renders a prelate a lawful service,
directed to spiritual things (e.g. to the good of the Church, or
benefit of her ministers), he becomes worthy of an ecclesiastical
benefice by reason of the devotion that led him to render the
service, as he would by reason of any other good deed. Hence this is
not a case of remuneration for service rendered, such as Gregory has
in mind. But if the service be unlawful, or directed to carnal things
(e.g. a service rendered to the prelate for the profit of his
kindred, or the increase of his patrimony, or the like), it will be a
case of remuneration for service rendered, and this will be simony.
Reply Obj. 2: The bestowal of a spiritual thing gratis on a person by
reason of kinship or of any carnal affection is unlawful and carnal,
but not simoniacal: since nothing is received in return, wherefore it
does not imply a contract of buying and selling, on which simony is
based. But to present a person to an ecclesiastical benefice with the
understanding or intention that he provide for one's kindred from the
revenue is manifest simony.
Reply Obj. 3: Oral remuneration denotes either praise that
pertains to human favor, which has its price, or a request whereby
man's favor is obtained or the contrary avoided. Hence if one intend
this chiefly one commits simony. Now to grant a request made for an
unworthy person implies, seemingly, that this is one's chief intention
wherefore the deed itself is simoniacal. But if the request be made
for a worthy person, the deed itself is not simoniacal, because it is
based on a worthy cause, on account of which a spiritual thing is
granted to the person for whom the request is made. Nevertheless there
may be simony in the intention, if one look, not to the worthiness of
the person, but to human favor. If, however, a person asks for
himself, that he may obtain the cure of souls, his very presumption
renders him unworthy, and so his request is made for an unworthy
person. But, if one be in need, one may lawfully seek for oneself an
ecclesiastical benefice without the cure of souls.
Reply Obj. 4: A hypocrite does not give a spiritual thing for
the sake of praise, he only makes a show of it, and under false
pretenses stealthily purloins rather than buys human praise: so that
seemingly the hypocrite is not guilty of simony.
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