intention, without which a human act is impossible. The Church also has authority over internal acts when she determines the divine law about articles of faith, declaring that such a truth is to be believed, or that acts of faith, repentance, or charity are to be elicited at certain times. Moreover, in the internal forum of Penance the priest can impose internal acts of virtue as satisfaction for sins confessed. Religious, too, who have voluntarily by vow subjected themselves to their superiors, are bound to obey the rules and constitutions which prescribe times for meditation and prayer. All theologians are agreed on these points. But apart from these special cases, it is the more common teaching of theologians and canonists that the Church has no power to make laws about merely internal acts. For such acts are not cognizable in the external forum of the Church, and, since the legislative power is coextensive with the judicial, it would seem that she cannot make laws about them.[1]
- ↑ Inn. III, c. 34, de Simonia; Trent, 34, c. i, de Ref.; St Thomas, 3-3, q. 104, a. 5.
