ex opere operato
Ex opere operato
eks OH-peh-reh oh-peh-RAH-toh
The principle that a sacrament acts by Christ's power when validly performed, not because of the holiness of the minister, though its fruits depend on the recipient's disposition.
from the work having been worked
The Catechism explains that the sacraments act ex opere operato, “by the very fact of the action's being performed,” because it is Christ himself who is at work in them. A Baptism performed by a sinful priest is still a Baptism; a Mass said by a distracted one is still the Mass. What the recipient brings does matter — the fruits of a sacrament depend on the disposition of the one who receives it — but the sacrament's validity and power do not rest on the minister's virtue.
Councils
Where the Church settled or debated this. Follow a council to read our article on it, or the decrees themselves.
- 1545–1563Council of Trentthe decrees
Sources checked 29 September 2026