UNWORTHY. — From Lat. indignus, “unworthy,” “undeserving”; morally, it is one to whom the Sacraments may not be administered or ecclesiastical offices or benefices conferred (v.). With regard to the Sacraments, an unworthy person is generally understood to be one who, although capable of receiving them validly, nevertheless lacks the necessary dispositions to receive them fruitfully and therefore licitly. Such is, for example, one who receives the Eucharist in mortal sin.
Unworthiness may be public (if the sin is public) or occult (if the sin is occult; that is, not merely unknown to the minister, naturally in a nonsacramental capacity, or to only a very few). Moreover, the request for the Sacrament may be public (if made before persons who know of it) or occult (if made only to the minister).
As a rule, the Sacraments must be refused to an unworthy person who asks for them occultly, even if his unworthiness is occult. Charity indeed obliges the minister to prevent sacrilege, and religion requires that the reverence due to the Sacrament be preserved (can. 855 § 2).
The Sacraments ordinarily may not be refused to an occultly unworthy person who asks for them publicly. Such a refusal would not only injure the reputation of the person making the request, but would also deter others from approaching them, since anyone might fear a similar affront for himself (can. 855 § 2; cf. Sum. Theol., 3ª, q. 80, a. 6).
Ordinarily, it is not licit to administer the Sacraments to a publicly unworthy person, that is, to a public sinner, even if he asks for them publicly. This is required by charity, which obliges one to prevent, insofar as possible, the sin of one’s neighbor, and by the necessity of preventing scandal to others (can. 855 § 1; cf. Sum. Theol., 3ª, q. 80, a. 6).
If it were impossible to refuse the Sacraments to a publicly unworthy person (or even to one who is occultly unworthy) without danger of the gravest harm, it is probably licit to administer them when they are not requested out of hatred of the faith or contempt for religion.
It is forbidden to administer the Sacraments to heretics or schismatics, as prescribed by can. 731 § 2. This prescription does not seem to apply to the case of one who is in danger of death and unconscious; for in extreme necessity the salvation of souls must be provided for by every means, even one that is only probably effective. Indeed, it seems licit to administer the Sacraments even to a heretic or schismatic who is fully conscious, but so sincerely attached to his error that one must prudently fear that calling him to the duty of abjuration would be useless. The danger of scandal must, however, be removed.
The election of an unworthy person to an ecclesiastical office is invalid if this is provided for either by common law or by the law of foundation (can. 153 § 3). Clerics or laypersons who knowingly have presented or nominated an unworthy person are immediately deprived, on that occasion, of the right of presentation or nomination (can. 2391 § 3).