Opus (work), a term used in ecclesiastical art to designate several species of antique mosaics or similar intermixture of colors: e.g. Opus Anglicanum ("English work"), embroidery; Opus Alexandrinum ("Alexandrian work"), an invention of the Egyptians, or, as others say, made in the time of Alexander Severus, being a kind of Mosaic pavement, made of squares and circles of porphyry, colored stones, and marbles, of brass, silver, and gold; Opus Grcecum ("Greek work"), mosaics; Opus intextum. (" inweaved work"), irregular masses of stone-work ; Opus reticulatum (" netted work"), stones ar- ranged diagonally ; Opus Teutonicum ("German work"), metal work; Opus vermiculatum ("worm -like work"), chequer work, latticed embroidery. See Walcott, Sac. A rchieology, p. 410.
Opus Operantis (Lat. literalh- the iroi-h of the ■u'orker), a well-known theological phrase, intended to signify that the effect of a particular ministration or rite is primarily and directly due, not to the rite itself
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(opus), but to the disposition of the subject (pperans). Thus, ill the act of kissing or praying before a crucifix, of sprinkling one's self with holy water, of telling the prayers of the rosary upon blessed beads, the fervor and personal piety of the supplicant, and not the material object of the religious use, is held to be the efficient cause of the grace which is thereby imparted. The term is used chiefly by writers of the Roman Catholic schools, in whose system, however, the sacramental rites are held to differ from all others in this respect (Cham- bers). See Opus Operatum.
Opus Operatum (Lat. literally the work vjroufjhf) is the plirase employed by Roman Catholic theologians to describe the manner of the supposed operation of the sacramental rites in the production of grace (q. v.). It is intended to impl}', say the Romanists to Protestant polemics, that the ministration of the rite {o]nis) is in itself, through the institution of Christ, an efficient cause of grace, and that, although its operation is not infal- lible, but requires and presupposes certain dispositions on the part of the recipient, yet these dispositions are but conditiones sine qua 71011, and do not of themselves pro- duce the grace ; and hence, when the sacraments are administered to dying persons in a state of apparent in- sensibility, this is done in the hope and on the presump- tion that the dying person may, though seemingly un- conscious, be nevertheless really disposed to receive the sacrament. The teachings of the Romish Church do not, however, warrant such a mild construction. It is evident from the received writings of the Church of Rome that, even if the dispositions conditioned above be wanting, the sacrament will itself justify the unre- pentant sinner. Thomas Aquinas boldly defended the doctrine that the sacraments now have virtue ex opere operato, and not, as in Old-Testament times, ex opere operuntis. And the Council of Trent (sess. 7, canons vii, viii) says : " If any one shall say that grace, as far as concerneth God's part, is not given through the said sacraments, always and to all men, even though they lightly receive them, but [only] sometimes, and to some persons, let him be anathema. If any one shall say that by the said sacraments of the new law grace is not conferred through the act performed, but that faith alone in the divine promise suffices for obtaining grace, let him be anathema." It is but too clearly apparent from these quotations that the efficacious operation of the sacrament does not presuppose as conditions the re- pentance and other moral dispositions of the recipient, and that the grace which they give is due, not to these dispositions, but to the sacraments alone. This doctrine, if carried out, would obviously equalize, in a great meas- ure, the benefits received by the worthy and the un- worthy who approach the altar, and would justify the administration of baptism to the heathen, etc., not only on consent, but by the application of jihysical force. In a certain sense it is unquestionably true that all the appointed means of grace have an effect ex ojKre ope- rato, inasmuch as the act itself, though inefficacious in its own nature, is an institution of God, and consecrated by him as an instrument not to be made void at the caprice of man. Thus the preaching of the Gospel is inevitably a savor of life or of death. The administra- tion of baptism is invarialjly an admission into the Church. But that the use of an appointed ordinance goes bej'ond this, and results in all cases in a moral ef- fect on the individual, and in the insuring of higher portions of divine grace or ex necessitate, is contrary to the views of the ajjostolic and primitive Church, the doctrine of Scripture, and the preservation of man's free agency. See for Protestant views, Elliott, Delineation of Romanism ; Coleman, Ancient Christianity, p. 370; Hagenbach, Hist, of Doctrines, ii, 80, 303, 306. On Ro- man Catholic views, Mohler, Si/mboHk ; and Wetzer u. Welte, Kirchen-Lexikon, s. v. (J. H. W.)
Opus Supererogatioiiis. See Supereroga- tion.
Oquamiris, sacrifices offered by the Mingrelians in the Caucasus, which partake partly of a Jewish, partlj' of a pagan character. " Their principal sacrifice," as we learn from Picart, '• is that at which the priest, after he has pronounced some particular prayers over the ox, or such other animal as is appointed and set apart for that solemn purpose, singes the victim in five several places to the skin with a lighted taper; then leads it in procession around the devotee for whose particular service it is to be slaughtered; and at last, having sac- rificed it, orders it to be dressed and brought to table. The whole family thereupon stand round about it, each of them with a wax taper in his hand. He for whom the sacrifice is peculiarly intended kneels down before the table, having a candle or wax taper in his hand, while the priest reads some prayers that are suit- able to the solemn occasion. When he has done, not only he who kneels, but his relatives, friends, and ac- quaintances throw frankincense into the fire, which is placed near the victim. The priest then cuts off a piece of the victim, waves it over the head of him at whose request it is offered up, and gives it him to eat; after which the whole company, drawing near to him, wave their wax tapers over his head in like manner, and throw them aftenvards into the same fire where they just before have cast their frankincense. Every per- son that is present at this solemn act of devotion has the liberty to eat as much as he thinks proper, but is enjoined to carry no part of it away; the remainder be- longs to the sacrificator. They have another Oquamiri which is celebrated in honor of their dead. There is nothing, however, very particular or remarkable in it but the ceremony of sacrificing some bloody victims, upon Avhich thej- pour oil and wine mingled together. They make their oblations of wine likewise to the saints after divers forms, a particular detail whereof would be tedious and insipid, and of little or no importance. I shall only observe, therefore, that, besides the wine, they offer up a pig and cock to St. Michael ; and that the Oquamiri which is devoted to the service of St. George, when their vintage is ripe, consists in consecrating a barrel of wine to him, which contains about twenty-four flagons, though it must not be broached until after Whitsuntide, on the festival of St. Peter, at which time the master of each family carries a small quantity of it to St. George's Church, where he pays his devotions to the saint; after which he returns home, and takes all of his family into his cellar. There they arrange them- selves in order around the barrel, the head whereof is plentifully furnished with bread and cheese, a parcel of chibbals, or little onions, by the master of the house, who, before anything is touched, repeats a prayer. At last he kills cither a hog or a kid, and sprinkles part of the blood all around the vessel. The ceremony con- cludes with eating and drinking."