Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Responses to Questions on Kneeling for Communion
The following responses to questions were published in the November-December 2002 edition of Notitiae, the official publication of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. These responses represent the view of the Holy See on the questions of kneeling to receive Holy Communion and the right of Catholics to address concerns to the Holy See.
Congregation de Cultu Divino et Disciplina Sacramentorum
Prot. n. 1322/02/L
Rome , 1 July 2002
Your Excellency,
This Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has recently received reports of members of the faithful in your Diocese being refused Holy Communion unless while standing to receive, as opposed to kneeling. The reports state that such a policy has been announced to parishioners. There were possible indications that such a phenomenon might be somewhat more widespread in the Diocese, but the Congregation is unable to verify whether such is the case. This Dicastery is confident that Your Excellency will be in a position to make a more reliable determination of the matter, and these complaints in any event provide an occasion for the Congregation to communicate the manner in which it habitually addresses this matter, with a request that you make this position known to any priests who may be in need of being thus informed.
The Congregation in fact is concerned at the number of similar complaints that it has received in recent months from various places, and considers any refusal of Holy Communion to a member of the faithful on the basis of his or her kneeling posture to be a grave violation of one of the most basic rights of the Christian faithful, namely that of being assisted by their Pastors by means of the Sacraments (Codex Iuris Canonici, canon 213). In view of the law that "sacred ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who opportunely ask for them, are properly disposed and are not prohibited by law from receiving them" (canon 843 ¶ 1), there should be no such refusal to any Catholic who presents himself for Holy Communion at Mass, except in cases presenting a danger of grave scandal to other believers arising out of the person's unrepented public sin or obstinate heresy or schism, publicly professed or declared. Even where the Congregation has approved of legislation denoting standing as the posture for Holy Communion, in accordance with the adaptations permitted to the Conferences of Bishops by the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani n. 160, paragraph 2, it has done so with the stipulation that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds.
In fact, as His Eminence, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has recently emphasized, the practice of kneeling for Holy Communion has in its favor a centuries-old tradition, and it is a particularly expressive sign of adoration, completely appropriate in light of the true, real and substantial presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ under the consecrated species.
Given the importance of this matter, the Congregation would request that Your Excellency inquire specifically whether this priest in fact has a regular practice of refusing Holy Communion to any member of the faithful in the circumstances described above and -- if the complaint is verified -- that you also firmly instruct him and any other priests who may have had such a practice to refrain from acting thus in the future. Priests should understand that the Congregation will regard future complaints of this nature with great seriousness, and if they are verified, it intends to seek disciplinary action consonant with the gravity of the pastoral abuse.
Thanking Your Excellency for your attention to this matter and relying on your kind collaboration in its regard,
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Jorge A. Cardinal Medina Estévez
Prefect
Prefect
+Francesco Pio Tamburrino
Archbishop Secretary
Archbishop Secretary
Congregation de Cultu Divino et Disciplina Sacramentorum
Prot. n. 1322/02/L
Rome , 1 July 2002
Dear Sir,
This Congregation for Divine Worship gratefully acknowledges receipt of your letter, regarding an announced policy of denial of Holy Communion to those who kneel to receive it at a certain church.
It is troubling that you seem to express some reservations about both the propriety and the usefulness of addressing the Holy See regarding this matter. Canon 212 ¶2 of the Code of Canon Law states that "Christ's faithful are totally free to make known their needs, especially their spiritual ones, and their desire: to the Pastor of the Church". The canon then continues in ¶3: "According to their own knowledge competence and position, they have the right, and indeed sometimes the duty, to present to the sacred Pastor; their opinions regarding those things that pertain to the good of the Church".... Accordingly, in consideration of the nature of the problem and the relative likelihood that it might or might not be resolved on the local level, every member of the faithful has the right of recourse to the Roman Pontiff either personally or by means of the Dicasteries or Tribunals of the Roman Curia.
Another fundamental right of the faithful, as noted in canon 213, is "the right to receive assistance by the sacred Pastors from the spiritual goods of the Church, especially the word of God and the Sacraments". In view of the law that "sacred" ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who opportunely ask for them, are properly disposed and are not prohibited by law from receiving them" (canon 843 ¶ 1), there should be no such refusal to any Catholic who presents himself for Holy Communion at Mass, except in cases presenting a danger of grave scandal to other believers arising out of the person's unrepented public sin or obstinate heresy or schism, publicly professed or declared. Even where the Congregation has approved of legislation denoting standing as the posture for Holy Communion, in accordance with the adaptations permitted to the Conferences of Bishops by the Institution Generalis Missalis Romani n. 160, paragraph 2, it has done so with the stipulation that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds.
Please be assured that the Congregation takes this matter very seriously, and is making the necessary contacts in its regard. At the same time, this Dicastery continues to be ready to be of assistance if you should need to contact it again in the future.
Thanking you for your interest, and with every prayerful good wish, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Monsignor Mario Marini
Undersecretary
==============================================================Undersecretary
Pope Benedict to Catholics:
Kneel and Receive on the Tongue Only
Kneel and Receive on the Tongue Only
Pope Benedict XVI does not want the faithful receiving Communion in their hand nor does he want them standing to receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. According to Vatican liturgist, Monsignor Guido Marini, the pope is trying to set the stage for the whole church as to the proper norm for receiving Communion for which reason communicants at his papal Masses are now asked to kneel and receive on the tongue.
The Holy Father's reasoning is simple: "We Christians kneel before the Blessed Sacrament because, therein, we know and believe to be the presence of the One True God." (May 22, 2008)
According to the pope the entire Church should kneel in adoration before God in the Eucharist. "Kneeling in adoration before the Eucharist is the most valid and radical remedy against the idolatries of yesterday and today" (May 22, 2008)
Our Holy Father wants to purge the Church of abuse and we the faithful ought to be just that, and assist him. We cite from Cardinal Llovera, the new prefect for the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments speaking to Life Site News on July 22, 2009: "It is the mission of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments to work to promote Pope Benedict's emphasis on the traditional practices of liturgy, such as reception of Communion on the tongue while kneeling."
Also note the decree from Cardinal Caffarra, the Archbishop of Bologna Italy, forbidding the practice of Communion in the hand: "Many cases of profanation of the Eucharist have occurred, profiting by the possibility to receive the consecrated Bread on one’s palm of the hand... Considering the frequency in which cases of irreverent behavior in the act of receiving the Eucharist have been reported, we dispose that starting from today in the Metropolitan Church of St. Peter, in the Basilica of St. Petronius and in the Shrine of the Holy Virgin of St. Luke in Bologna the faithful are to receive the consecrated Bread only from the hands of the Minister directly on the tongue." ( April 27, 2009)
The bishops and priests are bound to follow the Holy Father's directive on this issue because it is in keeping with sacred Tradition itself; the faithful are not obliged to wait for the approval of their bishop in order to kneel for God.
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The Doctrine of the Church Tells Us ....
Communion on the Tongue
Is an Apostolic Tradition
Statements from Popes, Saints and Church Councils:
St. Sixtus 1 (circa 115): "The Sacred Vessels are not to be handled by others than those consecrated to the Lord."
St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church (330-379): "The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in times of persecution." St. Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault.
The Council of Saragossa (380): Excommunicated anyone who dared continue receiving Holy Communion by hand. This was confirmed by the Synod of Toledo.
The Synod of Rouen (650): Condemned Communion in the hand to halt widespread abuses that occurred from this practice, and as a safeguard against sacrilege.
6th Ecumenical Council, at Constantinople (680-681): Forbade the faithful to take the Sacred Host in their hand,
threatening transgressors with excommunication.
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): "Out of reverence towards this Sacrament [the Holy Eucharist], nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest's hands, for touching this Sacrament." (Summa Theologica, Part III, Q. 82, Art. 3, Rep. Obj. 8.)
The Council of Trent (1545-1565): "The fact that only the priest gives Holy Communion with his consecrated hands is an Apostolic Tradition."
Pope Paul VI (1963-1978): "This method [on the tongue] must be retained." (Memoriale Domini)
Pope John Paul II: "To touch the sacred species and to distribute them with their own hands is a privilege of the ordained." (Dominicae Cenae, 11)
Pope John II violated the Apostolic Tradition which must not be altered when he did not stop the practice of Communion in the Hand distributed by the non-ordained. Interestingly he and the other Popes of Vatican II never gave permission for self-administration by the non-ordained, but did not stop to think in their blind spot that Communion in the Hand is self-administration because until the Host enters the mouth which invariably involves the tongue by physical necessity, any action involving the hands is administration not receiving. The only part of the human body that is capable of receiving the Host for consummation is the tongue, since all food must pass over and on the tongue to be swallowed, otherwisethere is no other way to avoid choking.---Pauly Fongemie, Web Master
Pope St. Leo the Great is less well known for something very important to liturgical studies. He is one of the most ancient witnesses to the practice of Communion on the tongue. Notably, Saint Leo the Great read the sixth chapter of Saint John's Gospel as referring to the Eucharist (as all the Church Fathers did). In a preserved sermon on John 6 (Sermon 9), Saint Leo says:
"Hoc enim ore sumitur quod fide creditur" (Serm. 91.3).
This is translated strictly as: “This indeed is received by means of the mouth which we believe by means of faith. "Ore" is here in the ablative and in the context it denotes instrumentation. So then, the mouth is the means by which the Holy Eucharist is received.
The Council of Rouen (650):
“Do not put the Eucharist in the hands of any layman or laywoman but only in their mouths.”
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The Doctrine of the Church Tells Us ....
Communion on the Tongue
Is an Apostolic Tradition
Statements from Popes, Saints and Church Councils:
St. Sixtus 1 (circa 115): "The Sacred Vessels are not to be handled by others than those consecrated to the Lord."
St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church (330-379): "The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in times of persecution." St. Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault.
The Council of Saragossa (380): Excommunicated anyone who dared continue receiving Holy Communion by hand. This was confirmed by the Synod of Toledo.
The Synod of Rouen (650): Condemned Communion in the hand to halt widespread abuses that occurred from this practice, and as a safeguard against sacrilege.
6th Ecumenical Council, at Constantinople (680-681): Forbade the faithful to take the Sacred Host in their hand,
threatening transgressors with excommunication.
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): "Out of reverence towards this Sacrament [the Holy Eucharist], nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest's hands, for touching this Sacrament." (Summa Theologica, Part III, Q. 82, Art. 3, Rep. Obj. 8.)
The Council of Trent (1545-1565): "The fact that only the priest gives Holy Communion with his consecrated hands is an Apostolic Tradition."
Pope Paul VI (1963-1978): "This method [on the tongue] must be retained." (Memoriale Domini)
Pope John Paul II: "To touch the sacred species and to distribute them with their own hands is a privilege of the ordained." (Dominicae Cenae, 11)
Pope John II violated the Apostolic Tradition which must not be altered when he did not stop the practice of Communion in the Hand distributed by the non-ordained. Interestingly he and the other Popes of Vatican II never gave permission for self-administration by the non-ordained, but did not stop to think in their blind spot that Communion in the Hand is self-administration because until the Host enters the mouth which invariably involves the tongue by physical necessity, any action involving the hands is administration not receiving. The only part of the human body that is capable of receiving the Host for consummation is the tongue, since all food must pass over and on the tongue to be swallowed, otherwisethere is no other way to avoid choking.---Pauly Fongemie, Web Master
Pope St. Leo the Great is less well known for something very important to liturgical studies. He is one of the most ancient witnesses to the practice of Communion on the tongue. Notably, Saint Leo the Great read the sixth chapter of Saint John's Gospel as referring to the Eucharist (as all the Church Fathers did). In a preserved sermon on John 6 (Sermon 9), Saint Leo says:
"Hoc enim ore sumitur quod fide creditur" (Serm. 91.3).
This is translated strictly as: “This indeed is received by means of the mouth which we believe by means of faith. "Ore" is here in the ablative and in the context it denotes instrumentation. So then, the mouth is the means by which the Holy Eucharist is received.
The Council of Rouen (650):
“Do not put the Eucharist in the hands of any layman or laywoman but only in their mouths.”
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HOW MANY TIMES MAY THE EUCHARIST BE RECEIVED ON ONE DAY?
by Fr. John Trigilio
As many have rightly quoted canon 917, the faithful may receive Holy Communion AGAIN on the same day only during the celebration of the Eucharist in which the person participates. The authentic Latin text of the code uses the word ITERUM which is accurately translated as "AGAIN" as in "a second time." The current interpretation is that a person may receive Holy Communion TWICE if they have participated in TWO Masses on the same day.
Prior to the 1983 Code, Vatican II had limited the second reception of Holy Communion to special occasions and Masses. Now, it seems, that the law allows a broader usage in that no distinction is made for the second or first Mass. A third Mass and receiving Communion a third time on the same day appears NOT to be in conformity to the spirit of the law nor to current practice and interpretation. As stated before, the fear of multiplying "Communions" as if one could QUANTIFY grace and the infinite value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, led the Church to restrict reception to twice a day.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/DOCTRINE/TWICE.TXT
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Communion - How many times per day?
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One of the significant changes for the faithful in the Code of Canon Law which was promulgated in 1983 was the permission to receive Holy Communion more than once per day. In the past the law set certain conditions, such as participation in a funeral, marriage or ordination Mass. The new canon, however, simply states,c.917 A person who has received the Most Holy Eucharist may receive it again (iterum) on the same day only during the celebration of the Eucharist in which the person participates, with due regard for the prescription of can. 921, part 2.What it is saying is that if one attends a Mass after receiving Holy Communion previously that day, one may receive it again. If it is not a Mass, but a Communion Service for example, one may not receive again.However, since the Church encourages the full participation of the laity in the Masses they attend, including Holy Communion (if they are worthy), the question arose whether this canon might not permit Holy Communion in any Mass, regardless of the number of times one attended per day. After numerous bishops asked this question of the Holy See, the Pontifical Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of Legislative texts gave the following authentic interpretation, approved by Pope John Paul II, Doubt: Whether, according to canon 917, one who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist may receive it again on the same day only a second time, or as often as one participates in the celebration of the Eucharist.Response: Affirmative to the first; negative to the second. [AAS 76, (1984) 746]In the accompanying commentary it was explained that the meaning of again (iterum) was to allow a second time, but not a third, fourth etc... The exception to this is the one given in the law itself, canon 921, 2. 2. Even if they have received Communion in the same day, those who are in danger of death are strongly urged to receive again.
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| Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STLhttp://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/communion_times.htm |
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How Many Times a Day May One Receive Communion? FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS How many times can a person receive Holy Communion each day? I attended the Chrism Mass this past Holy Thursday, and then the Mass in the evening at my parish. I received Holy Communion both times. A friend, though, said that I could only receive once a day.
Given this citing of official Church law, we must appreciate the rationale that serves as its foundation. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the celebration of the Blessed Sacrament is "the true center of the whole Christian life both for the universal Church and for the local congregation of that Church" ("Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery," No. 6). The offering of the Mass and the reception of Holy Communion are intrinsically connected. Moreover, the components of the Mass, particularly the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, form a cohesive whole.
Therefore, in ordinary circumstances, an individual is obligated to participate fully in the entire Mass making an offering of oneself to the Lord. The person ought to be present from the very beginning until the very end of the Mass, giving full attention as best one can. Such full participation and attention dispose the individual to receive Holy Communion. Worthy reception of Holy Communion not only enables the individual to enter into communion with the Lord, but also binds that individual in a communion of faith and love with the other members of the Church.
Never, in ordinary circumstances, do we isolate the reception of Holy Communion from the rest of the Mass. The Church grants the permission of receiving Holy Communion twice in one day to meet those situations of a person attending perhaps a wedding Mass and a funeral Mass on the same day, or attending the regular daily Mass and then some special Mass the same day; nevertheless, the stipulation is that the person attends the whole Mass in both instances. Unfortunately, I have known individuals who on a daily basis just "pop" into Mass (even Masses) at the right time to receive Holy Communion and then leave before Mass concludes; it is almost like they are getting their "Jesus fix" for the day rather than worshiping God and wholeheartedly receiving the Blessed Sacrament.
As qualified in Canon 921, 2, in those special circumstances when a person is in danger of death, then he may receive Holy Communion as viaticum along with Penance and Anointing of the Sick, even though he may have received twice already that day. Another special circumstance arises when the person is confined in a hospital or homebound: here the person may receive outside the context of Mass, but would not receive more than once a day unless in danger of death.
Two other basic stipulations govern the reception of Holy Communion: First, a person who is conscious of mortal sin must first make a sacramental confession and receive absolution. If no legitimate opportunity exists for first going to confession, then a person may make an act of perfect contrition with the pledge to the Lord to go to Penance as soon as possible before receiving Holy Communion (Code of Canon Law, No. 916).
Second, a person must fast from food and drink (except water or medicine) for one hour beforehand (Code of Canon Law, No. 919). However, the period of fast before receiving Holy Communion is reduced to "approximately one quarter of an hour" for those who are sick at home or at a hospital, those elderly confined to home or a nursing home, and those who care for these people and who are unable conveniently to observe the fast ("Immensae Caritatis," 1973).
The Church in her prudence provides these laws to help us have a balanced spiritual life, avoiding extremes. Just as the Church requires a person to receive Holy Communion at least once a year (the "Easter duty law"), so does the Church restrict the number of times we can receive a day.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0295.html
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Can We Receive Holy Communion Twice on Christmas Day?
Q: When we were kids, we were told that on Christmas Day, we were allowed to receive Holy Communion twice, if we attended two Masses. The same was true for Easter. Is this still allowed? –MargieA: As was discussed back in the September 6, 2007 column, the current Code of Canon Law was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1983. It replaced the previous code of 1917. We don’t know how old Margie is, so it’s unclear which code was in force back “when we were kids.” But let’s presume that she is speaking about a time before the current code came into force. In this way we can see what the law used to say, and what it says today.http://catholic-bulletin.blogspot.in/2008/12/can-we-receive-holy-communion-twice-on.html
The 1917 Code of Canon Law stated quite clearly that it was not licit for anybody to receive the Eucharist for a second time in one day (c. 857). There were, however, two exceptions. Firstly, a person who was in danger of death could receive Holy Communion as Viaticum (c. 858.1). In other words, when a dying Catholic received the sacrament of Extreme Unction (often referred to colloquially as the Last Rites), the priest also usually gave the person Holy Communion for one last time. If the person had attended Mass earlier that day and received the Eucharist, and later his health took a turn for the worse or he was mortally injured in an accident, he could thus receive the Eucharist for a second time that day. Obviously this was an extraordinary situation that did not happen on a regular basis.
The second exception (also referenced in the former c. 858.1) occurred when it was necessary for someone to consume the Eucharist to avoid irreverence. If, for example, a priest who had already celebrated Mass were later to drop a Host on the church floor, the proper thing to do was (and still is) to pick it up reverently and consume it himself. He could do this even though he had already received the Eucharist at the Mass he had celebrated earlier the same day. Again, this was not an everyday occurrence.The Vatican later permitted some additional exceptions to the rule. In 1973, the Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments (which was later renamed the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments) issued an instruction called Immensae caritatis, which stated that a Catholic could receive the Eucharist for a second time in one day if (1) he had received it first in a Mass on a Saturday morning, and then attended a Sunday vigil Mass that same evening; (2) he had received it at the Holy Saturday evening Mass — which in past years used to extend beyond midnight into the early hours of Easter Sunday — and then attended another Easter Mass on Sunday morning; (3) he had received the Eucharist at Christmas midnight Mass, and then attended another Christmas Mass later in the day; (4) he received it on Holy Thursday at the morning Chrism Mass, and then attended the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening.The instruction also admitted the possibility of other, comparable situations in which Holy Communion might be received for a second time in the same day, if a Catholic were to attend a second Mass. If, for example, someone were to attend a daily morning Mass, and later that day went to a funeral or a wedding Mass, he might receive the Eucharist licitly at both Masses. But note that in each of these cases, the Eucharist had to be received during the course of a Mass. Furthermore, the two Masses were celebrated for different purposes. In other words, there was no provision in the document for receiving Holy Communion a second time outside of a Mass, nor was it permitted to receive it twice if attending, say, two Sunday morning Masses or two daily Masses, both celebrated for the same purpose. In fact, the Congregation specifically noted that the faithful were not to receive the Eucharist twice in the same day if these special circumstances were absent-for the general restrictions found in canon 857 were still in force.
After this instruction was issued, it was thus entirely permissible for a Catholic to receive Holy Communion twice on Christmas and on Easter, as Margie says, assuming that the first Mass was the Christmas midnight Mass, or the Holy Saturday vigil Mass. But with the promulgation of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the rule was broadened even further.The old canon 857 of the 1917 code was reworked and became the current canon 917. It states that a Catholic who has received Holy Communion once, may receive it again on the same day. The only restriction is that the reception must take place within the course of a Mass in which the person is participating. The usual exception for persons who are dying, of course, remains in force (c. 921).What does all this mean? As it stands today, the law allows us to receive Holy Communion a second time onany day, provided that we receive it during a Mass. It does not have to be Christmas, or Easter, or the day of a wedding or funeral.
In 1984, a question on the correct interpretation of this canon was posed to the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts. As we saw in theOctober 5, 2007 column, this Vatican entity alone can provide authentic — that is, official and binding — clarifications as to the meaning of the code. The question was asked whether the provisions found in canon 917 meant that a Catholic could receive Holy Communion only twice in one day, or could receive it however many times that he attended Mass. Could a person who attended, say, four Masses in a single day receive the Eucharist four times?The answer was succinct, as usual. The Council simply said in Latin, “affirmative to the first part; negative to the second.” In other words, one may receive the Eucharist a second time in one day, if attending a second Mass; but no more. The “danger of death” exception, of course, always remains in force — so theoretically, if a Catholic received Holy Communion at two Masses in one day, and later were to receive the sacraments of the dying, he could receive the Eucharist yet again. Obviously, however, this would be a highly unusual situation.
The answer to Margie’s question should by now be clear. Not only is it permissible to receive Holy Communion twice at two different Masses on Christmas Day, it is actually allowed now on every day of the year.
Cathy Caridi, J.C.L. is a licensed canonist who practices law and teaches in the Washington, D.C. area.
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Codex Iuris Canonici Code of Canon Law
BOOK IV : THE SANCTIFYING OFFICE OF THE CHURCH
PART I : THE SACRAMENTS TITLE III: THE BLESSED EUCHARIST
http://holyjoe.org/CIC897-958.html
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CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a3.htm
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Handbook of Indulgences Third Edition, 1986
Codex Iuris Canonici Code of Canon Law
BOOK IV : THE SANCTIFYING OFFICE OF THE CHURCH
PART I : THE SACRAMENTS TITLE III: THE BLESSED EUCHARIST
http://holyjoe.org/CIC897-958.html
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CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a3.htm
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Handbook of Indulgences Third Edition, 1986
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| Indulgences - General Conditions |
| The traditional norm for going to confession, receiving Holy Communion, and praying for the intentions of the pope, in order to gain a plenary indulgence, was 8 days before or after doing the prescribed work (counting the day of the work). In the Great Jubilee Year 2000, the Apostolic Penitentiary relaxed this norm to "several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act" (Gift of the Indulgence, General remarks, 5). The question often arises whether this norm of about 20 days applied only to the Great Jubilee Year Indulgence, or whether it remains in effect. In an answer to a question posed by this author, the Apostolic Penitentiary responded that this norm of "about 20 days" remains in effect, since it was contained under the "General remarks on indulgences," and not under those specific to the Jubilee Indulgence. The following "General remarks on Indulgences" from Gift of the Indulgence summarizes, therefore, the usual conditions given in the Church's law: 1. This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471): "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints". 2. In general, the gaining of indulgences requires certain prescribed conditions (below, nn. 3, 4), and the performance of certain prescribed works ..... [N.B. The grants of indulgence are contained in the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum (4th ed., 1999), in special grants of the Holy See, such as for the Year of the Holy Eucharist, and in special grants which bishops may establish for their dioceses.] 3. To gain indulgences, whether plenary or partial, it is necessary that the faithful be in the state of grace at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed. [N.B. Thus, one must be a Catholic in communion with the Pope, i.e. not excommunicated or in schism.] 4. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. In order to obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of grace: —have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin; —have sacramentally confessed their sins; —receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required); —pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. 5. It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope's intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope's intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an "Our Father" and a "Hail Mary" are suggested. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father's intentions are required for each plenary indulgence. 6. For the sake of those legitimately impeded, confessors can commute both the work prescribed and the conditions required (except, obviously, detachment from even venial sin). 7. Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth. |
| Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STLhttp://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/indulgences_conditions.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOLY SEE ISSUES MEMO REMINDING PRIESTS AND BISHOPS TO WEAR CLERICAL GARB IN PUBLIC
Vatican City, Nov 19, 2012 / 05:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In an effort to promote priestly identity, the Vatican Secretary of State has issued a letter asking clerics and religious at the Vatican to dress as befits their identity as priests conformed to Christ.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said in an Oct. 15 letter that it is a “time in which everyone is specially called to renew his awareness of and consistency with his own identity.”
This call includes priests and religious who work at the Vatican, he wrote, reminding them that they have “the duty of wearing regularly and with dignity the proper habit, in every season.”
The text of the letter, sent to all the offices of the Roman Curia, was made available Nov. 19 by the Vatican observer and journalist Sandro Magister.
Andrea Tornielli of La Stampa suggested Nov. 16 that it was also a message for the wider Church.
Tornielli said the letter was aimed at refreshing the minds of those who work at the Vatican but also to say that this extends beyond the walls of the Holy See. He added, “it is very rare for priests in the Apostolic Palace not to dress like priests.”
“The call for priests to be more law-abiding and look impeccable is meant to be a subtle example for those who come to the Vatican from outside and are just passing through Rome,” Tornielli said.
Cardinal Bertone’s letter, written at Pope Benedict’s bidding, recalls a 1982 letter of Pope John Paul II to his vicar general encouraging him to “study opportune initiatives destined to foster the use of ecclesiastical and religious dress.”
Cardinal Bertone said that bishops should faithfully wear the cassock every day during office hours at the Vatican as an example to the clerics who visit the Holy See.
He reminded clerics that at official and papal events, they are to wear the more formal “abito piano.” For bishops and cardinals, this is a cassock with an embroidered cape; for monsignors, a black cassock with piping of Roman purple; and for priests, a cassock with cape.
This new memo from the Secretary of State goes hand in hand with a 1994 document on the ministry and life of priests from the Congregation for Clergy. The congregation’s document said that in a “secularised and materialistic society … it is particularly important that the community be able to recognise the priest, man of God and dispenser of his mysteries, by his attire as well, which is an unequivocal sign of his dedication and his identity as a public minister.”
“The priest should be identifiable primarily through his conduct, but also by his manner of dressing, which makes visible to all the faithful, indeed and to all men, his identity and his belonging to God and the Church,” it said.
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