THE SANCTIFYING OFFICE OF THE CHURCH.

-The Canons of the fourth book of the Code govern the liturgical life and celebrations in the Latin
Church.
-These include above all, the celebration of baptism and Eucharist and other Sacraments, together
with sacramentals and the ecclesial prayer.
-Although Book IV itself may be seen as a very selective collection of liturgical laws, that term is
generally reserved for juridic norms that govern the actual celebration of the sacraments and other
services of Catholic worship (c. 2).
-The liturgical laws common to the universal Latin church are to be found chiefly in the official
Roman liturgical books, both in their introductions or prenotes and in the rubrical directives which
describe the rites and accompany the appointed texts.
-Particular liturgical laws are found in the corresponding official liturgical books of various nations
and regions, as well as in decrees and statutes of dioceses and of groups of particular churches
which follow the Roman rite.
In addition, although the code does not highlight this distinction, there are non-Roman Western
rites, whether of particular churches or of religious orders, which were preserved in the post
-Tridentine reform of the Roman liturgical books, like the Ambrosian rite. They preserved their own
liturgical books and laws.
-The norms of Book IV, unlike the much larger body of uncodified liturgical legislation, are more
often concerned with the liturgy from the viewpoint of its extrinsic discipline, e.g, canonical
requirements for ministers or recipients or for proper times or places of celebration. Thus the canons
are not ritual regulations and are distinct from them.
-This distinction also explains why Book IV does not deal with all parts of liturgy. Such significant
elements as the church year, music, and art are not directly touched.

Comparison with the 1917 Code of Canon Law

-Book IV is a radical departure from the corresponding Book III of the 1917 code, not so much in
the content of the canons themselves as in their selection and especially their arrangement. This
difference is essential to an understanding of the present law.
-Following the medieval categories of canon law, which treated persons and things separately, Book
III of the 1917 code (CIC ‘17, c. 726 -1551) dealt with such diverse ‘things’ as simony, sacraments,
sacred places, including funeral rites, and sacred times, divine worship, the church’s teaching office
and temporal goods.
-This pattern confines Book IV to the Church’s order that affects the full liturgical and sacramental
life of the Christian people.
-Book IV also reflects a major simplification in the quantity as well as in the substance of the
canons; it reduces about 600 canons of the 1917 code to a little more than 400. Much of this
simplification has been achieved by the elimination of minute prescriptions and by leaving to the
liturgical laws outside the code, matters not necessary in the codification.
-Sometimes the reduction in the number of canons suggests the lesser significance of the matter
treated or the changed circumstances of Christian life. For example, canons on indulgences have
been reduced from 26 to 6.
-In general, the revision of the canons has been influenced by the decrees of Vatican II, by the
revised liturgical books of the 1960s and other implementing documents of the post-conciliar
period.
-The most significant departure from the 1917 code, however, is the rearrangement or reordering of
canons.

Definition of the Liturgy

-C. 834 §1. The Church fulfils its sanctifying function in a particular way through the sacred liturgy,
which is an exercise of the priestly function of Jesus Christ. In the sacred liturgy the sanctification
of humanity is signified through sensible signs and effected in a manner proper to each sign. In the

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sacred liturgy, the whole public worship of God is carried out by the Head and members of the
mystical Body of Jesus Christ.
-§2. Such worship takes place when it is carried out in the name of the Church by persons
legitimately designated and through acts approved by the authority of the Church.
-In order to be considered liturgy, the activity must be ‘carried out in the name of the Church by
persons legitimately designated.’ The designation comes primarily from baptism and is enjoyed by
all the faithful; it is the sharing in the common priesthood mentioned in c. 836, thus in this primary
sense, the canon means that the liturgy is carries out by the baptized members of the Christian
community.
-At times this element has been understood as referring only to the presidency of an ordained
minister that is requisite for certain but not all liturgical celebrations. In other instances, it has been
understood as referring to the liturgical presidency of the non -ordained, who may be designated, in
a manner not determined by the canon, for this purpose, e.g, the non -ordained who lead services of
the word of God, assist at marriages, preside at funeral services, etc.
-A particular question has arisen in the past about the nature of the private praying of the liturgy of
hours by a person who does not possess the explicit deputation or mandate given to the ordained, to
religious, etc.
-This question has been effectively resolved by the conciliar decision that all lay persons should be
encouraged to celebrate liturgical offices of prayer, preferably, with the priests, or among
themselves, or even individually. This decision is a specific application of the deputation to public
cult of all the baptized.
-The other distinction as a canonical means to identify and determine liturgical actions is that these
‘be approved by the authority of the Church.’
-The usual but not exclusive means of approbation is by way of inclusion of rites in official
liturgical books. Thus, it is possible to define as liturgical, in the sense of this canon, any rite which
appears in an approved liturgical book and to define as non-liturgical all other prayers and
devotional practices.
-Nonetheless, since such other practices may themselves have various degrees of ecclesiastical
approbation, it may be expected that the competent authority will indicate whether a rite, approved
but not included in an official book, is formally recognized as part of the public liturgy of the
Church.

Liturgical Offices and Ministries

-C. 835 §1. The bishops in the first place exercise the sanctifying function; they are the high priests,
the principal dispensers of the mysteries of God, and the directors, promoters and guardians of the
entire liturgical life in the Church entrusted to them.
-§2. Presbyters also exercise this function; sharing in the priesthood of Christ and as his ministers
under the authority of the bishop, they are consecrated to celebrate divine worship and sanctify the
people.
-§3. Deacons have a part in the celebration of divine worship according to the norm of the prescripts
of law.
-§4. The other members of Christian faithful also have their own part in the function of sanctifying
by participating actively in their own way in liturgical celebrations, especially the Eucharist. Parents
share in a particular way in this function by leading a conjugal life in a Christian spirit and by
seeing to the Christian education of their children.
-This canon is doctrinal rather than prescriptive. It should be clear that, in accord with canon 834’s
definition, radically and fundamentally it is the whole community of the faithful, the whole church,
which celebrates the liturgy in union with its Head, the Lord Jesus, and that the common priesthood
of all the baptized is logically prior to the ordained, ministerial priesthood.
-The responsibility of the bishop to preside, direct, promote and to guard, is rooted in his
sacramental ordination. Thus, it puts an end to theories which challenged the sacramentality of

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episcopal ordination and saw the episcopate only as the highest degree of the ordinary or simple
priesthood of presbyters.
-The diocesan bishop is described as the director of the entire liturgical life of the particular church
because the regulation of liturgy belongs to him. He is described as the promoter of the liturgy,
whether directly or through commissions and other means. He is described as guardian or custodian
of the liturgy in that he safeguards its integrity and authenticity within the particular church.
The presbyters participate in these functions but dependent upon the bishop.
-But because it is impossible for the bishop always and everywhere to preside over the whole flock
in the church, he cannot do otherwise than establish lesser groupings of the faithful. Among these,
parishes, set up locally under a pastor taking the place of the bishop, are the most important: in
some manner they represent the visible Church established throughout the world.
-With regard to the order of deacons, the law leaves to the liturgical books the determination of
specific parts to be taken by the deacons of the Church.
-Vat II, in reference to deacons, states that: they share in the diaconia of liturgy, the word, and
charity. Insofar as competent authority assign them, the duties of the deacons are to administer
baptism solemnly, care for the Eucharist and give holy communion, assist at and bless marriages in
the name of the Church, carry viaticum to the dying, read the scriptures to the people and exhort and
instruct them, preside over worship and prayer, administer sacramentals, officiate at funeral and
burial rites
-The rest of the Christian faithful, by active participation in celebrations of the liturgy, have their
own part in the office of sanctification.
-In the first place, the role of the faithful is that of the members of the praying people assembled in
a congregation.
-In addition to that, there is indirect reference to special liturgical roles or ministries which some of
the faithful, other than the ordained, may and should carry out. These include those for which
liturgical instruction is required (only reader and acolyte), and the many specific ministries referred
to in the introduction of liturgical books.
-However, the document by the Roman Curia “Instruction on Certain Questions Regarding the
Collaboration of the Non-ordained Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of Priests” is worthy noting. The
thrust of the instruction is to restrict narrowly the occasions and pastoral circumstances in which lay
persons exercise ministries ordinarily performed by priests.

Responsibility of Ordained Ministers

-Sacred ministers have a high responsibility to arouse and enlighten the faith proper to these
sacraments in the hearts of the Christian faithful (c. 836). They do this especially through the
ministry of the word which gives birth to, and nourishes the faith.
-This is an assertion of the relation of faith to liturgical celebration.
-In particular, the Chief liturgical celebrations are called ‘Sacraments of Faith’ because they not
only presuppose faith, but by words and objects they also nourish, strengthen and express it.
-Pastors must therefore realize that when the liturgy is celebrated, something more is required than
the mere observance of the laws governing valid and lawful celebration.

-With regard to common celebration and participation, (c. 873 §1-2) the law states that liturgical
actions are not private actions but celebrations of the Church itself which is the sacrament of unity.
They belong to the whole Church even if celebrated privately.
-Because of that same effect, liturgical actions are to be celebrated with the presence and active
participation of the Christian faithful where possible.

-Canon 838 §1-3 moderates the direction of liturgy. The direction of the sacred liturgy depends
solely on the authority of the Church which resides in the Apostolic See and, according to the norm
of law, the diocesan bishop.

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-While the regulation of liturgy has no limits on the part of the Apostolic See, the liturgical law
itself determines whether the bishop may act or is limited by the common law of the Church or by
the particular law of the conference of bishops.
-It is for the apostolic see to order the sacred liturgy of the universal Church, publish liturgical
books and review their translations in vernacular languages, and exercise vigilance that liturgical
regulations are observed faithfully everywhere.
-It is the duty of the conference of bishops to prepare and publish, after the prior review of the Holy
See, translations of liturgical books in vernacular languages, adapted appropriately within the limits
defined in the liturgical books themselves.
-The apostolic See reviews such editions and accords them the confirmation or recognitio, (review
or recognition).
-The conference of bishops (even though not mentioned in this canon, but in SC 40) also has the
power to initiate more profound liturgical adaptations; those anticipated in the Latin liturgical
books.
-The competent ecclesiastical authority must, in this matter, carefully and prudently weigh what
elements from the traditions and culture of individual peoples may be appropriately admitted into
divine worship. They are to propose to the Apostolic See adaptations which are considered useful
and necessary and will be introduced with its consent.
-To ensure that adaptations are made with prudence, the Apostolic See will grand power to the same
territorial ecclesiastical authority to permit and to direct the preliminary Ad experimentum practice
for a fixed time period.
-Because liturgical laws often involve special difficulties with respect to adaptation, particularly in
the mission lands, experts in these matters must be employed to formulate them.
-Within the limits of his competence, it pertains to the diocesan bishop in the church entrusted to
him to issue liturgical norms which bind everyone (including religious congregations since this
pertains the public order of divine worship).

THE SACRAMENTS
-The canons on the seven sacraments of the Church constitute over three quarters of Book IV. This
is partly because the sacraments are the principal elements of the liturgy, partly because the
discipline of the sacraments has given rise to special needs for order and regulation in the Church.
-Apart from the very first canon of part one and single introductory canons of each title, no formal
doctrinal or theological statements about the sacraments are given.
-The canons of Book IV assume the Scholastic doctrine of matter and form especially in relation to
the seven sacraments, even though sometimes these distinctions are not readily accommodated.
-C. 840 states the definition of the Sacraments. The sacraments of the New Testament were
instituted by Christ the Lord and entrusted to the Church. As actions of Christ and the Church, they
are signs and means which express and strengthen the faith, render worship to God, and effect the
sanctification of humanity and thus contribute in the greatest way to establish, strengthen, and
manifest ecclesiastical communion. Accordingly, in the celebration of the sacraments the sacred
ministers and the other members of the Christian faithful must use the greatest veneration and
necessary diligence.
-Although the giving or administering of a sacrament by a Christian minister and the receiving of a
sacrament by another Christian remain correct expressions, preference is given here and elsewhere
in the canons to ‘celebration’ of sacraments by the whole Christian community.
-It is only for the Supreme authority of the Church to approve or define the requirements for the
validity of sacraments (c. 841). It is to the same authority again to decide what pertains to their licit
celebrations, administration, and reception and to the order to be observed in their celebration.
-A person who has not received baptism cannot be admitted validly to the other sacraments (c. 842
§1). This is so because the sacraments may be received only by Christian believers, those who have
and profess the Christian faith.

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-This norm does not hold true of other rites of the Church, such as sacramentals, which may be
given to catechumens and also to those who are not Catholics.
-The sacraments of Baptism, confirmation and the Most Holy Eucharist are interrelated in such a
way that they are required for full Christian initiation (c. 842 §2).
-The sequence of the initiatory sacraments is stated at this point in accord with the tradition,
because pastoral circumstances and other causes in many places disrupt the order in which initiation
sacraments are celebrated. This correct order is most clearly seen only when the sacraments are
celebrated after the catechuminal formation of new believers who become Christians after reaching
the use of reason, in accord with c. 852 §1.
-The widespread practice of postponing the sacrament of confirmation beyond the age of reason
despite c. 891, coupled with the practice of first receiving the Eucharist at about the age of reason
has given rise to an entirely different sequence in the case of those baptised in infancy. If the
baptised receives the sacrament of penance before the Eucharist, a still further alteration in the
theological, liturgical and canonical sequence occurs: Baptism, penance, Eucharist, Confirmation.
-Sacred ministers cannot deny the sacraments to those who seek them at appropriate times, are
properly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them (c. 843 §1).
-The Word of God and the Sacraments are the elements of the full liturgical participation by the
Christian people; that is, their right and duty by reason of their baptism (c. 231). From this right
comes the norm that prohibits any denial of the sacraments by the ordained minister without any
cause.
-The disqualifications for which people may be denied the sacraments are clear enough when
specified by law, e.g, irregularities for orders in c. 1041 and possible denial of the Eucharist in c.
915.It is less clear when a request for sacramental ministration is to be judged opportune or
inopportune, appropriate or inappropriate.
-Pastors of souls and other members of the Christian faithful, according to their respective
ecclesiastical function, have the duty to take care that those who seek the sacraments are prepared to
receive them by proper evangelization and catechetical instruction, attentive to the norms issued by
competent authority.

Communicatio in Sacris
-The whole of C. 844 treats sacramental or liturgical sharing (sharing in sacred things-
Communicatio in Sacris) in the reception of three of the seven sacraments; penance, Eucharist and
anointing of the sick- in distinct and carefully defined circumstances: 1) In the case of Catholics
who may receive the sacraments from ministers not in full communion with the Catholic Church,
and, 2) in the case of Christians who are not themselves in full communion with the Catholic
Church but who may seek the sacraments from its ministers. It does not involve other kinds of
sharing in worship or spiritual things; that is, those not involving the reception of sacraments.
Neither does it treat other sacraments like marriage or baptism, which have their own discipline.
-The general principle is that Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to catholic
members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers
alone (c. 844 §1).
-The intention of this paragraph is to define the outer limits of permissible sharing in sacraments,
aside from any question of validity or invalidity. It is concerned only with the licit or lawful giving
or receiving of sacraments.
-However, Catholics may request and receive the above mentioned three sacraments from a minister
of a non-Catholic church (c. 844 §2). The conditions are explicitly clear: 1) either necessity or
genuine spiritual advantage, 2) physical or moral impossibility, 3)the absence or the danger or error
or indifferentism, and 4) provided the sacrament is validly celebrated in the other church.
-The presence or absence of the requisite conditions must be determined in individual cases by the
Catholic subject to the canon law.
-C. 844 §3 gives the norm for the catholic minister and his administration of one of the three
sacraments to persons not in the full communion of the Catholic Church. Again the conditions of

5
the exception permitting the minister are explicit: 1) in favour of the members of the Eastern
Churches with which the Catholic Church is not in full communion, provided 2) such individuals
act voluntarily when asking for the sacraments (Thus, the initiative should come from them, not
from the Catholic minister) and, 3) are properly disposed.
-The same exception is added to other ‘non-Catholic churches, but with an additional requirement:
the Apostolic Roman See must have judged that such churches are ‘in the same condition’ as the
Eastern churches ‘in regard to the sacraments.’ The Eastern churches do indeed possess valid
sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick and their members share ‘Catholic faith’
in these sacraments.
-No determination is made by the canon concerning what churches are meant; that is, which
churches may be considered to be in the same condition as the Eastern churches. But a useful
response was given by the Secretariat in 1970, that a church is to have kept the substance of
Eucharistic teaching, the sacrament of orders and apostolic succession in order to be judged as
having valid sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick.
-With regard to other non-Catholics who are neither Eastern Christian nor in the same condition as
the East, the requirements are several (844 §4): 1) a serious need (whether danger of death or in the
judgement of the diocesan bishop or of the conference of bishops, other grave necessity), 2)
inability to approach their own minister, 3) a voluntary request by the recipient, 4) manifestation of
catholic faith concerning the sacrament in question, and 5) a proper disposition to receive the
sacrament.
-The Secretariat gave examples of such serious cases as being in prison, or under persecution, or
persons who live some distance from their own communion.
-No general norms, except in cases of impossibilities, are to be issued without prior consultation
with the ministers, preferably some superior authority of the respective non-Catholic church or
community concerned.
-Neither the canon nor later developments address the problems outside the explicitly mentioned
ones; for example in the case of mixed marriages or an ecumenical dialogue. But the language of
the post-Conciliar documents remains negative.

Sacraments in General
-Since the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and orders imprint a character, they cannot be
repeated (c. 845 §1).
-If after completing a diligent inquiry a prudent doubt still exists whether these sacraments were
actually or validly conferred, they are to be conferred conditionally (c. 845 §2).
-Repeating these sacraments when it is clear that they have been validly conferred would be null
and sacrilegious.
-Before conferring conditional baptism, the minister must explain before hand the reason why
baptism is conferred conditionally in this instance. The formula should should include …. if you
were not baptised, I now baptise you….

-In celebrating the sacraments the liturgical books approved by competent authority are to be
observed faithfully; accordingly, no one is to add, omit, or alter anything in them on one’s own
authority (c. 846 §1).
-Having recognized that the regulation of the liturgy pertains to the Apostolic See and the diocesan
bishop, and also to the conference of bishops of particular churches, no other person, not even if he
is a priest, may on his own add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy (SC 22 §3).
-This prohibition is made without qualification, but it is qualified by the fact that the liturgical
books themselves incorporate very numerous instances of accommodation or alterations at the
discretion of the minister (the minister addresses the people with these or other similar words…).
-Moreover, the minister is to celebrate the sacraments according to the minister’s own rite (c. 846
§2). In this case the canon is referring to the celebration of sacraments only, not to other liturgical

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celebrations which, in the case of a minister who has the care of a community which is of a rite
different from his own, he may be permitted to preside according to that rite.

-In administering the sacraments in which holy oils are to be used, the minister must use oils
pressed from olives or other plants, and consecrated or blessed by recently by a bishop; he is not to
use old oils unless it is necessary (c. 847 §1).
-The reason for allowing oil from ‘other plants’ was affirmed by Paul VI in reference to anointing of
the sick when he stated that: Since olive oil, which has been prescribed until now for the valid
celebration of the sacrament, is unobtainable or difficult to obtain in some parts of the world, we
have decreed, at the request of a number of bishops, that from now on, according to circumstances,
another kind of oil can also be used, provided it is derived from plants and thus similar to olive oil.
-For the worthy signification of the oils, they must be fresh and free flowing. The new Code
suppresses the practice of adding unblessed oil to blessed oils when the supply runs low.
-The pastor is to obtain holy oils from his own bishop and is to preserve them diligently with proper
care (c. 847 §2). This is a sign of communion of the local parishes and congregations with the
bishop and with one another.

-The minister is to seek nothing for the administration of the sacraments beyond the offerings
defined by competent authority, always taking care that the needy are not deprived of the assistance
of the sacraments because of poverty.
-This canon shows the need to avoid the appearance of profit-seeking from sacramental
ministration.
-According to c. 1264 2º, the offering should be determined by the meeting of bishops of each
ecclesiastical province.
-The canon does not prohibit offerings or gifts that are entirely voluntary.

BAPTISM
-The word ‘baptism’ comes from the Greek term baptisein meaning ‘to plunge’ or ‘to immerse’.
The ‘plunge’ into the water symbolizes the catechumen’s burial into Christ’s death, from which he
rises up by resurrection with Him, as a new creature.
-The sacrament is also called ‘the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit’, since it
signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit (CCC 1215).
-Through baptism, a person is incorporated into the visible Church, the mystical Body of Christ.

Origins of Baptism
-Several moments and events in the Scripture are attributed as the source of Christian baptism. In
the book of Genesis, water is seen as a rich symbol of God’s grace (Gen 1.2). The Crossing of the
Red Sea in the Book of Exodus, literally the liberation of Israel from the slavery of Egypt,
announces the liberation from the slavery of sin wrought by baptism (ex 14: 1-25). Baptism is
prefigured again in the crossing of the river Jordan by which the people of God received the gift of
the land promised to Abraham’s descendents, an image of eternal life (Num 32: 11-22).
-All the Old Testament prefigurations find their fulfilment in Jesus Christ. The Baptism in water
administered as a sign of repentance by John the Baptist reveals Jesus to Israel (Jn 1:31).
-Jesus Himself receives baptism from John the Baptist at the river Jordan (Mt 3:13-17). This event
asserts the Messiah’s divine Sonship and marks the beginning of His public ministry.
-In his encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus announces that no one can enter the Kingdom of God
without being born of water and Spirit (Jn 3:5).
-He speaks of the passion which he is about to suffer as a ‘baptism’ (Mk 10;38).
-After His resurrection Christ commands His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations,
baptising them (Mk 28: 19).

-From the very day of Pentecost, the apostles have celebrated and administered baptism.

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-The apostle Peter declares to the crowd, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ so that your since may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:38).
-Ever since the apostolic times, the Church is driven by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel and
baptize those who believe in Christ (LG 17).

Matter and Form of Baptism

-The general norm applicable to all the sacraments is that the Supreme Church authority alone is to
determine what is required for the validity since the sacraments are the same throughout the
universal Church and belong to the divine deposit of faith.
-Possible norms governing their licit celebration can be determined by other authorities such as
diocesan bishops or episcopal conferences (c. 841)
-The juridical elements required for validity are: a washing with water accompanied by the proper
verbal formula.
Water
-As previously pointed out, the symbolism of water in baptism signifies the action of the Holy
Spirit. The prayer for the blessing of the baptismal water at Easter vigil begins from the Spirit
breathing on the waters at the very dawn of creation.
-For validity, baptism must be conferred with true water (Aqua vera). The 1917 code had required
‘natural’ water which has been dispensed with the present legislation (c. 849).
-True water is that which is understood as water in the common estimation of persons, whether the
water be natural or chemically made.
-The water can be from any source, including rivers, seas, lakes, rain, melted snow or ice,
condensation, distilled etc.
-Both for the sake of authentic sacramental symbolism and for hygienic reasons, the water should
be pure and clean.
-Invalid matter would include sweat, saliva, tears, liquid strained from plants, wine, beer, battery
water etc.
For liceity, in ordinary circumstances, the water must be blessed for each occasion during the rite
itself in order that the words of blessing may explicitly express the mystery of salvation that the
Church remembers and proclaims.
-The water blessed at the Easter vigil should, if possible, be kept and used throughout the Easter
season to signify more clearly the relationship between the sacrament of baptism and the paschal
mystery.
-A Priest, deacon, or catechist may bless the water. Another minister should use blessed water. In
case of necessity when there is no time to bless the water, unblessed water may be used.
Immersion or Pouring?
-Baptism is to be conferred either by immersion or pouring.
-The alternative is to be determined by in accordance to the prescripts of the episcopal conference
(c. 854).
-As noted above, the original Greek meaning of baptism is to immerse. In the early apostolic period
the ordinary practice seem to have been immersion into water. In exceptional cases, however,
pouring could have also been used.
-John the Baptist seem to have baptised Christ by a combination of both, standing in the Jordan and
water being poured over his head (Mk 1:9-11).
-Immersion, however, was the common manner of baptizing until the end of the twelfth century,
evidenced by many ancient baptisteries.
-In the Eastern churches immersion is still common.
-However, local customs should be taken into account so that in different traditions and
circumstances there will be a clear understanding that this washing is not just a purification rite but
the sacrament of being joined to Christ.

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-In the case of immersion, the person or the person’s head is to be immersed three times, and, in the
case of pouring, the water is to be poured three times over the head contacting the skin, while the
words of the Trinitarian formula are being invoked.
-If baptism is by immersion of the whole body or of the head alone, decency and decorum should be
preserved. Either or both the godparents touch the baptized during immersion.
Baptismal Font
-The Latin code stipulates that in every parish church there must be a baptismal font (c. 858 §1).
-After having head the local pastor, the local ordinary can permit or order for the convenience of the
faithful that there be also a baptismal font in another church or oratory within the bounderies of the
parish (c. 858 §2).
-The rite of blessing of a new baptismal font is appropriately celebrated by the diocesan bishop, the
parish priest or the rector of the church.

Form of Baptismal
-Sacramental formulas are words of faith from which they derive their efficiency.
-For baptism, both the Christological and the Trinitarian formulas are found in the new Testament,
namely, ‘Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ’ (Acts 2:38; 8: 12 -16) and ‘Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit’ (Mt 28:19).
-From the 12th century onwards, the Trinitarian formula came to be required for validity.
-The valid form in the Latin Church is the Trinitarian formula: “N..; I baptize you in the name of the
Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” If the name of the one being baptised is not known, it
suffices to say “I baptise you...”
-The minister who pronounces the words must be the one who pours or immerses; otherwise the
baptism is invalid. A dumb person cannot baptise because s/he is unable to pronounce the words; a
disabled person who cannot pour the water cannot also give baptism.

-The Trinitarian formula cannot be altered in any way, as this may affect the validity of the
sacrament (c. 841). For example, the substitution of the “Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit” to the “Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier” or the “Creator, Liberator ans Sustainer” would
ranter the sacrament invalid and the baptism has to be administered again not in the conditional but
in the absolute form.
-Similarly, any addition of words to the formula would be gravely illicit, as for example: “N..; I
baptise you in the name of God who is Father and also Mother, Son and Holy Spirit.”
-It is also invalid to use the passive voice in baptism, e,g, “N..; You are baptised in the name of...”
-To say N..; we baptise you…..” is said to be valid, but gravely illicit.

Anointing in Baptism
i) Oil of Catechumens
-The baptismal anointing with the oil of catechumens symbolizes the need for God’s help and
strength.
-It is required only for liceity.
-Its use is dependent upon its continuance by decision of the conference of bishops.
-The oil made of olive or other plant (c. 847 §1), is to be blessed by the bishop at the Chrism Mass,
but for pastoral reasons a priest celebrant may bless it immediately before the anointing.

ii) Oil of Chrism

-Chrism is oil made of olive or other plant and added with some aromatic substance and consecrated
by the bishop during the Chrism Mass.
-The Anointing with Chrism signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized.
-It is one of the post-baptismal rites in infant baptism.

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-In the Eastern Churches, it is the sacrament of “Chrismation” (Confirmation). In the Roman liturgy
it prefigures a second anointing to be conferred later in confirmation, which will, as it were,
‘confirm’ and complete the baptismal anointing (CCC 1242).
-It can be omitted when the number of children to be baptized is big, provided the episcopal
conference has permitted it.

Persons to be Baptized
Baptism of Adults
-The Latin code treats the distinction of infants and adults vis-a-vis baptism.
-All those who have attained the use of reason are considered adults for baptism (c. 852 §1).
-Those who have completed seven years are presumed to have the use of reason (c.97 §2).
-The following are the requirements for adult baptism (c. 851, 1º and 865 §1):

For validity
-For validity, the adult must have the intention of receiving baptism. The intention is a positive act
of the will, never forced against one’s conscience (c. 748 §2), to choose Christian baptism.
-Baptism conferred against one’s will would be invalid.
-Missionaries have to administer baptism only if the convert freely requests it (c. 787 §2).
-When a new convert is admitted into the Church, his/her consent must be obtained in a written
form, attested by two witnesses.
-The consent of the parents is not required if the convert has reached the age of majority.
-Persons in irregular marriages may be accepted into the catechumenate, but not the sacraments of
initiation.

ii) For Liceity

-For liceity, the adult must have been instructed sufficiently about the truth of the faith and Christian
obligations and tested in the Christian life through the catechumenate.
-S/he is also to be urged to have sorrow for personal sins.
-The catechumens can change their names as a result of their conversion to Christ and take a new
name.
-Conformity to the teaching of Vatican II (AG 14) the catechetical instruction for adult baptism
must follow the catechetical process as prescribed in the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults
(RCIA).
-It consists of several rites of adult initiation. The principal liturgical rite is called ‘Rite for Christian
Initiation for Adults’, which has to be opted in normal circumstances.
-The RCIA may be adopted by the episcopal conference by issuing particular norms (c. 851, 1º).

*In Danger of Death

-An adult perceived to be in danger of death can be baptized if, having some knowledge of the
principal truth of faith, the person has manifested in any way the intention to receive baptism and
promises to observe the commandments of the Christian religion (c. 865 §2).

Baptism of Children of School-Going Age

-It is not uncommon that children, who are not baptised as infants, are brought by their parents or
guardians to join catechetical programs for the reception of first Holy Communion or confirmation.
-Generally, these children are born of irregular marriages of of parents who live several years
abroad or who are simply lapsed in the practice of their faith.
-They are called ‘Children who have Reached Catechetical Age.’
-These children are capable of receiving and nurturing a personal faith and of recognizing an
obligation in conscience.

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-Although these children have reached the age of reason, they are still considered minors because at
this stage of their lives they are dependent of their parents or guardians and are still strongly
influenced by their companions and their social surroundings.
-§1 of c. 852, however, stipulates that the rite of adults is to be used when the candidates for
baptism has used the use of reason. Yet pastors can adopt the programmes to meet the spiritual
needs of the children in question and integrate them in the mainstream of other children preparing
for the reception of first Holy Communion and confirmation.

Baptism of Infants
-A child under the age of seven is an infant, as is anyone who habitually lacks the use of reason (c.
97 and 99).
-In the early Church adult baptism was normative because it most clearly demonstrated baptism as a
sacrament of conversion.
-Nonetheless, there is indirect evidence in the Bible for the probable inclusion of infants among the
baptised adults. For example, Lydia and ‘her household’ were baptized (Acts 16:15), The jailer and
his ‘entire family’ were baptised (Acts 16:33).
-However, there is explicit testimony to the practice of infant baptism from the 2nd century onwards.
-It is noteworthy that Martin Luther did not oppose infant baptism and that today the Presbyterians
and the Anglicans justify its practice.
-The CCC summarizes the present theology on infant baptism thus: “Born with a fallen human
nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in baptism to be freed
from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to
which all are called. The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in the
infant Baptism.” (CCC 1250).

-As conscious expression of faith in Christ is required for baptism, the question naturally arises, in
whose faith are the infants baptized?
-Infants are baptized in the faith of their parents and the Church. Parents are the nurturers of the life
and growth of their children. They do not require the consent of their children to impart God’s gift
through baptism, nor is it an infringement of their freedom
-The Church has always upheld the natural rights of parents over their children. They have the right
to educate their children in conformity with their moral and religious convictions, taking into
account the cultural conditions of the family. Every family has a right to live freely its domestic
religious life under the guidance of the parents.
-Church legislation has been so concerned about the catholic upbringing of children that it has not
hesitated to subject to ecclesiastical penalty parents or those who take the place of parents who hand
over their children to be baptized or educated in a non-Catholic religion (c. 1366).

Requirements for Infant Baptism

-1) The parents or at least one of them or the person who legitimately takes their place must consent
(c. 868 §1, 1º). This consent can be presumed by the very fact that they request baptism.
-2) There must be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the catholic religion (c. 868
§1, 2º). This hope may ordinarily be presumed by the sincerity of the one who requests baptism for
the infant.
-3) The pastor has to ensure that the parents and the sponsors are properly prepared by (i) his
personal visit and pastoral advise, (ii) common prayer bringing several families together, and (iii)
especially catechetical instruction on the meaning of the sacrament and the obligations attached to it
(c. 851, 2º).
-4) The parents on their part should take care to get the catechetical formation as soon as possible
after the birth or even before it (c. 867 §1). Failure to participate in the catechesis, however, is not
sufficient cause to deny or postpone baptism.

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-5) The parents, along with the sponsors, have to present the infant for baptism during the
celebration (c. 872).
-The above mentioned requirements need not be observed when an infant in danger of death is to be
baptized. §2 of canon 868 states that an infant of catholic or even non-catholic parents can be licitly
baptized against their will, because of the necessity of baptism for salvation.
-This provision, however, is construed to be controversial since it seems to go against the teaching
of Vat II which asserts that no one is to be forced to embrace the catholic faith (DH 10).
-Infant baptism should be administered according to the RBC ‘Rite of Baptism for Children’ which
consist of several rites to meet different circumstances, e.g, baptism of several children, one child,
large number of children etc.

The baptismal name

-Unlike the 1917 code, the current code does not oblige the parents or sponsors to confer on the
infants Christian names, i.e, names of saint or names that derive from Christian virtues.
- Now any name can be given, as long as it is not offensive to Christian belief of foreign to
Christian sensitivity (c. 855).

Baptism of Abandoned Children and Aborted Foetus

-An abandoned infant or a foundling is to be baptized unless, after diligent investigation, the
baptism of the infant is established (c. 870).
-If aborted foetuses are alive, they are to be baptized insofar as possible (c. 871). The reason stems
from the catholic doctrine that the human foetus possesses a rational soul from the moment of
conception (CCC 2270).
-As regards children who die without baptism, the Church can only entrust them to God’s mercy, as
it does in the funeral rite provided for them (CCC 1261).
-Addressing women who have had an abortion, Pope St John Paul II exhorts, “If you have not
already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance… You will come to
understand that nothing is definitely lost and you will be able to ask for forgiveness from your child,
who is now living in the Lord.”
-Hence, pastors should endeavour to reassure parents about the infinitely kind and powerful love of
God and dispel all the misconceptions about ‘limbo’ which was understood as a place where
unbaptized infants spent eternity but without communion with God.

Celebration of Baptism
Preparation for the Ceremony
-The baptism ceremony consists of several rites: the sign of the cross, litany of the saints,
renunciation of evil, baptizing with water, anointing with oils, lighting of the candle, the white robe,
etc. Each one of these rites is pregnant with meaning.
-The parents, sponsors and the community should be able to understand what baptism means and
take active participation in the celebration.
-It should be a unique occasion for them to see and experience their lives as Christians.
-A pep talk at the beginning of the ceremony is not at all sufficient to expose the profound
significant of the baptismal rites and of their meaningful celebration.
-A proper explanation at each stage would help, or other suitable means like booklets, letters
addressed to the parents and sponsors etc.

Time and Place of Baptism

-Baptism, of both adults and infants, may be celebrated on any day.
-It is, however, appropriate to celebrate it on a Sunday and the Easter vigil, with the participation as
much as possible, of the representative assembly of the faithful (c. 856, 837 §2).
-This would manifest the insertion, brought about by baptism, into the mystery of the risen Christ
and to the incorporation into the Body of Christ, the Church.

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-The fitting place for the celebration of baptism would be the parish church of the adult or the
infant’s parents unless a just cause suggests otherwise (c. 875).
-The main reasons for the preference to the parish church are: (1) there is suppose to be a baptismal
font, and (2) it is symbolic of the insertion of the baptized into a particular ecclesial community.
-Only distance, grave inconvenience, or some other grave pastoral reason may legitimize the
celebration of baptism outside the parish church, namely; in chapel, oratory or other suitable place
(c. 859).
-Only for a grave cause and with the permission of the local ordinary, can baptism be administered
in private houses (c. 860 §1).
-The permission of the diocesan bishop is necessary to confer baptism in hospitals on a regular
basis, outside cases of necessity (c. 860 §2).

Ministers of Baptism
-Although ‘any believer’ can baptize (LG 17), ecclesiastical legislation has determined the ordinary
and the extraordinary ministers of baptism.

Ordinary Ministers of Baptism

-The ordinary minister of baptism is one who has received the sacrament of orders, namely; a
bishop, presbyter, or deacon (c. 861 §1)
-Bishops who ‘direct conferring of baptism’ (LG 26) should personally celebrate baptism especially
at the Easter vigil.
-The baptism of adults, at least those who have completed their 14 th year, is to be deferred to the
diocesan bishop so that he himself administers it if he has judged it expedient (c. 863).
-The bishop can, however, delegate the faculty to his priests.
-Parish priests are especially entrusted with the administration of baptism within their parishes (c.
530, 1º).
-It is because a person’s home parish church is the preferred of celebrating and recording baptisms.
-Outside his parish, the pastor requires, for liceity, permission (at least presumed) to baptise anyone
including his own subjects (c. 862).
-A priest, including parochial vicar, or a deacon can prepare candidates for baptism and by
invitation of the local ordinary or the parish priest, for a just cause, can celebrate it.

Extraordinary Ministers of Baptism

-When the ordinary minister of baptism is absent or impeded, the local ordinary can designate a
non-ordained Christian faithful to act as extraordinary minister (c. 230 §3).
-S/he may be the catechist or another layperson (c. 862 §2). Care should be taken not to grant such a
faculty habitually.
-For instance, the ordinary minister’s excessive workload, his non-residence in the parish territory,
or his non-availability on the day on which the parents wish the baptism to take place does not
constitute sufficient reason to designate a non-ordained minister.
-Extraordinary ministers are to use a shorter version of the baptismal rite provided in the RBC.

Baptism given by any person

-In conformity to c. 861, any person, irrespective of any religion or creed, can confer baptism in
case of necessity, particularly in danger of death situations.
-The church finds the reason for this possibly in the universal saving will of God and the necessity
of baptism for salvation (CCC 1256).
-For validity, the person who baptizes must have the right intention, that is, the intention of doing
what the church does when it baptizes (c. 861 §2).
-In danger of death situations, when no priest or deacon is available, the RBC has provided a special
rite.

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-When death is imminent, baptism is licitly administered by doing only those things that are
necessary for validity, namely; pouring of water while reciting the formula.
-If a child of a catholic parent, baptized in danger of death, recovers from the illness, it is
appropriate to welcome the child into the parish community by the rite found in RBC.
-Pastors are obliged to instruct the lay faithful, especially parents, catechists, midwives, family or
social workers or nurses of the sick as well as physicians and surgeons on the proper method of
baptizing (c. 861 §1).

Proof and Registration of Baptism

-A person who administers baptism is to take care that, unless a sponsor is present, there is at least a
witness who can attest to the conferral of the baptism. (c. 875)
-To prove the conferral of baptism, if prejudicial to no one, the declaration of one witness beyond
all expectation is sufficient or the oath of the one baptized if the person received baptism as an
adult. (c. 876).
The above canons are concerned that there be living witnesses to the fact that baptism has taken
place.
-While witnesses are important especially in civil and criminal trials, documents or certificates
which attest to the occurrence of an event are more commonly preferred.
-The canons have practical relevance in those situations where baptismal records cannot be
produced.
-The sponsor is ordinarily the principal witness to the fact that baptism took place, but in those
situations where there could be no sponsor, another witness is supposed to be present.
-This situation is likely to happen in those danger-of-death situations.
-The responsibility of for the minister to see that some other person be present to attest that the
baptism indeed took place.
*The pastor of the place where the baptism is celebrated must carefully and without delay record in
the baptismal register the names of the baptised, with mention made of the minister, parents,
sponsors, witnesses, if any, the place and date of the conferral of the baptism, and the date and place
of of birth. (c. 877 §1).
-If it concerns a child born to an unmarried mother, the name of the mother must be inserted, if her
maternity is established publicly or if she seeks it willingly in writing or before two witnesses.
Moreover, the name of the father must be inscribed if a public document or his own declaration
before the pastor and two witnesses proves his paternity; in other cases, the name of the baptised is
inscribed with no mention of the name of the father or the parents. (c. 877 §3).
-If it concerns an adopted child, the names of those adopting are to be inscribed and, at least if it is
done in the civil records of the region, also the names of the natural parents according to the norm
of par 1 and 2, with due regards for the prescripts of the conference of bishops. (c. 877 §3).
-If the baptism was not administered by the pastor or in his presence, the minister of baptism,
whoever it is, must inform the pastor of the parish in which it was administered of the conferral of
the baptism, so that he records the baptism according to the norm of canon 877 §1. (878).
-The canons simply mentions the kind of information normally to be recorded in the baptismal
register whether the person baptised was an adult or an infant.
-Moreover, when the parents of the baptised child are not married or when the child was adopted,
the canons state what must and what must not be recorded.
-The intent of these canons is to protect the reputation of of the parents of illegitimate children.
-When the parish priest is not the minister of baptism, e.g, in an emergency situation elsewhere in
the parish territory, the fact of the baptism is recorded in the register of the parish in which the
parish took place. The minister informs the parish priest, and the parish priest records.
-Although it is not explicitly mentioned in these canons, the baptismal register is primary, since
other sacraments for whose celebration proof may be needed, e.g, confirmation, marriage, orders,
and other events affecting a person’s ecclesiastical status, e.g, religious profession, nullity
declarations, and even death itself, are also to be noted in the person’s baptismal record.

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-This is why the canons emphasise that the record of the baptism be kept in the parish where it was
celebrated, since this is the first place contacted when proof of baptism, the reception of other
sacraments or other events determining a person’s ecclesial status is needed.

THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

-The word ‘confirmation’ comes from the Latin verb ‘confirmare’ which means to make firm, to
strengthen, to perfect something that has already been started.
-Confirmation is a continuation of the journey of Christian initiation begun in baptism.
-It is meant to strengthen young people in their Christian life and support them through the Holy
Spirit.
-The historical development of this sacrament is however, marked with differing theological
emphasis, changes in discipline and controversies surrounding the minister, age, and the sequence
of reception.

The Origin and Nature of Confirmation

-The scriptural foundations of the sacrament of confirmation are said to be the two accounts in the
Acts of the Apostles. The Samaritans who had been already baptized by deacon Phillip, received the
Holy Spirit by laying-on of hands by the Apostle Peter and John (Acts 8:14-17). Similarly, the
apostle Paul first baptised the Ephesians in the name of the Lord Jesus and then imparts the Holy
Spirit by laying his hands on them (Acts 19:5-6).
-In the early Church the sacraments of initiation, namely, Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist,
were celebrated in three rites but in a single ceremony presided over by the bishop. The rite of
laying-on of hands, which was recognised as the sign of fortification by the grace of the Holy Spirit
gradually developed as a separate sacrament.
-With the edict of Constantine in 313 AD, Christianity became widespread and it was difficult for
the bishop to administer the sacraments of initiation. This led to presbyters becoming the usual
ministers of confirmation.
-The provisions of Pope Gregory I (590-604) was perhaps the first instance of Latin Church
discipline making the bishop the principal minister of Confirmation.
-In order to give a theological justification of the historical and ‘accidental’ separation of
confirmation from baptism, attempt was made to develop a theology of confirmation as a sacrament
of adulthood.
-From the 12th C onwards, confirmation was counted as one of the seven. The council of Florence
(1438-1445) placed it as the second sacrament.
-Until the later part of the 19th C it was celebrated after baptism and prior to first Holy Communion.
-For many years, it was the custom for children to receive both first Communion and confirmation
at almost the same time, ie, when they were about 12 or 13yrs of age. When the reception of first
communion was advanced to about 7yrs of age, in many places no change was made in the age of
confirmation.
-As a result the reception of first communion came to preceded the celebration of confirmation and
its intrinsic connection to baptism became more distant.
-Vatican II brought about reforms to restore the original connection with the sacraments of initiation
by two practices; a) in adult baptism, the person is immediately confirmed and takes part in the
Eucharist; b) when first Communion precedes confirmation, the candidates are to renew their
baptismal promises just before they are confirmed.

Sign of Confirmation
-The sign of confirmation consist in the anointing which imprints a spiritual seal.
-In the biblical and other ancient symbolism, anointing with oil is a sign of abundance, joy, health
and strength.

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-The same effects are also produced by the sacrament of anointing. By confirmation, Christians
share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which
He is filled, so that their lives may give off ‘the aroma of Christ’.

Matter For Confirmation

-The matter for confirmation, necessary for validity, is the anointing on the forehead with the sacred
chrism.
-The minister lays the palm of his hand on the head of the one to be confirmed while anointing the
forehead with the thumb.
-Anointing with chrism on the forehead with the thumb (not necessarily laying the palm on the
head) sufficiently represents the apostolic laying of hands on the confirmation to impart the Holy
Spirit (Acts 19:6)
-The taping at the cheek of the confirmand has been abrogated from the post-conciliar ritual.
-Formerly the chrism used in the sacrament of confirmation was required to be made from olive oil
and balsam. Now it may be made from any plant oil with some aromatic substance added to it.
-The oil must be consecrated by a bishop, even if a presbyter administers the sacraments (c. 880
§2).
-The bishop consecrates chrism for his whole diocese in the course of the Chrism Mass on Holy
Thursday or on another day convenient for the clergy and other Christian faithful, but one always
closer to Easter, since chrism and the oils of catechumenate are used in the celebration of the
sacraments of initiation on Easter vigil.
-The priest must secure the oils from his own bishop (c. 847 §2) in order to underscore the link
between a priest using the oil and the bishop as the principal liturgical celebrant of the local church.
-Significantly, the CIC does not state that the bishop is the sole minister or the valid minister to
consecrate chrism oil. By virtue of canon 10, for a law to be invalidating or incapacitating, it must
state this expressly. Hence, requirement of episcopal character for the consecration of chrism oil is
for liceity only.
-However, in practice, the Apostolic See does not give the faculty to consecrate the chrism to a
presbyter who is the diocesan administrator.
-When the episcopal See is vacant, another bishop must consecrate the chrism or the chrism must be
obtained from a suffragan diocese.

Form of Confirmation
The sacramental form in the Latin Church is the recitation of the words “Be sealed with the gift of
the Holy Spirit.” These words are necessary for validity.
-The rite represents the biblical gesture by which the gift of the Holy Spirit is invoked and in a
manner well suited to the understanding of the Christian people.
-The anointing with the sacred chrism and the accompanying words express clearly the effect of the
giving of the Holy Spirit.

Celebration of Confirmation
-Except for a just reason and reasonable cause, it is desirable to celebrate the sacrament of
confirmation in a church (preferably a parish church) and during Holy Mass (c. 881).
-Confirmation take place as a rule within Mass in order that the fundamental connection of this
sacrament with all of Christian initiation may stand out in a clear light. Christian initiation reaches
its culmination in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. The newly confirmed, therefore,
participate in the Eucharist, which completes their Christian initiation.
-The candidates must take active part in the whole celebration particularly in the readings, prayer of
the faithful and the offertory procession.
Rehearsals should be arranged in order for the candidates and other ministers to acquaint
themselves with the liturgy and approfound the rich meaning of the rites.

16
At the beginning of the rite of confirmation, ie, after the homily, each candidate may be called by
name inviting him/her to come forward and receive the sacrament.
-The candidate approaches the sanctuary accompanied by the parent and/or sponsors, stand in front
of the celebrant and (individually or collectively) say: ‘I am ready and willing to be confirmed...’
-After Holy Communion and before the final blessing, the confirmed may be invited to take a
‘confirmation pledge’, such as the following: ‘Lord God, for love of you and through concern for
human dignity, social justice and genter equality, and out of my wish to follow the Gospel values, I
promise with your help, not to demand or give dowry when I marry, I promise to plant...number of
trees in my life time, I will not polute the earth with plastics and flex boards...’

Ministers of Confirmation
-As noted above, the minister of confirmation in the Latin Church has not always been a bishop. In
some localities, confirmation by a presbyter was a custom which Rome gradually toletated, and
finally suppressed in the 16th C through the council of Trent
-By the 19th C, however, the faculty to confirm came to be regularly granted to individual presbyters
in mission territories, although it could only be used in the absence of a bishop.
a) Bishops: According to the CIC, the bishop; whether diocesan, coadjutor, auxiliary, titular or
emeritus, is the ordinary minister of confirmation (c. 882).
-The diocesan bishop is to administer confirmation personally or is to take care that another bishop
administers it (c. 884 §1).
-Vatican II, however, refers to the bishop as the ‘primary’ or ‘original’ minister (LG 26).
-The conciliar terminology emphasises the fact that the power and the faculty to confirm are rooted
in the episcopal order and not in the presbyterate.
-However, the reservation to the bishop was never a divine law, since presbyters were permitted to
confirm although by concession rather than by right.
-A diocesan bishop has a right to confirm his subjects, ie, those who have domicile or quasi-
domicile in his diocese, either within his diocese or outside. For example; the bishop of Mutare
could confirm his subjects at St Pauls Mukoba Parish in Gweru without any reference to the local
bishop.
-Within his territory, a diocesan bishop can validly and licitly confirm the subjects of another
ordinary, unless that ordinary has expressly prohibited him to do so.
-A bishop needs at least a reasonably presumed permission of the diocesan bishop to administer
confirmation licitly upon his subjects in his diocese.
-The papal leget is exempt from this requirement, whether within his private chapel or outside (cf,
366, 1º).
b) Presbyters: A presbyter acquires the faculty to confirm either from the law or from a concession
by competent authority.
-The reason to grant the faculty to presbyters seems to ensure the original unity of the sacraments of
initiation and to enable the recipients, especially adults, to receive all of them together in the midst
of the faith community when they have made their journey of conversion.
*Faculty by law; i) within the boundaries of their jurisdiction, those presbyters who are equivelent
in law to a diocesan bishop as determined in c. 368, such as apostolic and diocesan administrators,
may confirm (c. 883, 1º). ii)Those presbyters my immediately confirm who, by virtue of office, ie,
parish priests, parochial vicars, parochial administrators and chaplains; or mandate of the diocesan
bishop, baptise someone beyond infancy (seven or older), or who admit a baptised non-catholic into
full communion with the catholic Church (c. 883, 2º). iii) A parish priest, or any presbyter including
the laicised and the suspended can confirm any person in danger of death. iv) Presbyters with an
office of pastoral care who readmit into full communion a previously baptised catholic who has
apostatized from faith or who, through no personal fault was brought up in or adhered to a non-
catholic religion can confirm that person. v) A chaplain or another priest who takes his place,
entrusted with the pastoral care of migrants and itinerants, enjoy the faculties of a parish priest. vi)
In common error and positive doubt the Church supplies this faculty to a presbyter (c. 144 §2).

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*Faculty by Delegation: i) For situation in which a presbyter does not have the faculty by law but
where there is real pastoral need, eg, to celebrate confirmation every year in every parish or group
of parishes, the diocesan bishop can give the faculties, even habitually, to one or more ‘specific’
presbyters to administer confirmation (c. 884 §1), as might be the case of vicars general, episcopal
vicars, or vicar forane/dean. The pastoral need could be determined by the bishop after hearing the
consultative bodies such as the presbyteral council and the diocesan pastoral council. ii) A diocesan
administrator can also grant the faculty to other presbyters to confirm. iii) When there is real need,
eg, health of the principal minister of a large number of confirmants in a single celebration, the
bishop as well as the presbyter who by law or delegation has the faculty, can in single cases
associate another presbyter to administer the sacraments (c. 844 §2). iv) A presbyter may be given
the faculty to confirm a person on the occasion of marriage, preferably after writing the banns,
when one or both parties are not yet confirmed (c. 1065 §1).
+Presbyters who have the faculty to confirm either by law or by special mandate, must use it for the
sake of those in whose favour the faculty was granted (c. 885 §2). For instance, a presbyter who
baptises an adult is bound to confirm the newly-baptised immediately in the same ceremony. He
cannot confer validly to anyone else apart from that newly baptised, or in another territory (887).

Requirements for receiving Confirmation

-Canon 890 underlines the obligation of the faithful to receive the sacrament at the right time and
the duty of the bishop and/or presbyter to administer it.
Due to the fact that the principal minister is only the bishop, the responsibility for ensuring the
reception of confirmation falls on parents and pastors.
*Requirements for Validity: Every baptised person not yet confirmed and only such a person is
capable for receiving confirmation validly (c. 889 §1).
-Since baptism is the gateway to the sacraments (c. 849), a person who has not been baptised cannot
validly be admitted to the other sacraments (c. 842 §1).
*Requirements for Liceity: i) age: The person must be confirmed ‘at about the age of discretion
unless the conference of bishops has determined another age, or there is danger of death or in the
judgement of the minister a grave cause suggests otherwise’ (c. 891).
-The age of discretion, which is referred to as the use of reason in paragraph 2 of canon 889, is
normally seven years completed (c. 11).
-In practice, most Conferences of Bishops have decreed that the minimum age of confirmation is
not less than 11 yrs completed.
-Pastors and the faithful should observe the age established by the universal law as well as the
episcopal conferences.
-However, in 2006 the Apostolic See ruled that complementary legislations by the episcopal
conferences must always be interpreted in accord with the general norm of law and that a bishop
cannot deny confirmation to a child of seven, who is suitably instructed according to his/her
capacity, merely because the episcopal conference has designated a higher age.
-The principal factor that determines the appropriate age for confirmation is the theological
understanding of its nature, effects and relationship to baptism.
ii) Catechesis: Parents and pastors of souls, especially parish priests, are to take care that the
candidates are properly instructed to receive the sacraments and come to it at the appropriate time
(c. 890).
-Preparation for confirmation should aim at leading the Christian towards a more intimate union
with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit-His actions, His gifts and His bidding-
in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life.
-To this end, catechesis for confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church
of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community.
-Preparation should also include a challenge to young people to work out their ideas of what they
intent to set about in their lives.

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-They should be assisted to discover their own talents, gifts and abilities and to use them not only
for their personal growth but also for the common good of the Church and the society.
iii) Intention to receive: Ministers must confer the sacrament of confirmation on candidates who
are properly prepared and seek it duly and responsibly (c. 885 §1).
iv) State of Grace: To receive confirmation one must be in a state of grace.
-One should receive the sacrament of penance in order to be cleansed for the purpose of receiving
the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Sponsors at Confirmation
-The role of the sponsor in confirmation is to bring the candidates to receive the sacrament, present
them to the minister for the anointing and to later help them fulfil their baptismal promises
faithfully under the influence of the Holy Spirit whom they have received.
-Although the presence of a sponsor at confirmation is a very ancient custom of the Church, the CIC
requires one only in so far as possible (c. 892), thus making it clear that the requirement does not
affect the validity of the sacrament.
-If it is a preferred custom to have the sponsor, it is desirable to have the same sponsor who assisted
at the candidate’s baptism (c. 893 §2).
-This expresses more clearly the relationship between baptism and confirmation and also makes the
function and responsibility of the sponsor more effective.
-Nonetheless, the option of choosing a different sponsor for confirmation is not excluded.
-A practice that is prevalent in some places, whereby a married couple or a male and a female act as
sponsors to all the candidates is certainly against the very purpose and spirit of the law and should
be discouraged.
-The requirements to be sponsors at confirmation are the same as those laid down for baptism in c.
874:
i) the sponsors must have the aptitude and intention to fulfil their responsibilities;
ii) They are to be at least 16 yrs of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or
the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause to admit a younger person;
iii) They must be Catholics who have already received the sacraments of confirmation and first
Holy Eucharist;
iv) They may not be under a lawfully imposed or declared canonical penalty;
v) Parents can present their children for confirmation but cannot be their sponsors.

Effects of Confirmation.
a) Personal and Spiritual
-Imprints an indelible character or seal of the Lord (c. 845 §1).
-Deepens baptismal grace and inner union with Christ (CCC 1303).
-Enable the Christian to call God “Abba, Father” (Rom 8:15).
-Enables him/her to live a life of inner freedom without fear (2 Cor 3:17).
-Enable the person to produce the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
fidelity, tolerance, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).
b) Ecclesial and Social
Confirmation imparts the Holy Spirit:
-To stand up against the temptations of the world (Mt 4: 1-11).
-To spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witness of Christ (c. 879)
-To confess the name of Christ boldly and never to be ashamed of the cross ( CCC 1303).
-To discover one’s gifts and talents and to discern one’s vocation to serve the Church and society (1
Cor 12).
-To work for justice, liberty, solidarity and peace (Lk 4: 14-19).
c) Juridical
Confirmation is required (for liceity)
-To be a sponsor at baptism (c. 874)

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-To enter a novitiate for a religious institute (c. 645 §1).
-To be admitted to a society of apostolic life (c. 735 §2).
-To receive orders (c. 1033).
-To marry (c. 1065 §1).

Recording and Proof of Confirmation

Registration.
-Canon 895 stipulates that after the sacrament has been celebrated, it should be recorded in the
confirmation register of the diocesan curia or where the conference of bishops or the diocesan
bishop has prescribed it, in a register kept in the parish archive.
-In conformity with canon 895, the names of those confirmed, the officiating minister, the parents,
the sponsors and the place and date of the confirmation are to be recorded in the confirmation
register.
Notification.
-The fact of a person’s confirmation must also be noted in the register of his/her baptism.
-Hence, the pastor of the place of confirmation must, if the place of confirmation be different from
that of baptism, send a notification card to the pastor of the place of baptism as soon as possible
following the conferral of confirmation (c. 895).
c) Proof of Confirmation.
-The provisions of proof of conferral of confirmation are exactly the same as those given for proof
of baptism in canon 876.
-If there is no conflict of interest, it suffices to have the evidence of one reliable witness or, if the
sacrament was conferred on an adult, the sworn testimony of the person confirmed.

THE EUCHARIST
-The third and final sacrament of full Christian initiation is the Eucharist.
-c. 897 ‘The most august sacrament is the Most Holy Eucharist in which Christ the Lord himself is
contained, offered, and received and by which the Church continually lives and grows. The
Eucharistic sacrifice, the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, in which the sacrifice
of the cross is perpetuated through the ages in the summit and source of all worship and Christian
life, which signifies and effects the unity of the people of God and brings about the building up of
the body of Christ. Indeed the other sacraments and all the ecclesiastical works of the apostolate are
closely connected with the Most Holy Eucharist and ordered to it.’.
-c. 898 ‘The Christian faithful are to hold the Most Holy Eucharist in highest honour, taking an
active part in the celebration of the most august sacrifice, receiving this sacrament most devoutly
and frequently, and worshipping it with the highest adoration. In explaining the doctrine about this
sacrament, pastors of souls are to teach the faithful diligently about this obligation.’
-c. 899 §1 ‘The Eucharistic celebration is the action of Christ himself and the Church. In it, Christ
the Lord, through the ministry of the priest, offers himself, substantially present under the species of
bread and wine, to God the father and gives himself as spiritual food to the faithful united with his
offering.’
- §2 ‘In the Eucharistic gathering the people of God are called together with the bishop, or under his
authority, a presbyter presiding and acting in the person of Christ. All the faithful who are present,
whether clerics or laity, unite together by participating in their own way according to the diversity
of orders and liturgical functions.’
- §3 ‘ The Eucharistic celebration is to be organised in such a way that all those participating
receive from it the many fruits for which Christ the Lord instituted the Eucharist sacrifice.’
*The above canon are mainly doctrinal in nature, in that they include statements of dogma as well
as authoritative teachings.
-There is also an exhortation on the general obligations of the faithful regarding the Eucharist and
the duty of pastoral ministers to elucidate Eucharistic doctrine.

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-This duty, which binds all ecclesiastical officeholders who exercise pastoral care, is also stated in
canon 843 for the sacraments in general.

The Eucharistic Celebration

*The Ministers of the Most Holy Eucharist.
- c. 900 §1 ‘The minister who is able to confect the sacrament of the Eucharist in the person of
Christ is a validly ordained priest alone.’
- §2 ‘A priest not impeded by canon law celebrates the Eucharist licitly...’
-Lay persons who attempt the liturgical action of the Eucharist automatically incur the penalty of
interdict and the deacons incur the penalty of suspension. (c. 1378 §2, 1º).
-While some priests may validly consecrate the sacrament, some may not do so licitly; like those
who have been deprived of the exercise of orders, or by a penalty or who have lost the clerical state.
- c. 901 ‘A priest is free to apply the Mass for anyone, living or dead.’
-Thus, a Mass can be applied for anyone; living or dead, baptized or non-baptised, sinner or saint.
-A non-Catholic may not be mentioned in the Eucharistic prayer, however, since ancient Christian
liturgy did not permit it as a tradition.
-c. 902 ‘Unless the welfare of the Christian faithful requires or suggests otherwise, priests can
concelebrate the Eucharist. They are completely free to celebrate the Eucharist individually,
however, but not while a concelebration is taking place in the same church or oratory.’
-Concelebration is required at the ordination of bishops and presbyters and at the Chrism Mass.
-The liturgical law recommends concelebration, unless the needs of the faithful require otherwise; at
the Evening Mass of Holy Thursday, The Mass of councils, Meetings of Bishops or synods, the
Mass for any kind of gathering of priests, either secular or religious.
-The diocesan bishop has the right to regulate concelebration in his diocese, also in the churches
and oratories of clerical religious institutes and clerical societies of apostolic life when the
Eucharistic celebration is open to the faithful.
-However, priests should not insist on concelebration at the expense of the welfare of the faithful,
such as when more than one Mass is required to meet pastoral needs.
-While priests are free to celebrate Mass individually, this does not apply to Holy Thursday,
however, when liturgical laws prohibits all Masses without a congregation.
-Moreover, priests are not allowed to do private Masses at the time when there is concelebration in
the same church or oratory.
- c. 903 ‘A priest is to be permitted to celebrate even if the rector of the church does not know him,
provided that either he presents a letter of introduction from his ordinary or superior, issued at least
within the year, or it can be judged prudently that he is not impeded from celebrating.’
-A celebret (Latin word meaning ‘he may celebrate’) is a letter of introduction from a priest’s
ordinary or superior which attests to the priest’s ordination and good standing, and certifies that
there is nothing to prevent him from celebrating Mass.
-Secular priests obtain the celebret from their local ordinary, and priests who are religious or
members of the clerical societies of apostolic life may obtain it from their ordinaries, major
superiors or local superior.
-To be valid, it must be dated within a year of its presentation to the rector of the church where the
priest wishes to celebrate, or at least it must not be expired.
-In this canon, the term rector includes anyone who has the care of a church or an oratory, such as a
pastor or religious superior.
- c. 904 ‘Remembering always that in the mystery of the Eucharistic sacrifice the work of
redemption is exercised continually, priests are to celebrate frequently; indeed, daily celebration is
recommended earnestly since, even if the faithful cannot be present, it is the act of Christ and the
Church in which priests fulfil their principal function.’
-The canon does not speak of a binding obligation to celebrate Mass everyday, but uses a milder
form of preceptive language. Even canon 276 §2, 2º also says, they are earnestly invited to offer the
Eucharist daily.

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-While there is no law binding priests to celebrate Mass daily, it is highly recommended for the
reasons added in the canon.
- c. 905 §1 ‘A priest is not permitted to celebrate the Eucharist more than once a day except in cases
where the law permits him to celebrate or concelebrate more than once on the same day.’
- §2 ‘If there is a shortage of priests, the local ordinary can allow priests to celebrate twice a day for
a just cause, or if pastoral necessity requires it, even three times on Sunday and holy days of
obligation.’
-Thus, while priests may celebrate daily, but they are forbidden from celebrating or concelebrating
more than once each day except when the law permits it.
-The purpose is to prevent the abuse of priests’ celebrating multiple Masses for inadequate reasons
or from improper motives.
-The law also serves to ensure that the manner of celebrating by priests does not become too hurried
or routine due to the pressure of multiple masses.
-The principal occasions when the law permits a priest to celebrate or concelebrate more than once
a day are: i) on Holy Thursday at the Chrism Mass and the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, ii) at
the Easter Vigil and the second Mass of Easter; iii) at the three Masses of Christmas, provided that
the Masses are at their proper times according to the liturgical books.
-The law permits bination and trination only for priests who preside in the Eucharist but not for
concelebration except in the cases mentioned above.
-Local ordinaries may permit a priest to binate when there is a just cause, such as to provide for the
needs of the faithful, and only when there is an insufficient number of priests available.
-For permission to trinate on Sundays and holy days, there must be a case of genuine pastoral need
as, when the priest has the care of more than one church or when the church is unable to
accommodate all the faithful who wish to attend.
-The mere convenience of the faithful would not be an adequate reason to trinate.
-c. 906 ‘Except for a just and reasonable cause, a priest is not to celebrate the Eucharistic sacrifice
without the participation or at least some member of the faithful.’
-Such a cause would be like as a result of illness, infirmity, or travel.
-c. 907 ‘In the eucharistic celebration deacons and lay persons are not permitted to offer prayers,
especially the eucharistic prayer, or to perform actions which are proper to the celebrating priest.’
-The eucharistic prayer is the pre-eminent prayer of the priest. In this central prayer and
thanksgiving the priest unites the community with himself as he addresses the Father through the
Son in the name of all, and the entire congregation joins itself to Christ.
-The priest’s voice alone must be heard as the assembly gathered to celebrate the liturgy maintains a
reverent silence.
-When non-priests join in the eucharistic prayer or when concelebrants are more than barely
audible, the sign of the celebrant as leader of worship and president of the community is diminished
and the role of silence is neglected.
- c. 908 ‘Catholic priests are forbidden to concelebrate the Eucharist with priests or ministers of
Churches or ecclesial communities which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church.’
-Eucharistic concelebration is a visible manifestation of full communion in the faith, worship, and
community life of the catholic Church, expressed by ministers of that Church.
-Accordingly, there can be no concelebration with ministers who are not in full communion with the
Catholic Church.
-A catholic priest who concelebrates at a non-Catholic Eucharist is subject to a just penalty (c.
1365).
-c. 910 §1 ‘The ordinary minister of holy communion is a bishop, presbyter, or deacon.’
- §2 ‘The extraordinary minister of holy communion is an acolyte or another member of the
Christian faithful designated according to the norm of canon 230 §3.’
-According to canon 230, acolytes and other special ministers of the Eucharist may distribute
communion when the needs of the Church require it and when ordinary ministers are lacking.

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-This may be either during the celebration of Mass or outside Mass, and they may administer either
the bread or the cup.
-In 1987 the PCILT gave an authentic interpretation of this canon and stated that the extraordinary
minister may not exercise his or her function when ordinary ministers, who are not in any way
impeded, are present in the church, though not taking part in the Eucharistic celebration.
-It is desirable to provide a suitable program of formation or instruction for the candidates who are
to be commissioned as extraordinary ministers.
-c. 911 §1 ‘The pastor, parochial vicars, chaplains, and with regards to all those dwelling in the
house, the superior of a community in clerical religious institutes and societies of apostolic life have
the duty and right of bringing the Most Holy Eucharist at Viaticum to the sick.’
-§2 ‘In the case of necessity or with at least the presumed permission of the pastor, chaplain, or
superior, who must be notified afterwards, any priest or another minister of holy communion must
do this.’
- The administration of viaticum by the ordinary minister is both a right and a duty. By making it a
duty incumbent on priests who have positions of pastoral care, the legislator assures that the faithful
have access to the full benefits of spiritual comfort provided by the Church, including penance and
anointing.

Participation in the Most Holy Eucharist.

-c. 912 ‘Any baptized person not prohibited by law can and must be admitted to holy communion.’
-For good reason the Church can prohibit baptised persons from receiving the sacrament, or limit
their reception of it.
-c. 913 §1 ‘The administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requires that they have
sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ
according to their capacity and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion.’
- §2 ‘The Most Holy Eucharist, however, can be administered to children in danger of death if they
can distinguish the body of Christ from ordinary food and receive communion reverently.’
-The careful preparation needed is something more than the intellectual preparation indicated by the
words ‘sufficient knowledge’.
-It incudes formative experience in faith such as are promoted by active participation in the
Eucharist even before the children receive the first holy communion.
-Children who are in danger of death may receive holy communion even if they do not have the
sufficient knowledge and careful preparation. However, they should be able to distinguish the body
of Christ from ordinary food.
-c. 914 ‘It is primarily the duty of parents and those who take the place of parents, as well as the
duty of pastors, to take care that children who have reached the use of reason are prepared properly
and, after they have made sacramental confession, are refreshed with this divine food as soon as
possible. It is for the pastor to exercise vigilance so that children who are not sufficiently disposed
do not approach holy communion.’
-Once children have attained the use of reason at about seven years of age, and are judged
sufficiently prepared and disposed, parents and pastors are responsible for seeing that these children
receive communion as early as possible so that they are not deprived of the sacrament to which they
have the right to in law.
*The issue of the use of reason is especially problematic in the case of persons who are mentally
retarded or who have other developmental disabilities that affect mental functioning.
-Such situations are usually resolved by resorting to admitting those who can at least distinguish the
body of Christ from ordinary food.
-c. 915 ‘Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of
the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy
communion.’
-The individual ministers are to refuse the sacrament in the cases mentioned in this canon.

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-A principal effect of the penalties of excommunication and interdict is the prohibition against
receiving the sacraments. (c 1331 §1, 2º; 1332).
-If the censure was imposed or declared, it is a public fact of the external forum and the minister is
bound to refuse the Eucharist or other sacraments.
-Eucharistic ministers are also bound to refuse holy communion when they are certain; i) that a
person has committed a sin that is obviously grave, ii) that the sinner is obstinately persevering in
the sinful state, and iii) that this sin is manifest. A manifest sin is one which is publicly known by a
large part of the parish or other community.
-This canon would not apply to a single grave sin, even if manifest, since obstinacy must be evident.
-There is another serious difficulty in applying this canon in the case of persons who obstinately
persevere in manifest grave sin. The state of one’s conscience is a matter of the internal forum, yet
this canon addresses ministers in the external forum. It is possible that a person may have repented
of the sin and now may be in a state of grace, but this might not be evident in the external forum.
-Moreover, the fact of actual scandal is, culturally relative. What causes scandal in one part of the
world may not cause scandal elsewhere.
-c. 916 ‘A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the
Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no
opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of
perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.’
-Perfect contrition remits venial sin and also obtains forgiveness of mortal sin if it includes the
intention to confess as soon as possible.
-A grave reason for celebrating Mass before confessing is the need to celebrate Mass for the
faithful.
-Grave reason for going to communion without confessing include danger of death and serious
embarrassment if communion is not taken, and also a foreseen long period without receiving
communion.
-Lack of opportunity to confess include absence of a confessor, inability to approach the confessor
at a scheduled time for the sacrament, and the availability of a confessor who may pause a moral
impossibility to the penitent.
-c. 917 ‘A person who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist can receive it a second time on
the same day only within the eucharistic celebration in which the person participates.’
-Only as viaticum, or in the case of a priest who has the permission to trinate, may anyone receive
communion a third time in one day.
-The purpose of this law is twofold: on the one hand, to promote active participation in the
Eucharist including the full sacramental sharing in the Lord’s body and blood; on the other hand, to
prevent the abuse of receiving multiple communions out of superstition, ignorance, or misguided
devotions.
-c. 918 ‘It is highly recommended that the faithful receive holy communion during the Eucharistic
celebration itself. It is to be administered outside Mass, however, to those who request it for a just
cause, with the liturgical rites being observed.’
-Because the mind of the Church is that communion be given primarily during Mass, the
requirement of a just cause for communion outside Mass should be strictly observed.
-Some examples of a just cause include the inability to participate in the eucharistic celebration due
to illness or old age or the absence of a priest who can preside at Eucharist.
-The liturgical rites to be observed in distributing communion outside Mass prescribe an
introductory rite and a celebration of the word preceding the distribution of communion.
-The Eucharistic prayer may NEVER be said in communion services outside Mass.
*Communion may be given outside Mass on any day and at any hour, but with several exceptions.
On Holy Thursday and Good Friday the sacrament may be administered only during the Eucharist
or the celebration of the Lord’s passion, respectively; communion may be given to the sick at any
time on these days. On Holy Saturday only viaticum may be administered.

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-c. 919 §1 ‘A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour
before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.’
- §2 ‘A priest who celebrates the Most Holy Eucharist two or three times on the same day can take
something before the second or third celebration even if there is less than one hour between them.’
- §3. ‘The elderly, the infirm, and those who care for them can receive the Most Holy Eucharist
even if they have eaten something within the preceding hour.’
-The Church considers fasting a means of spiritual preparation for the Eucharist and a way of
showing reverence for the sacrament.
-The medicine to be taken may be in solid or liquid form, and it need not be prescribed by a
physician.
-Priests need to observe the eucharistic fast only for their first Mass of the day. The word
‘celebrates’ should be understood also as including priests who concelebrate.
-Those who are advanced in age or who suffer from any infirmity and those who care for the sick
and aged are not bound by any fast.
-The term ‘elderly’ and ‘infirm’ are subject to broad interpretation.
-Those who care for the sick or aged are exempted from the fast only when they are actually caring
for the sick or aged at the time they receive communion.
-The one hour fast is computed from the time of the completion of the consumption of food or drink
until the reception of communion, not the onset of Mass.
-c. 920 §1 ‘After being initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, each of the faithful is obliged to
receive holy communion at least once a year.’
- §2 ‘ This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season unless it is fulfilled for a just cause at
another time during the year.’
-The satisfaction of the eucharistic precept outside Easter requires a just cause, such as illness, but it
must be satisfied within the space of a year.
-The year is reckoned from the previous communion.
-c. 921 §1 ‘The Christian faithful who are in danger of death from any cause are to be nourished by
holy communion in the form of viaticum.’
- §2 ‘Even if they have been nourished by holy communion on the same day, however, those in
danger of death are strongly urged to receive communion again.’
- §3 ‘While the danger of death lasts, it is recommended that holy communion be administered
often, but on separate days.’
-c. 922 ‘Holy Viaticum for the sick is not to be delayed too long; those who have the care of souls
are to be zealous and vigilant that the sick are nourished by viaticum while fully conscious.’
-Viaticum is the last sacrament of Christian life; holy communion given to those at or near the time
of death.
-The liturgical law urges that viaticum be given during Mass when possible and that it be given
under both species of bread and wine.
-The dying who are unable to receive under the form of bread may receive under the form of wine
alone.
-Children in danger of death who are able to distinguish the body of Christ from ordinary food and
receive it reverently, may receive viaticum.
-The Code does not define ‘danger of death’ but, given the Church’s desire that viaticum be the final
sacrament of passage from death to eternal life, a strict interpretation is in order.
-Viaticum should be received only by those who are in some real danger of dying, whether from
intrinsic causes such as a grave illness or extrinsic cause such as the execution of a criminal.
-In doubt about the degree of danger, viaticum may be given.

The Rites and Ceremonies of the Eucharistic Celebration

-c. 924 §1 ‘The Most Holy Eucharistic sacrifice must be offered with bread and with wine in which
a little water must be mixed.
- §2 ‘The bread must be only wheat and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling.

25
- §3 ‘The wine must be natural from the fruit of the vine and not spoiled.’
-The Church has always regarded bread and wine as the only matter essential for the eucharistic
meal and sacrifice, in keeping with the Last Supper narratives.
-A small quantity of water is to be added to the wine by the deacon or priest at the preparation for
the gifts.
-Bread made of any substance other than wheat is invalid matter, as is bread to which has been
added such a great quantity of another substance that it can no longer be considered wheat bread in
the common estimation.
-The requirement that the bread be recently made and not corrupt are for liceity; however, if the
bread is so corrupt that it is no longer considered bread in the common estimation, it is invalid
matter.
-The bread for the Eucharist should have the appearance of real food and be made in such a way
that the priest is able to break it into parts and distribute them to at least some of the faithful.
-The Holy See has clarified that the meaning of this law on ‘appearance’ of bread applies to its
colour, taste, and thickness rather than to its shape.
-Persons who suffer from coeliac disease may be given permission from the ordinary to receive
communion in the form of bread which is low in gluten content.
+Wine not made from grapes is invalid matter for the Eucharist, as is wine to which water has been
added in greater or equal quantity.
-The wine should be natural and pure, ie, not mixed with any foreign substance.
-Wine may be corrupt in several ways; that which has turned to vinegar is invalid matter, that which
has partially become vinegar or contains unapproved additives or foreign matter, or which loses
most of its alcohol, is used illicitly.
+When concelebrating, priests recovering from alcoholism who are unable to consume wine may
receive communion by intinction or they may receive under the species of the bread alone; this is a
general faculty for which no special permission is required.
-Canonists and theologians have commonly held that ‘must’ or the ‘unfermented’ juice of ripe
grapes, is valid matter for the Eucharist but is gravely illicit except in necessity. This is the one used
mostly by the priests recovering from alcoholism who are affected even by the slightest amount of
alcohol.
-c. 925 ‘Holy communion is to be given under the form of bread alone, or under both species
according to the norm of the liturgical laws, or even under the form of wine alone in a case of
necessity.’
-Communion under both kinds is said more fully to express the sign of the eucharistic meal; of the
new and eternal covenant ratified by the blood of the Lord.
-The clear implication is that communion under both kinds is the ideal, or normative practice.
-the GIRM enumerates the cases for which ordinaries may permit communion under both kinds,
adding that episcopal conference may establish guidelines for the ordinaries to concede the faculty
on other occasions as well.
+Permission is granted for the reception of communion under the form of wine alone on behalf of
persons who are medically unable to consume the bread; permission is granted even to take the
Precious Blood through a stomach tube.
- c. 926 ‘According to the ancient tradition of the Latin Church, the priest is to use unleavened
bread in the eucharistic celebration whenever he offers it.’
-The requirement for unleavened bread is for liceity, that is why it is a custom only in the Latin
church.
-c. 927 ‘It is absolutely forbidden, even in extreme urgent necessity, to consecrate one matter
without the other or even both outside the eucharistic celebration.’
-Theological opinion has not been in agreement on whether the consecration of only one of the
elements suffices for the validity of the Mass.

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-The canon does not address the issue of validity, but instead use authority of the Church to forbid
absolutely the consecration of one element in or outside Mass, or the consecration of even both
elements apart from the Eucharistic celebration.
-Even cases of extreme necessity are excluded; such as lack of time to celebrate the entire Eucharist
in the case of persons in danger of death, or lack of bread or wine.
-c. 928 ‘The eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in the Latin language or in another language
provided that the liturgical texts have been legitimately approved.’
-Latin is the official common language of the Latin Church; the language in which all the official
liturgical books are first published.
-However the use of vernacular usually allows for greater participation in the liturgy and a fuller
appreciation of it.
-Local ordinaries are encouraged by the Apostolic See to provide Masses in Latin in at least some
churches, especially in areas where groups of people speak different languages.
-The use of music with Latin texts, particularly Gregorian chants, is often suitable even in Masses in
the vernacular.
-It is also possible to celebrate the Eucharist using approved texts of two or more vernacular
languages that are spoken by significant numbers of people in the assembly.
-c. 929 ‘In celebrating and administering the Eucharist, priests and deacons are to wear the sacred
vestments prescribed by the rubrics.’
-The GIRM made changes on the optional use of the amice and cincture when the design of the alb
does not functionally require them. A cassock or habit need not be worn under the alb.
-Conference of Bishops may determine adaptations regarding the material and form of vestments.
-The RP has approved the use of chasuble-alb at concelebrations, Masses for special groups,
celebrations outside a sacred place. The stole is worn over the chasuble-alb and should be the colour
appropriate to the Mass being celebrated.
-Even in administering the Eucharist outside Mass, the vesting of the minister should be appropriate
and in accord with the local customs.
-c. 930 §1 ‘If an infirm or elderly priest is unable to stand, he can celebrate the eucharistic sacrifice
while seated, but not before the people except with the permission of the local ordinary; the
liturgical laws are to be observed.
§2 ‘A blind or otherwise infirm priest licitly celebrates the eucharistic sacrifice by using any
approved text of the Mass with the assistance, if needed, of another priest, deacon, or even a
properly instructed law person.’
-The incapacitating illness may be of any nature or origin, either temporary or permanent.

The Time and Place of the Celebration of the Eucharist.

-c. 931 ‘The celebration and distribution of the Eucharist can be done at any day or hour except
those which the liturgical norms exclude.’
-The anticipated Mass of Sunday and holy days of obligation may be celebrated only in the evening
(c. 1248 §1) ie, not earlier than 4:00 pm, on Saturday or the day before the holy day.
-The other exceptions for the time of celebrations and the distribution of the Eucharist are for the
days of the Easter triduum.
-On Holy Thursday the Mass of the Lord’s supper is celebrated in the evening at a convenient hour.
-In times of true necessity the local ordinary may permit an earlier Mass but only for those who find
it impossible to participate in the evening Mass.
-Holy communion may be given to the faithful only during Mass, but it can be taken to the sick at
any time of the day.
-According to the Church’s ancient tradition, the sacraments are not celebrated on Good Friday or
Holy Saturday.
-Holy communion can only be given to the faithful at the celebration of the Lord’s passion on Good
Friday, but it can be brought to the sick at any time.
-On Holy Saturday, communion can only be given as viaticum.

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-The liturgy of the Easter vigil takes place at night and should not begin before dark on Saturday
and should end before sunrise on Sunday.
-c. 932 §1 ‘The Eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in a sacred place unless in a particular
case necessity requires otherwise; in such a case the celebration must be done in a decent place.’
- §2 ‘The eucharistic sacrifice must be carried out on a dedicated or blessed altar; outside a sacred
place a suitable table can be used, always with a cloth and a corporal.’
-The eucharistic celebration should take place in a church, oratory, or other sacred place that has
been appointed for divine worship by dedication or blessing in accord with canons 1205-1209.
-The altar may be fixed or movable and should be dedicated or blessed in accord with canon 1237.
-In particular cases of need, the Eucharist may be celebrated in some other suitable place.
-Particular cases are not only single occasions but also situations in which an individual priest may
regularly celebrate outside a sacred place by reason of necessity.
-c. 933 ‘For a just cause and with the express permission of the local ordinary, a priest is permitted
to celebrate the Eucharist in the place of worship of some Church or ecclesial community which
does not have full communion with the Catholic Church so long as there is no scandal.’
-A just reason is required for this permission to be granted, ie, any good reason, not just a case of
necessity.
-This canon does not apply to non-Christian churches.

The Reservation and Veneration of the Most Holy Eucharist.

-The custom of reserving the Eucharist originated in the early Church primarily to provide for the
administration of viaticum. Other purposes for reservation included providing communion to those
absent from the assembly, particularly the sick.
-The council of Trent upheld the legitimacy of reserving the Eucharist for administration to the sick,
and it also defended the adoration of the eucharistic species in general and the practice of
eucharistic processions in particular.
- c. 934 §1 The Most Holy Eucharist:
1º must be reserved in the cathedral church or its equivalent, in every parish church, and in a church
or oratory connected to the house of a religious institute or society of apostolic life;
2º can be reserved in the chapel of the bishop and, with the permission of the local ordinary, in other
churches, oratories, and chapels.
- §2 ‘In sacred places where the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved, there must always be someone
responsible for it and, insofar as possible, a priest is to celebrate Mass there at least twice a month.’
-This canon specifies those sacred places in which the Eucharist must be reserved and those in
which it may be reserved (optionally), and it establishes the conditions for eucharistic reservation.
-The first condition is that there be someone who has charge of the place where the Eucharist is
reserved. This person need not have any ecclesiastical office or be a cleric, since the chief purpose
of this law is to prevent desecration of the blessed sacrament.
-The second condition is that a priest celebrates Mass in that place at least twice a month, insofar as
possible.
-This ensures the frequent renewal of the consecrated hosts in accord with canon 939, and more
importantly, it reinforces the primacy of the eucharistic action and its intimate connection to the
sacrament reserved.
-The law mandates eucharistic reservation in the sacred places where there is active communities of
the faithful and where there could be need for communion for the sick and dying.
-The Eucharist may optionally be reserved, with the permission of the local ordinary in other sacred
places.
-The Eucharist may not be reserved outside a sacred place, ie, outside a church, oratory, or private
chapel that has been lawfully established by decree of the competent ordinary.
-This also applies to small communities in informal houses of religious institutes and other pious
houses which lack a proper oratory, but have a small room for prayer and meditation. The same with
private rooms.

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-c. 935 ‘No one is permitted to keep the Eucharist on one’s person or to carry it around, unless
pastoral necessity urges it and the prescripts of the diocesan bishop are observed.’
-Normaly the blessed sacrament may not be kept in one’s private possession; however, there may be
times when it is necessary for a priest, deacon or other eucharistic minister to keep the sacrament in
the home or other place outside the church, e.g, when the minister lives at a great distance from the
church and needs access to the Eucharist for visiting the sick.
- c. 936 ‘In the house of a religious institute or some other pious house, the Most Holy Eucharist is
to be reserved only in the church or principal oratory attached to the house. For a just reason,
however, the ordinary can also permit it to be reserved in another oratory of the same house.’ch
-There should be only one focus of Christ’s Eucharistic presence in each religious house, seminary,
etc.
-If there is more than one distinct communities under the same roof, there may be reservation in the
oratory of each community.
-c. 937 ‘Unless there is a grave reason to the contrary, the church in which the Most Holy Eucharist
is reserved is to be open to the faithful for at least some hours every day so that they can pray before
the Most Blessed Sacrament.’
-This refers only to churches in the strict sense not to oratories and other sacred places.
-In some places it would be necessary to lock the church in order to prevent vandalism and burglary.
-This is a sufficient grave reason to lock the church.
-c. 938 §1 ‘The Most Holy Eucharist is to be reserved habitually in only one tabernacle of a church
or oratory.’
- §2 ‘The tabernacle in which the Most holy Eucharist is reserved is to be situated in some part of
the church or oratory which is distinguished, conspicuous, beautifully decorated, and suitable for
prayer.’
- §3 ‘The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved habitually is to be immovable,
made of solid and opaque material, and locked in such a way that the danger of profanation is
avoided as much as possible.’
- §4 ‘For a grave cause, it is permitted to reserve the Most Holy Eucharist in some other fitting and
more secure place, especially at night.’
- §5 ‘The person responsible for the church or oratory is to take care that the key of the tabernacle in
which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved is safeguarded most diligently.’
-This canon, together with the liturgical laws leave room for determining the shape and size.
- c. 939 ‘Consecrated hosts in a quantity sufficient for the needs of the faithful are to be kept in a
pyx or small vessel; they are to be renewed frequently and the older hosts consumed properly.’
-The number of the consecrated hosts which are to be reserved is dependent on the needs of the sick
and other faithful who will be receiving communion outside Mass.
-In order for the sign of communion to be expressed more clearly, communion during Mass should
not be given from the reserved elements but from the bread and wine consecrated at that Mass.
-The person in charge should see that the hosts do not spoil or become too hard and easily broken.
-The hosts should be reserved in a ciborium or other suitable vessel such as a pyx.
-The consecrated wine should not be reserved except for communion to the sick.
-It should be kept in a properly covered chalice and placed in the tabernacle alter Mass until it is
needed.
-When it is brought to the sick it must be carried in a closed vessel to eliminate all danger of
spilling.
- c. 940 ‘A special lamp which indicates and honours the presence of Christ is to shine continuously
before the tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved.’
-The canon only speaks of a special lamp, without specifying a wax candle or a lamp fuel by oil.
Commonly, an electric light is now more preferable, but formerly, candle and oil lamps were
preferred.

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-c. 941 §1 ‘In churches or oratories where it is permitted to reserve the Most Holy Eucharist, there
can be expositions with the pyx or the monstrance; the norms prescribed in the liturgical books are
to be observed.’
- §2 ‘Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament is not to be held in the same area of the church or
oratory during the celebration of Mass.’
-Brief periods of exposition must always include time for readings of the word of God, hymns,
prayers, and a period of silent prayer.
-Exposition merely for the purpose of giving benediction is forbidden.
-There may never be exposition, whether lengthy or brief, in the same part of the church or oratory
where Mass is being celebrated.
- c. 943 ‘The minister of exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament and of eucharistic benediction is
the priest or deacon; in special circumstances, the minister of exposition and reposition alone
without benediction is the acolyte, extraordinary minister of holy communion, or someone else
designated by the local ordinary; the prescripts of the diocesan bishop are to be observed.’
-The ordinary minister of exposition is a priest or deacon who may also bless the people with the
sacrament at the end of the period of adoration.
-In the absence of a priest or deacon, an acolyte, minister of communion or another person deputed
by the local ordinary may publicly expose for adoration and later repose it, but they may not give a
blessing.
- c. 944 §1 ‘When it can be done in the judgment of the diocesan bishop, a procession through the
public streets is to be held as a public witness of veneration toward the Most Holy Eucharist,
especially on the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.’
- §2 ‘It is for the diocesan bishop to establish regulations which provide for the participation in and
the dignity of processions.’
-The intent of the canon is to encourage public processions of the Eucharist provided the bishop
approves the practice. The bishop is to decide whether processions are advisable in today’s
conditions or not.

The Offerings Given for the Celebration of Mass.

-The canons speak of the ‘application of the Mass’ for a specific intention. The church does not
have any firm doctrine on what it precisely means to ‘apply the Mass’.
-That there is spiritual benefit for the Mass offering intention is the Church’s belief; all that this
entails, and how it is accomplished, are matters that remain in the realm of theological opinion.
-The Mass offering system’s greatest value for today is most likely as a vehicle for the
remembrance of the dead.
-It may be seen as a way for the living to honour the memory of their beloved dead, to pray for
them, and to stay in communion with them in a special way at the eucharistic celebration.
-No longer does the laws in the Code refer to the donation for the application of Mass as a ‘stipend’,
but rather as an ‘offering’ given by one of the faithful.
-The word ‘stipend’ suggests a mercantile exchange of goods for services or the remuneration of a
contract.
-The word ‘offering’ however, clearly signifies that it is given freely by the faithful primarily out of
their concern for the Church and their desire to support its material needs.
-Mass offering can be understood as gifts to the Church or its ministers on behalf of some intention,
much as a donation is made to any charitable institution in the name of some person, living or
deceased.
-c. 945 §1 ‘In accord with the approved practice of the Church, any priest celebrating or
concelebrating is permitted to receive an offering to apply the Mass for a specific intention.’
- §2 ‘It is recommended earnestly to priests that they celebrate Mass for the intention of the
Christian faithful, especially the needy, even if they have not received an offering.’
-The canon says the priest is ‘permitted’ to receive Mass offerings. Thus, a legal right is granted
which cannot be denied or restricted.

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-In some dioceses all Mass offerings are given to the parish or to the diocese and in turn, all priests
receive equal salaries.
-This is legal, provided it is voluntary, ie, provided that each priest is free and has agreed to it.
-The spiritual benefits of Mass cannot be denied to the poor or the need simply because they do not
have anything to offer. However, they should be encouraged to offer not only offerings in monetary
forms, but anything that they may offer in union with their petitions.
-c. 946 ‘The Christian faithful who gives an offering to apply for the Mass for their intention
contributes to the good of the Church and by that offering share its concern to support its minister.’
-This is recently highly criticized, because the canon is interpreted to mean that the donor who gives
the offering also participates in the eucharistic celebration because the donation concretizes the
donor’s own prayer on behalf of his or her intention.
-What is clear though is that the donor’s financial contribution to the good of the Church, even
though small, is a means of sharing in the Church’s concern for the support of its ministers and
works.
- c. 947 ‘Any appearance of trafficking or trading is to be excluded entirely from the offering for
Mass.’
-Since the acceptance of Mass offerings has frequently led to accusations of simony, the Church
wishes to regulate the practice strictly to avoid all appearance of commercialism.
-In fact, canon 1385, those who illegitimately profit from Mass offerings are to be punished with a
censure or another just penalty.
-c. 948 ‘Separate Masses are to be applied for the intentions of those for whom a single offering,
although small, has been given and accepted.’
-The celebrant and concelebrants each may accept only one offering for one Mass, even if a smaller
amount than customary is accepted.
-Although the donor’s intention can include more than one person, only one offering can be taken.
*In 1991 the Congregation for the clergy derogated from this canon to permit priests to accept
several offerings for a ‘collective intention’ at a single Mass.
-The following regulations must be observed if this practice is to followed:
a) The donors must be informed of and consent to the combining of their offerings before the Mass
for the collective intention is celebrated.
b) The place and time for the Mass must be announced.
c) The practice may not be observed more than twice a week.
d) The celebrant may keep for himself no more than the usual amount of a single Mass offering and
must send any access to his ordinary.
-c. 949 ‘A person obliged to celebrate and apply Mass for the intention of those who gave an
offering is bound by the obligation even if the offerings received have been lost through no fault of
his own.’
-Once an offering has been accepted, the priest is obliged to apply the Mass for the intention of the
donor, and that obligation ceases only when the Mass has been celebrated.
-c. 950 ‘If a sum of money is offered for the application of Masses without an indication of the
number of Masses to be celebrated, the number is to be computed on the basis of the offering
established in the place where the donor resides, unless the intention of the donor must be presumed
legitimately to have been different.’
-c. 951 §1 ‘A priest who celebrates several Masses on the same day can apply each to the intention
of which the offering was given, but subject to the rule that, except on Christmas day, he is to keep
the offering for only one Mass and transfer the other to the purposes prescribed by the ordinary,
while allowing for some recompense by reason of an extrinsic title.’
- §2. ‘A priest who concelebrates a second Mass on the same day cannot accept an offering for it
under any title.’
-A priest is free to accept an offering for each Mass at which he presides, but he may keep only one
offering for himself each day. The other offerings go to his ordinary, namely, the local ordinary for

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the diocesan priest and the major superior for members of clerical religious institutes and societies
of apostolic life.
-All pastors and assistant priests, not just diocesan priests, are bound to send the offering for
additional Masses celebrated each day to the local ordinary. This rule applies only for parish Masses
for which offerings have been received through the parish.
-Moreover, a visiting priest in the parish is entitled to all offerings for the Masses he celebrates,
including binations and trinations which he then sends to his own ordinary, not the local ordinary of
the place, unless they are the same.
-While the priest may not retain more than one offering each day, he may be compensated for
celebrating additional Masses on the ground of other extrinsic title, not Mass offering; eg, he may
be paid for the fuel he used, or he may be given a token for the inconveniences he incurs.
-Pastors and others who are obliged to celebrate the Missa Pro Populo on Sundays and holy days
may an offering for another Mass which they celebrate that day.
-A priest may not take another offering, even on behalf of his ordinary, when he concelebrates on
the same day that he celebrates or concelebrates another Mass.
-The reason for this rule is to avoid the appearance that concelebration, which is purely an optional
practice, might be done merely for the sake of taking an offering.
-c. 952 §1 ‘It is for the provincial council or a meeting of the bishops of the province to define by
decree for the entire province the offering to be given for the celebration and application of Mass,
and a priest is not permitted to seek a larger sum. Nevertheless, he is permitted to accept for the
application of a Mass a voluntary offering which is larger or even smaller than the one defined.
-§ 2 ‘Where there is no such decree, the custom in force in the diocese is to be observed.
-§3 ‘Members of all religious institutes must also observe the same decree or local custom
mentioned above.’
-This canon ensures uniformity of practice among neighbouring dioceses of a province.
-Only in the province has not decreed on the matter, can the diocesan bishop or the local custom
prevail.
-While a priest may not demand a larger amount than the one defined or customary amount, he may
accept an offering in which an amount that is freely given.
- c. 953 ‘No one is permitted to accept more offerings for Masses to be applied by himself that he
can satisfy within a year.’
-This rule is to prevent the possibility of an individual priest amassing many obligations, which
might go unsatisfied in the event of his incapacity or death.
-The rule applies only to Mass obligations to be satisfied by oneself, not to the acceptance of
offerings to be transferred to others.
- c. 954 ‘If in certain churches or oratories more Masses are asked to be celebrated than can be
celebrated there, it is permitted for them to be celebrated elsewhere unless the donors have
expressly indicated a contrary intention.
-If a Mass offering has been accepted on the condition that it be celebrated in that place, this fact
should be noted in writing along with the intention.
-c. 955 §1 ‘A person who intends to entrust to others the celebration of Masses to be applied is to
entrust their celebration as soon as possible to priests acceptable to him, provided that he is certain
that the excess over the sum fixed in the diocese was given for him personally. He is also obliged to
see to the celebration of the Masses until he learns that the obligation has been accepted and the
offering received.’
- §2 ‘The times within which Masses must be celebrated begins on the day the priest who is to
celebrate them received them, unless it is otherwise evident.’
- §3 ‘Those who entrust to others Masses to be celebrated are to record in a book without delay both
the Masses which they received and those which they transferred to others, as well as their
offerings.’
- §4 ‘Every priest must note accurately the Masses which he accepted to celebrate and those which
he has satisfied.’

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-Thus, in the case of a priest who accepts Masses for more than a year, he should transfer the rest to
other priests ‘as soon as possible’, the same with a parish or an oratory; the excess Mass offerings
should be transferred ‘as soon as possible.’
-This is to avoid loosing or using the offering before the Masses are even transferred.
-A priest who is above suspicion is anyone about whom there is no doubt that he will satisfy the
Mass obligations received. This is to be presumed of all priests in good standing unless the contrary
is evident.
-c. 956 ‘Each and every administrator of pious causes or those obliged in any way to see to the
celebration of Masses, whether clerics or laity, are to handover to their ordinaries according to the
method defined by the latter the Masses obligations which have not been satisfied within a year.’
-The year is to be reckoned as 365 days from the acceptance of the Mass offering. So even if a
priest had accepted Masses that a less than a year to be satisfied, if by any reason, in actual fact he
did not manage to satisfy them within that year period, he is to transfer to his ordinary the Masses
that have actually lapsed a year without being satisfied.
-c. 957 ‘The duty and right of exercising vigilance that Mass obligations are fulfilled belong to the
local ordinary in churches of secular clergy and to the superiors in churches of religious institutes or
societies of apostolic life.’
-A church of the secular clergy means, for purposes of this canon, a church served by secular clergy;
a church of a religious institute or society of apostolic life means, not only churches owned by
them, but also churches owned by a parish or diocese and served by clergy or religious institutes
and societies of apostolic life.
-Although the bishop has jurisdiction over all churches, to which the faithful have the right to come,
the Mass offerings received in them belong to the clergy themselves, not to the churches.
-c. 958 §1 ‘The pastor and the rector of a church or other pious places which regularly receive
offerings for Masses are to have a special book in which they note accurately the number of Masses
to be celebrated, the intention, the offering given, and their celebration.’
- §2 ‘The ordinary is obliged to examine these books each year either personally or through others.’
-In place of a book, it is becoming customary in some places to use a computer program for keeping
the Mass offering account. However, it is also prudent to keep a parallel hard copy record.
-At the time of canonical visit, the ordinaries usually ask to examine the books for Mass offerings.

THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE

Nature of the Sacrament of Penance.
-Taking a phrase from the Apostle Paul, the fourth sacrament is also called the sacrament of
reconciliation.
-The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls it the sacrament of healing, along with the sacrament
of anointing of the sick.
-Popular catholic usage generally use the term ‘confession.’
-Canon 959 clearly exposes the essential elements for integral sacramental confession. It is both
theological and juridic in nature.
- “In the sacrament of penance the faithful who confess their sins to a legitimate minister, are sorry
for them, and intent to reform themselves obtain from God through the absolution imparted by the
same minister forgiveness for the sins they have committed after baptism and, at the same time, are
reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by sinning.” (c. 959).
-Baptism takes away original sin and, if received in adulthood, also takes away personal sins.
-The sacrament of penance is the ordinary way of obtaining forgiveness and the remission of sins
committed after baptism.
-Sin is, before all else, an offence against God, a rupture of communion with him. At the same time
it damages communion with the Church.
-There are a great many kinds and distinctions of sin. In the Bible, violation of the Decalogue is
presented as sins against the love of God (the first three) and of one’s neighbour (the other seven).

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-The Apostle Paul gives a litany of sins which are the ‘works of the flesh’: fornication, impurity,
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, envy, drunkenness etc (Gal
5:19-21).
-The Apostolic Penitentiary has put together a list of seven ‘social sins’ which include drug abuse,
polluting the environment, genetic tampering, accumulating excessive wealth and creating poverty.
-Conversion from sin entails both God’s forgiveness and reconciliation from the Church and the
society, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of penance and
reconciliation.
-On the evening of the day of His resurrection, as the apostolic mission was about to begin, Jesus
granted the apostles, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the authority to reconcile repentant
sinners with God and the Church with these words: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins
of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (Jn 20:22-23).
-Presbyters and bishops, successors of the apostles, receive the power by sacred ordination to
forgive sins through the sacrament of penance and heal the penitents in the name of Christ.
-Priests, then, by the will of Christ are the only ministers of the sacrament of Reconciliation.
-Through the centuries, the celebration of the sacrament of penance has developed in different
forms, but it has always kept the two equal essential dimensions: on the one hand, the acts of the
penitent who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit, namely, contrition,
confession and satisfaction; on the other hand, God’s action through the intervention of the Church
by which priests forgive sins in the name of Jesus Christ and the determine the manner of making
penance.
-Thus, the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion.
*In the past, greater emphasis was placed on the confession of sins; the juridical aspect of the
sacrament, than on the experience of being healed.
-The confessional itself was frequently referred to as the ‘sacred tribunal of the internal forum’,
with the priest confessor presiding as a kind of a judge.
-Moreover, Catholics mechanically recited a list of trivial matters that often remained the same from
confession to confession.
-While confession of sins is indeed an integral element of this sacrament both from the theological
and psychological viewpoint, it must never be equated with only narrating the sins.
-The sacrament entails more than simply confessing one’s guilt and receiving absolution from an
authorised minister.
-It includes acts of penance and reaching out to those from whom one has been alienated through
sin.
-One cannot be reconciled to god without first being reconciled to his/her neighbour.

Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance.

*Penitential celebration
-Reconciliation both presupposes and announces conversion.
-Conversion is an act of faith which needs proper preparation.
-Priests are encouraged to make use of the liturgical seasons of Lent and Advent as times of
preparation for the celebration of the sacrament of penance.
-Penitential celebrations which are structured after the fashion of bible services, are helpful to
awaken the moral conscience of the people who have lost the sense of sin.
-By hearing the Word of God individuals and congregations are disposed to perceive the reality of
sin, to realize a better and deeper penitence and ultimately to a more fruitful use of the sacrament.
-Penitential celebrations also acknowledge the communal dimension of sin, penance, conversion
and reconciliation.
*Rite A: Reconciliation of Individual Penitents
-Individual and integral confession and absolution constitutes the only ordinary means by which a
member of the faithful, conscious of grave sin, is reconciled by God and the Church.

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-Only physical or moral impossibility (e.g, deaf and mute, serious illness, scruples, fear, danger of
scandal, etc) excuses a penitent from this kind of confession (and the confessor can never seek for
an excuse in moral impossibility, except if it is physical impossibility), in which case there may also
be reconciliation in extraordinary ways (c. 960).
-The extraordinary ways may include general absolution, an act of perfect contrition and above all,
participation in the Eucharistic celebration.
-The ordinary rite consists in the following:
i) Greeting the penitent and inviting him/her to have confidence in God.
ii) The penitents accepting himself/herself as a sinner.
iii) The penitent’s confession of sins, not only commissions but also omissions, especially grave
sins from three viewpoints; namely, relationship with God, to neighbour and to oneself.
iv) Counselling of the penitent by the confessor.
v) The confessor proposing a penance which is accepted by the penitent as a sign of repentance.
vi) The penitent’s act of contrition (the longer or simple prayer)
vii) Sacramental absolution by which God grants pardon to the sinner. The absolution formula is as
follows: ‘God, the Father of mercies, through the death and the resurrection of His Son has
reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church may God grant you pardon and peace, and I absolve you
from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’
viii) Dismissal with the words based on Scripture, like ‘The Lord has forgiven your sins. Go in
peace.’
*Rite B: Reconciliation of Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution.
-This form of reconciliation takes place in the framework of a penitential service in which several
penitents prepare themselves together for confession and give thanks together for the forgiveness
received.
-Here, individual confession and absolution are inserted into a liturgy of the word or God with
readings and a sermon, an examination of conscience conducted in common, and a communal
request for forgiveness.
-This communal celebration expresses more intensely the communal nature of sin and penance.
-It could often be celebrated with sufficient number of confessors, especially during the seasons of
advent and Lent, and also in preparation for first confession, first Holy Communion and
confirmation.
*Rite C: Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution.
-Occasional circumstances may render it lawful and even necessary to give general absolution to a
number of penitents together, without their previous individual confession of sins, but with an act of
contrition and with the firm intention of confession individually the grave sins within suitable
period of time.
-Two such circumstances are foreseen:
i) Danger of death that is imminent, with no time for the priest/s to hear the confession of each
penitent; danger such as that caused by major calamities like earthquake, floods, shipwreck, air-
plane crush, war, terrorist attack, etc.
ii) Grave necessity, that is; when in view of the number of penitence, there are not enough
confessors available to hear the confessions of individuals properly within a suitable period of time
in such a way that the penitents are forced to be deprived for a long period of time (not less than a
month) of sacramental grace or Holy Communion through no fault of their own. Sufficient
necessity is not considered to exist whose confessors cannot be present due only to the large number
of penitents such as can occur on the occasion of some great feast or pilgrimage. (c. 961 §1).
-It belongs to the diocesan bishop to judge what constitutes a case of ‘grave necessity’ in harmony
with the criteria that may have been approved by the episcopal conference (c. 961 §2).
-To a question whether the diocesan bishop can establish his own personal criteria, the PCILT
replied in the negative stating that the bishop does not have the power in any way to modify, add to

35
or remove the conditions already established in the CIC and the criteria agreed with other members
of the episcopal conference.

Forms of Penance
-True conversion is completed by acts of penance or satisfaction, by amendment of conduct and
also by reparation of injury.
-The CCC teaches that every offence committed against justice and truth entails the duty of
reparation, even if its author has been forgiven.
-When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly.
-If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral
satisfaction in the name of charity.
-This duty of reparation concerns also offences against someone’s reputation.
-This reparation, moral and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the
damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience.
-The kind and extent of the satisfaction should be suited to the personal condition of each penitent
and must seek his/her spiritual good. (c. 981).
And it must be satisfied personally.
-It must, moreover, correspond with the gravity and nature of the sin committed.
-Confessors should keep these directives in mind and avoid giving penances which are momentarily
discharged, e.g, ‘Say the Hail Mary, three times.’
-The reason is that such practice cheapens and devalues the very notion of conversion and
ultimately leads to confusion and disillusionment on the penitent’s part. A penitent may even doubt
if he/she has been forgiven.
-The sacrament of reconciliation is pre-eminently a rite of passage or transition from a state of
alienation from God and neighbour to amending those relationships that have been ruptured.
-The CCC states that: “Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders that sin
has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing
something more to make amends for sin: he must make satisfaction for, or expiate his sins. This
satisfaction is also called penance.”
*According to Cardinal Donald Wuerl; the following conditions make a confession invalid:
i) No true sorrow for sins and lack of intention to avoid grave sin in the future,
ii) Deliberately neglecting to confess all grave sins,
iii) Refusing to do an assigned penance.
-Forgetting to do a penance does not carry the same weight as wilfully refusing to do it, and
therefore does not invalidate the absolution.

Time and Place of Reconciliation

-The reconciliation of penitents may be celebrated in all the liturgical seasons and on any day.
-But it is right that the faithful be informed of the day and hour adapted to their circumstances at
which the priest is available for the ministry.
-In urgent necessity, any confessor is obliged to hear the confessions of the Christian faithful and in
danger of death, any priest including those suspended or laicized. (c. 986).
-Since 1967, after the reforms of Vatican II, the celebration of any of the three rites of reconciliation
should not be scheduled during eucharistic celebration.
-The faithful are to receive penance outside Mass, especially at the prescribed times, so that the
sacrament will be administered calmly and with genuine profit and will not interfere with
participation of Mass.
-Again, since 1972, the Apostolic See explicitly stated that the communal celebration of
reconciliation has to be completely separate from Mass.
-However, a later papal document clarified that confessions can be heard during Mass if there are
other priests available, in order to meet the needs of the faithful.

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-The proper place to hear sacramental confessions is a church or oratory, which denotes the
ecclesial dimension of sin and reconciliation.
-Confessions should not be heard outside a confessional without a just cause (c. 964 §1-3).
The conference of bishops is to establish norms regarding the confessional; it is to take care that
there are always confessionals with a fixed grille between the penitent and the confessor in an open
place.
-Paragraph 2 of canon 964 appears to give the penitent the ultimate decision over whether or not to
avail of the grille.
-A penitent can also ask for face-to-face confession.
-To a dubium iuris whether the minister of the sacrament, for a just reason apart from a case of
necessity, can lawfully decide, even if the penitent may request otherwise, that a sacramental
confession be heard in a confessional equipped with a fixed grille, the response of the PCILT is in
the affirmative.
-A just reason for choosing a place other than the fixed grille would be: urgency, grave illness,
deafness.
*However, the recent experiences in the Church are compelling confessors, especially for the
confessions of children and minors, that they be done at an open space, for the security of the child
and the confessor himself.
-Some Conferences of bishops have actually given a general rule that no confession of a minor is to
be heard inside the grille.
-The reason behind that has to do with minimising allegations of abuse of minors in those
circumstances when the priest cannot defend himself because of the confessional seal.

Faculties to Hear Confession

-As has already been underlined, a priest alone is the minister of the sacrament of penance.
-A priest receives the power to forgive sins through the sacrament of orders.
-But the valid absolution of sins requires that the minister has, in addition to the power of orders,
the faculty to exercise it for the faithful to whom he imparts absolution (c. 966 §1).
-The 1917 Code required the power of jurisdiction to hear confession, but the 1983 Code avoided
this and, instead, required faculty to hear confession for the reason that sacramental absolution
refers to the internal forum and the individual’s conscience and is not an act of governance.
-Priests who have faculties habitually to hear confessions whether by virtue of their office or by
grant of the proper ordinary or the ordinary of the place where they have a domicile, can exercise
that faculty everywhere (c. 967 §2).
-A priest can possess faculties to hear confession by law (ipso iure), office (ex officio), grant
(concessione), or supply (ecclesia supplet).
*Faculty by Law and Office: The following possess the faculties to hear confessions in virtue of the
law itself;
i) The Roman pontiff and cardinals everywhere in the world (c. 967 §1).
ii) All bishops everywhere in the world unless the diocesan bishop had denied the faculty in a
particular case (c. 967 §1).
iii) In virtue of their office, within the limits of their jurisdiction, local ordinaries, parish priests and
those who take the place of parish priests (c. 968 §1), unless a local ordinary denies it in a particular
case.
iv) The diocesan penitentiary in the diocese. The diocesan penitentiary is a priest confessor who
would, besides absolving the latae sententiae censures not reserved to the Apostolic See, help also
penitents to have recourse to the Apostolic Penitentiary for reserved censures or for advice or for
solution for a most difficult moral case.
v) Chaplains (c. 566 §1).
vi) In virtue of their office, Superiors of religious institutes or societies of apostolic life that are
clerical and of pontifical right, who have executive power of governance according to the norm of
their constitutions, for their own subjects and others who live in the house day and night; they use

37
this faculty licitly unless a major superior denies this in a particular case for his own subjects (c.
968 §2).
vii) In urgent necessity any confessor is obliged to hear the confessions of the Christian faithful, and
in danger of death any priest is so obliged (c. 986 §2).
viii) All priests, even if they lack the faculty, for those in danger of death, absolving from all sins
and censures, even if an approved priest may be present (c. 976). When they recovered, the priest
who remitted an imposed or declared censure or one reserved to the RP has to make a recourse to
the competent superior (c. 1357 §3).
*Faculty Granted
-The faculty to hear confession is not to be granted by the competent authority except to presbyters
who are found to be suitable through an examination or whose suitability is otherwise evident (c.
970).
-The faculty may be granted for a determinate or indeterminate period. (c. 972).
-The faculties for hearing confessions habitually should be granted in writing for licit (c. 973).
-The local ordinary alone is competent to confer upon any presbyter, including members of
religious institutes and societies of apostolic life having domicile, the faculties to hear the
confessions of any of the faithful within the particular Church (969 §1).
-The local ordinary is not to give habitual faculties to a priest who is not incardinated in his diocese,
even if he has a domicile or quasi-domicile, without consulting that priest’s own ordinary (c. 971).
-The superiors of clerical religious institutes or societies of apostolic life are competent to confer
upon any presbyter the faculties to hear the confessions of their subjects and of other living day and
night in the house (c. 969 §2).
*Supplied Faculties
-In factual or legal common error and in positive and probable doubt of law or fact, the Church
supplies executive power of governance for both the external and internal forum (c. 144 §1).
-The same norm is applied to the faculties for confirmation and marriage as well as for hearing
confessions (c. 144 §2).
+In common error the situation gives rise to the belief in the penitent or even the priest himself, that
the priest has the faculty to hear confessions, whereas he does not have it.
-For example, the priest without confessions is sitting at a place where confessions usually take
place. Or in the case of the error of the priest; he may think that by merely passing faculty exams in
the seminary he already has faculties to hear confessions after ordination, or to think that ordination
automatically gives faculties to hear confessions.
-By such situations, the community would erroneously conclude that the priest has faculties.
-It is enough that even only one person errs and approaches that priest.
-The Church supplies the faculties because the common good is at stake.
+Doubt of law or fact concerns the priest or even the penitent, just like error.
-In doubt of law the priest is uncertain on the interpretation of the law, or even whether such a law
exists or not, he is uncertain whether or not he possesses the faculties; in doubt of fact, he is certain
of what the law says and how it is interpreted, but he doubts a concrete situation whether it is in fact
as it apparently appears, for instance, whether this particular person is really in danger of death.
-In such doubts, the Church supplies the faculties to hear confessions.
=Canon 1378 prescribes a penalty for a priest who attempts to hear confessions without the
faculties.
-However, canon 1378, for a priest attempting to hear confessions without faculties, is not
applicable in the case of common error.

Loss of Faculties
-The faculties for hearing confessions habitually are lost by:
i) Loss of office; if you had received your faculties through an office, e.g, as parish priest or as
chaplain, by virtue of loosing that office, you automatically loose the faculties, ipso facto.

38
ii) Excardination; If one was granted the faculties by an ordinary in one particular Church or
religious congregation, one looses the faculties by being excardinated from that particular church or
congregation. One would need the granting of the faculties by the new ordinary or superior where
he would have been incardinated. Mare fact of incardination does not automatically grant faculties.
iii) Revocation for a serious reason (c. 974-975) or as a penalty or censure (c. 1331-1333).
-A Priest who has lost the faculty cannot give valid absolution.

Directives for Confessors

+In the confessional, the confessors is both judge and healer, having been established by God as
minister of divine justice and mercy (978 §1).
-The rites state that: ‘By receiving repentant sinners and leading them to the light of the truth, the
confessor fulfils a paternal function: he reveals the heart of the father.
+The confessor should have a proven knowledge of Christian behaviour, experience of human
affairs, respect and sensitivity towards the one who has fallen; he must love truth, be faithful to the
Magisterium of the Church, and lead the penitent with patience towards healing and full maturity.
+The confessional is not, and cannot be an alternative to psychoanalysis or psychotherapy, nor can
one expect the sacrament of penance to heal truly pathological conditions.
-The confessor is not a healer or a physician in the medical sense of the term; in fact, if the
condition of the penitent seems to require medical care, the confessor should not deal with the
matter himself, but should send the penitent to competent professionals.
+In posing questions, the priest is to proceed with prudence and discretion, attentive to the
condition and age of the penitent, and is to refrain from asking the name of an accomplice (c. 979).
-In particular, he must prudently deal with moral issues confronted by spouses, such as conjugal
chastity, contraception, abortion, etc; if the spouses have already confessed those issues and the
other partner comes for confession and does not mention them!
+Except in danger of death, the absolution of an accomplice in a sin against the sixth commandment
is invalid (c. 977).
-Moreover, the priest incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the RP (c. 1378).
-This applies even if the sin was committed before the priest was ordained, and it remains
permanent for the rest of the life of the priest. Again, it pertains to all sins, not only the particular
confession which he/she is confessing that sin.
-An accomplice is one who participates immediately with the priest in the same act of impurity that
is a grave sin (thus carnal). The sin must be certain, external and grave on the part of both persons.
+A confessor soliciting a penitent to sin against the sixth commandment in the act, on the occasion,
or under the pretext of confession, as mentioned in canon 1387, if it is directed to sinning with the
confessor himself is a grave delict reserved in the external forum to the RP.
-In the act: means during the process of confession, when the confession has begun, but it has not
yet ended.
-On the occasion: means immediately before or immediately after the confession.
-Under the pretext: means there is no confession at all, the priest used the name of confession to
lure someone to come, but he never intended to hear the confession of anyone.
-In recent years, the offence of sexual harassment has been subjected to broad interpretation to the
extend that confessors need to proceed with extreme prudence in conducting sacramental
confession.
-Such acts like reckless commends, extending the hand to compromising body parts, asking the
penitent to peform certain actions even without touching her, can be taken to mean sexual
harassment.
-That is why some confessors even prefer to impart the absolution while extending the hand, but
without touching the head of the penitent.
-It is to be noted that if the penitent interprets this action to be sexual harassment, the confessor is
limited in defending himself because if he narrates that actually transpired, he is violating the
sacramental seal of confession, and is liable to a punishment.

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+It is also to be noted that a person who falsely denounces a confessor of solicitation to an
ecclesiastical superior (bishop, his delegate, superior of religious congregation, or to an
ecclesiastical judge) incurs a latae sententiae interdict and, if a cleric, also suspension (c. 1390 §1).
- ‘Falsely’ means I accuse a priest of having solicited me, but it is not true, and I know that it is not
true.
- ‘Denounces to an ecclesiastical Superior’, Thus, the denouncing should not be to friends or to
parents, but to an ecclesiastical superior.
-However, with the recent developments in clergy abuses, the denouncing to civil authorities has
become equally grave to merit this offence.
-The denouncing could be written or oral.
-The crime of solicitation is done against the penitent, not a third part. What if the denouncing to the
superior is also against the confessor but in relation to the third party? The delict is not there.
+The confessor is to impose salutary and suitable penances in accord with the gravity and number
of sins, taking into account the social, cultural and professional condition of the patient (c. 981).
+The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to reveal the
sin or the sinner in any way in words or in any manner and for any reason (c 983).
-By a direct or indirect violation of the seal mentioned in canon 1388 §1, the confessor incurs a
latae sententiae excommunication reserved in the external forum to the CDF, thus to the RP.
-Even the penitent cannot release the confessor to reveal in the external forum about the sin that has
been known to him only in the internal forum.
-If there is a serious reason for discussing a confessional matter with a third party, the confessor
should instruct the penitent to meet him apart from the celebration of the sacrament and tell him the
necessary facts a second time, so that he has heard it in the external forum.
-This will also protect the priest from being accused of violation of the seal.
-The obligation to keep the sacramental seal is not applicable when the confession is pretentious,
malicious, simulated, or made to take the confessor for a ride by the penitent.
-However, even if in such cases the priest is not bound by the seal of confession, or even when all
danger of disclosure is excluded, it would be most imprudent and in most cases an occasion for
scandal for him to divulge confessional matters (c. 984).
-On the other hand, if the simulation is on the part of the confessor who pretends to be celebrating
the sacrament of confession when in fact he is not, apart from the penalty of simulation which is
supposed to be imposed on him, he is still bound by the sacramental seal of confession.
-Even on those moments when a penitent starts the process of confessing, but for some reasons the
process does not end as a confession; and thus no absolution, the confessor is still bound by the
confessional seal. (for instance when, after narrating the sins, the confessor realised that the person
is in an irregular marriage, and cannot receive sacraments).
-Since the internal sacramental forum is sacred and inviolable in virtue of the divine law, no civil or
judicial authority can compel under oath a confessor to reveal information about the contents or
even the fact of a person’s confession.
-Moreover, anything that may in any way have been heard by anyone on the occasion of confession
cannot be accepted in a trial even as an indication of truth (c. 1550 §2, 2º).
+Since the confessor is called to take on the role of father, spiritual guide, teacher and educator, he
should strive for constant updating in theology, morals and pedagogy.

Directives for the Penitents

+All Christ’s faithful are free to confess their sins to a lawfully approved confessor of their own
choice, even one of another Church sui iuris (c. 991).
+The faithful must come to confession with proper disposition.
-Above all, they must have true sorrow for their sins.
-It means rejecting the sins committed and having the purpose of amendment, turning back to God
(c. 987).

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-Penitents living in a habitual state of serious sin and who do not intent to change their situation
cannot validly receive absolution. (cf J.P; Misericordia Dei, n.7).
-In other words, if the confessor arrives at a moral certainty that the repentance is not genuine,
absolution can be denied.
+The faithful are obliged to confess in kind and number, all grave sins committed after baptism and
not yet remitted directly through the keys of the Church and admitted in individual confession (c.
988 §1).
-It is recommended that the faithful also confess their venial sins (c. 988 §2).
+All the faithful, after first Holy communion which is normally received at the age of discretion,
are obliged to confess faithfully their grave sins before receiving the Body of Christ (c. 916) or at
least once a year (c. 989).
-Only physical or moral impossibility excuses from the requirement to confess serious sins
annually.
-A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the Body of the Lord
without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity
to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition
which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible (c. 916).
+The penitents are obliged to fulfil the penances given by the confessor (c. 981).
-The rite says; true conversion is completed by expiation for the sins committed by ammendment of
life and also by rectifying injuries done.
+A faithful who in any way have knowledge of sins from confession (e.g, interpreters, over-hearers)
are obliged to observe secrecy (c. 983 §2).
-Anyone who records on an instrument or otherwise publish anything through means of social
communication, whether true or false, said in sacramental confession will incur the censure of
excommunication latae sententiae.
-As this penalty is not reserved, the local ordinary can remit it from their subjects.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

-Sickness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in life.
-In sickness man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations and his finitude.
-Sickness can lead to anguish, self-absorption, at times even despair and revolt against God.
-It can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his life what is not essential so that
he can turn towards that which is.
-Very often, sickness provokes a search for God and a return to Him.
*In the Old Testament, man laments his sickness before God and implores His healing (Ps 38:5;
107).
-God reveals himself as the Lord of healing (Ex 15:26).
-Healing of bodies and healing of souls are intimately connected (Ps 103:3).
*In the New Testament we meet Jesus ‘healing every kind of infirmity (Mt 4: 23).
-He cures persons sick with various diseases (Mk 1:34).
-Jesus has the power not only to heal, but also to forgive sins (Mk 2:5-12).
-Jesus often asks the sick to believe, because it is faith in him that heals (Jn 9:35-37).
-The sick try to touch Him ‘for power came out from Him and healed all of them.’ (Lk 6:19).

The Nature of Anointing of the Sickness

-The mission of healing is not limited to the time of Jesus or the Church’s beginnings.
-The Letter of James (5:13-16) gives instructions that apply to all times: “Are any among you sick?
They should call for the elders of the Church and have them prayed over them, anointing them with
oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up;
ad anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.”

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-In this instruction and practice the church has recognized anointing of the sick as one of the seven
sacraments.
-Over the centuries the anointing of the sick with blessed oil was conferred more and more
exclusively on those at the point of death.
-The arrival of a priest at the house of the sick was invariably associated with death, not recovery.
-Because of this, the sacrament received the name ‘extreme unction’ or the ‘sacrament of the dying.’
-Because of the emphasis on death many feared to receive the sacrament for it was thought to be a
sure sign of approaching death.
-Many were afraid of informing the dying that they should be anointed, lest they upset the sick
person and thereby cause physical and psychological harm.
*Vatican II brought a radical change in the pastoral perspective and practice of the sacrament.
While it is acknowledged that the sacrament is for those who are dying, it is also for those who are
sick.
-After the Council, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick became identified as a sacrament of
healing along with the sacrament of reconciliation, while viaticum became the sacrament of the
dying.
-One may also be anointed before undergoing an operation whenever a dangerous illness is the
cause of the surgery and in significant weakness from old age although not critically ill.
-Infirm children may be anointed if they have sufficient use of reason to be strengthened by this
sacrament.
-Consistent with the conciliar and post-conciliar doctrine on the sacrament, the CIC states: “The
anointing of the sick, by which the Church commends the faithful who are seriously ill to the
suffering and glorified Lord in order that he relieve and save them (c. 998).
-Even the CCC teaches that the first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and
courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old
age.
-Lasting health is eschatological; hence, sacramental anointing is not to be understood as a miracle
drug to alter our inevitable march to death.
-Pastors have to give adequate instruction to the faithful on the Church’s present understanding of
this sacrament and change their attitude rooted in centuries-old tradition.

Celebration of Anointing of the Sick

-There are three important aspects in the celebration of the sacramental anointing: i) the prayer of
the faithful by which the community asks for God’s help for the sick, ii) the laying on of hands by
the priest and anointing with oil, iii) and the praying for healing.
-If circumstances suggest it, the celebration can be preceded by the sacrament of penance and
followed by the sacrament of the Eucharist.
-Because of its very nature as a sign, the sacrament of anointing of the sick should be celebrated
with members of the family and other representatives of the Christian community as far as possible
(cf. c. 837).
-Factually, word of God and the sacrament form an indivisible whole.
-The liturgy of the Word, preceded by an act of repentance, opens the celebration of this sacrament.

Matter for Anointing of the Sick

-The matter for the anointing of the sick is olive oil or some other plant oil which has been recently
blessed by the bishop (c. 847).
-The rite adds that the minister of anointing ‘should make sure that the oil remains fit for use and
should replenish it from time to time, either yearly when the bishop blesses the oil on Holy
Thursday or more frequently if necessary.’
-After obtaining the new oils, the old may be absorbed in cotton and burned, or may be disposed in
some other suitable manner.

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-Any priest is permitted to carry blessed oil with him so that he is able to administer the sacrament
of anointing wherever and whenever it is required or requested (c. 1003 §3).
*Besides the bishop, those who can bless the oil to be used in the anointing of the sick are 1)
presbyters equivalent in office to a diocesan bishop by law; and 2) any presbyter in case of
necessity provided it is blessed during the actual celebration of the sacrament (c. 999).
-A case of necessity for a presbyter to bless oil would be when he has forgotten to take the blessed
oil or when it is finished and there is no time to replenish it.
-In such situations the minister may bring the unblessed oil with him, or the family of the sick
person may prepare the oil in a suitable vessel.
-If any of the oil is left after the celebration of the sacrament it should be absorbed in cotton wool
and burnt.

Form of Anointing of the Sick

-The anointing with the words, order, and manner prescribed in the liturgical books are to be
performed carefully (c. 1000 §1).
-The sacramental form for the anointing of the sick in the Latin Church is: “Through this holy
anointing may the Lord in His love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the
Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”
-The sick person is anointed in the forehead and on the hands.
-It is appropriate to divide the sacramental form so that the first part is said while the forehead is
anointed, the latter part while the hands are anointed.
-In a case of necessity, however, a single anointing on the forehead or even on some other part of
the body is sufficient, while the entire formula is said. (c. 1000 §2).
-Depending on the diocese and the culture of the people, the episcopal conference can make further
adaptations with regard to the number and the place of the anointing.
-If the anointing is to be an effective sacramental symbol, there should be a generous use of oil so
that it will be seen and felt by the sick person as a sign of the Spirit’s healing and strengthening
presence.
-For the same reason, it is not desirable to wipe off oil after the anointing.

Communal celebration of Anointing of the Sick

-The tendency of connecting the anointing of the sick only with danger of death has given attention
only to the individual celebration.
-However, the tendency to connect the anointing of the sick in the critical situations of serious
illness has revalued the communitarian dimension of the sacrament.
-While the 1917 Code was absolutely silent about communal celebration, the 1983 code, inspired by
Vatican II theology of the ecclesial dimension of all the sacraments, has provided in canon 1002 for
communal celebration of anointing many of the sick at once in accord with the prescripts of the
diocesan bishop.
-The text of the rite emphasises the community aspect of the sacrament of anointing, stating that:
“All baptised Christians share in the ministry of mutual charity within the Body of Christ by doing
all they can to help the sick return to health, by showing love for the sick, and by celebrating the
sacraments.”
-Moreover, such communal celebration effectively expresses the share that each one has in the
sufferings of others.
-At the same time, the practice of indiscriminately anointing large number of persons on these
occasions simply because they are ill or have reached an advanced age is to be avoided.
-Only those whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age are proper subjects for the
sacrament.
-The rite states that; when a single priest anoints many sick persons in a communal celebration, the
laying on of hands and anointing with oil to be done for each person separately while other prayers
can be recited in common.

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Minister of Anointing of the Sick
-Every priest and only a priest validly administers the anointing of the sick.
-Neither deacons nor lay people may exercise the ministry and any action in this regard constitutes a
simulation of the sacrament which is punishable (c. 1379).
-Priests must also avoid administering sacramentals (e.g, conducting ‘healing services’ by applying
some blessed oil on the faithful) in a way that could be misunderstood as the conferring of the
sacrament of anointing.
-All priests to whom the care of souls has been entrusted have the duty and right of administering
the anointing of the sick for the faithful entrusted to their pastoral office.
-This duty is ordinarily exercised by bishops, parish priests, parochial vicars, chaplains, seminary
rectors, and superiors in the clerical institutes.
-For a reasonable cause, any priest can administer this sacrament with at least the presumed consent
of the proper priest (1003).
-Anointing the sick by an ordained representative of the church demonstrates that anointing is not
just the ministry of one Christian to another, but also the ministry of the Church as a whole.

Persons to be Anointed
-As already noted, the Second Vatican Council Church has enlarged the occasions of sacramental
anointing of the sick.
-It is not a sacrament only for those who are at the point of death.
-Any baptised person who has the use of reason, and who begins to be in danger due to injury,
serious sickness or old age can receive it (c. 1004 §1).
-A prudent or reasonably sure judgement, without scruple, is sufficient for deciding on the
seriousness of the illness; if necessary a doctor may be consulted.
-The following factors may be kept in mind with regard to the persons to be anointed:
a) Elderly faithful may be anointed if they have become notably weakened even though there is no
serious illness present.
b) Persons who suffer from serious mental illness can also receive this sacrament. The pastor is to
take care in a special way that suitable catechesis is imparted for the celebration of the sacrament
and that it is given to those who are physically or mentally impeded, insofar as their condition
permits (c. 777, 1º and 4º).
c) This sacrament is to be administered in a case of doubt whether the sick person has attained the
use of reason, is dangerously ill, or is dead (c. 1005). If the person is already dead, the priest is not
to administer it, but to pray for the deceased. The concept of conditional anointing, which was in the
1917 code has now been eliminated.
d) This sacrament is to be conferred on the sick who at least implicitly requested it when they were
in control of their faculties (c. 1006).
e) It should not be given to healthy people who are about to die from an extrinsic source, e.g,
execution in prison, tsunami, plane crush etc. The sacrament of penance and Viaticum would be
appropriate in such situations.
f) Just as the sacrament of reconciliation and Eucharist, the sacrament of anointing can be received
by baptised non-catholics under certain conditions stated in communicatio in sacris.
g) It is not to be conferred upon those who persevere obstinately in manifest (public) and grave sin
(c. 1007); including such persons who are under the censure of excommunication or interdict (c.
1331§1, 2º and 1332).

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