Article II: Of the Subject of Sacred Communion

Any baptized person who is not prohibited by law can and must be admitted to sacred communion.

§ 1. To children who, because of the weakness of age, do not yet have knowledge and taste of this sacrament, the Eucharist is not to be ministered.

§ 2. In danger of death, in order that the Most Holy Eucharist can and must be ministered to children, it is sufficient that they know how to distinguish the Body of Christ from common food and reverently adore it.

§ 3. Outside danger of death, a fuller knowledge of Christian doctrine and a more accurate preparation are deservedly required, namely that by which they, according to their capacity, understand at least the mysteries of faith necessary by necessity of means for salvation, and approach the Most Holy Eucharist devoutly according to the measure of their age.

§ 4. Concerning the sufficient disposition of children for first communion, let the judgment belong to their confessor and to their parents or those who are in the place of parents.

§ 5. Moreover it is the office of the pastor to watch, even by examination if he has prudently judged it opportune, lest children approach the sacred Synaxis before they have attained the use of reason or without sufficient disposition; and likewise to take care that those who have attained the use of reason and are sufficiently disposed be refreshed as soon as possible by this divine food.

§ 1. The publicly unworthy are to be kept away from the Eucharist, such as the excommunicated, the interdicted, and those manifestly infamous, unless their repentance and amendment are established and they have first made satisfaction for public scandal.

§ 2. But occult sinners, if they seek secretly and he has recognized that they are not amended, the minister is to repel; not however if they seek publicly and he cannot pass them by without scandal.

No one whom consciousness of mortal sin burdens, however much he may judge himself contrite, is to approach sacred communion without prior sacramental confession; but if necessity urges and availability of a confessor is lacking to him, he is first to elicit an act of perfect contrition.

It is lawful for no one to receive the Most Holy Eucharist who has already received it on the same day, except in the cases of which in can. 858, Sec. 1.

§ 1. One who has not observed the natural fast from midnight cannot be admitted to the Most Holy Eucharist, unless danger of death urges, or necessity of preventing irreverence toward the sacrament.

§ 2. Nevertheless the sick who have already been confined to bed for a month without certain hope that they will recover quickly can, by the prudent counsel of the confessor, receive the Most Holy Eucharist once or twice in the week, even if they have previously taken some medicine or something by way of drink.

§ 1. Every faithful person of either sex, after he has arrived at the years of discretion, that is, at the use of reason, must receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist once a year, at least at Easter, unless perhaps, by the counsel of his own priest, for some reasonable cause, he has judged that he should abstain from receiving it for a time.

§ 2. Easter communion is to be made from Palm Sunday to Low Sunday; but it is lawful for local Ordinaries, if the circumstances of persons and places so demand, to anticipate this time even for all their faithful, yet not before the fourth Sunday of Lent, or to extend it, yet not beyond the feast of the Most Holy Trinity.

§ 3. It is to be recommended to the faithful that each satisfy this precept in his own parish; and those who have satisfied it in another parish are to take care to make their own pastor certain concerning the fulfilled precept.

§ 4. The precept of Easter communion still urges if someone, for any cause whatever, has not fulfilled it at the prescribed time.

The obligation of the precept of communion to be received, which burdens the prepubescent, also and especially falls back upon those who ought to have care of them, that is, upon parents, guardians, confessor, teachers, and pastor.

The precept of receiving communion is not satisfied by sacrilegious communion.

It is expedient that on Thursday of Holy Week all clerics, even priests who on that day abstain from offering the Holy Sacrifice, be refreshed by the Most Holy Body of Christ in the solemn or conventual Mass.

The faithful are to be encouraged that they be refreshed frequently, even daily, by Eucharistic bread according to the norms handed down in the decrees of the Apostolic See; and that those assisting at Mass, rightly disposed, communicate not only by spiritual affection, but also by sacramental reception of the Most Holy Eucharist.

§ 1. In danger of death, from whatever cause it proceeds, the faithful are held by the precept of receiving sacred communion.

§ 2. Even if they have been refreshed by sacred communion on the same day, it is nevertheless strongly to be recommended that, when brought into danger of life, they communicate again.

§ 3. While danger of death continues, Holy Viaticum, according to the prudent counsel of the confessor, may and fittingly should be administered several times, on distinct days.

Holy Viaticum is not to be deferred too long for the sick; and those who have the care of souls are to watch diligently that the sick are refreshed by it while fully in possession of themselves.

§ 1. To all the faithful of whatever rite the faculty is given that, for the sake of piety, they may receive the Eucharistic Sacrament confected in any rite.

§ 2. Nevertheless it is to be recommended that the faithful satisfy the precept of Easter communion each in his own rite.

§ 3. Holy Viaticum is to be received by the dying in their own rite; but, when necessity urges, it is lawful to receive it in any rite.