Article II: Of Interdict

§ 1. Interdict is a censure by which the faithful, remaining in the communion of the Church, are prohibited from sacred things which are enumerated in the canons which follow.

§ 2. The prohibition is made either directly through personal interdict, when the use of those goods is interdicted to the persons themselves, or indirectly through local interdict, when in certain places dispensation or reception of the same is forbidden.

§ 1. A general interdict, both local against the territory of a diocese or republic and personal against the people of a diocese or republic, can be borne only by the Apostolic See or by its mandate; but a general interdict against a parish or the people of a parish, and a particular interdict whether local or personal, even a Bishop can bear.

§ 2. A personal interdict follows persons everywhere; a local one does not urge outside the interdicted place, but in an interdicted place all, even outsiders or exempt persons, with special privilege excluded, must observe it.

§ 1. A local interdict, whether general or particular, does not forbid administering the Sacraments and Sacramentals to the dying, with those things to be observed having been observed, but it prohibits in the place any divine office or sacred rite, with the exceptions preserved of which in Sec. 2 of this canon and in can. 2271, 2272.

§ 2. On the day of the Nativity of the Lord, Easter, Pentecost, the Most Holy Body of Christ, and the Blessed Virgin Mary assumed into heaven, a local interdict is suspended, and only the conferral of orders and the solemn blessing of nuptials are prohibited.

If an interdict has been a general local one and another thing is not expressly provided in the decree of interdict:

1° Clerics, provided that they themselves are not personally interdicted, are permitted to perform all divine offices and sacred rites privately in any church or oratory, with doors closed, voice lowered, and bells not rung.

2° But in the cathedral church, in parochial churches, or in a church which is the only one in a town, and in these alone, there are permitted the celebration of one Mass, the reservation of the Most Holy Sacrament, the administration of baptism, Eucharist, penance, assistance at marriages, with the nuptial blessing excluded, funerals of the dead, with any solemnity nevertheless forbidden, the blessing of baptismal water and of sacred oils, and preaching of the word of God. In these sacred functions, however, singing and display in sacred furnishings and the sound of bells, organs, or other musical instruments are prohibited; but sacred Viaticum is to be carried privately to the sick.

§ 1. In a particular local interdict, if the altar or chapel of some church has been interdicted, no sacred office or sacred rite is to be celebrated in the same.

§ 2. If a cemetery has been interdicted, bodies of the faithful can indeed be buried there, but without any ecclesiastical rite.

§ 3. If it has been borne against a certain church or oratory:

1° If the church was capitular and the Chapter is not interdicted, the prescription of can. 2271, n. 1, holds, unless the decree of interdict commands the conventual Mass to be celebrated and canonical hours to be recited in another church or oratory.

2° If it was parochial, the prescription of the cited can. 2271, n. 2 is to be observed, unless the decree of interdict substitutes another church for it for the time of the interdict.

With a city interdicted, accessory places also remain interdicted, even exempt places and the cathedral church itself; with a church interdicted, contiguous chapels are interdicted, but not the cemetery; with a chapel interdicted, the whole church is not interdicted, nor, with a cemetery interdicted, is the church contiguous to it interdicted, but all oratories erected in the cemetery are interdicted.

§ 1. If a community or college has perpetrated a delict, an interdict can be borne either against the individual delinquent persons, or against the community as such, or against the delinquent persons and the community.

§ 2. If the first, the prescription of can. 2275 is to be observed.

§ 3. If the second, the community or college cannot exercise any spiritual right which belongs to it.

§ 4. If the third, the effects are accumulated.

Personally interdicted persons:

1° Cannot celebrate divine offices or assist at them, except at the preaching of the word of God; those assisting passively need not be expelled; but from active assistance, which brings with it some participation in celebrating divine offices, there are to be repelled interdicted persons after a condemnatory or declaratory sentence has been borne, or otherwise notoriously interdicted persons.

2° Are prohibited from administering, confecting, and receiving Sacraments and Sacramentals, according to the norm of can. 2260, Sec. 1, 2261.

3° They are also bound by the prescription of can. 2265.

4° They lack ecclesiastical burial according to the norm of can. 1240, Sec. 1, n. 2.

One who is subject to a local interdict or an interdict against a community or college, without having given cause to the same and not being prohibited by another censure, can, if he is rightly disposed, receive the Sacraments according to the norm of the preceding canons, without absolution from the interdict or other satisfaction.

An interdict from entrance into a church brings with it the prohibition that one celebrate divine offices in the church or assist at them or have ecclesiastical burial; but if he assists, it is not necessary that he be expelled, nor, if he is buried, is it necessary that the body be removed.