Part — Gury-Ballerini, Compendium of Moral Theology (8th ed., 1884)
On the Fourth Precept of the Church, or On Easter Communion
- I. The precept of Easter Communion, not otherwise than the precept of annual confession, is divine as to substance, but ecclesiastical as to the determination of time. This precept is established from the perpetual practice of the Church, from innumerable Councils and pontifical Constitutions, and especially from the Council of Trent, sess. 13, can. 9: "If anyone shall have denied that all the faithful are bound every single year, at least at Easter, to communicate, according to the precept of mother Church, let him be anathema." - The Easter time, from the declaration of Eugene IV, begins from Palm Sunday and is terminated on Low Sunday. Bishops, however, by custom 1, can anticipate this time or also prolong it. The year of obligation, according to common custom, is usually computed from Easter. - St. Lig., l. 6, n. 295.
1 Namely, the custom is that the Apostolic See grants to petitioning Bishops the faculty of extending the time established in law more or less, according to the varied necessity of different places. For otherwise it is known that by common law Bishops indeed can dispense in particular with these or those subjects of theirs, but not likewise with the whole community.
II. Easter Communion must be received in one's own parish, as is clearly gathered both from various Constitutions of the Supreme Pontiffs and also from the general practice of the Church.
Hence the precept of receiving the Eucharist is threefold: 1. it regards Communion itself; 2. the time; 3. the place: but where either the last or the second cannot be fulfilled, satisfaction must be made to the other two, or at least to the first. - Council of Rheims, year 1850, tit. 7, c. 1.
- Questions. - Q. 1. Whether one who omitted Communion at the prescribed time is bound to communicate as soon as he can?
Resp. It is affirmed. The reason is that the time has by no means been determined for ending the obligation, but for urging it. For from the things said, the precept of communicating is divine in itself: therefore when the Church commands this precept to be fulfilled at Easter time, she is not considered to dispense from it. It is also established from the practice of the Church herself, which in Rome compels the faithful by censures to satisfy the precept after Easter time has elapsed. - St. Lig., l. 6, n. 297, and others more commonly.
But before the Easter time has begun, no one is bound to obey this precept, even if he foresees that afterward he will be impeded; but once that time has begun, he is bound to satisfy this obligation as soon as possible if he foresees an impediment, indeed to remove even grave impediments, since it is a divine and grave precept, and to communicate again, even if he had already anticipated Holy Communion on account of a foreseen future impediment. - St. Lig., n. 297.
Q. 2. Whether the precept of communicating in the parish obliges under grave sin?
Resp. It is affirmed, at least per se. The reason is that the matter seems grave in itself; for to what purpose would there be so many Constitutions and Decrees of the Supreme Pontiffs for establishing a light obligation? - Thus commonly.
- Q. 3. Whether the precept of communicating in the parish still urges when Easter time has elapsed and satisfaction has not been made to the precept?
Resp. It is affirmed with the common opinion. The reason is that the end of the law to be obtained always remains. Besides, Bishops, the interpreters of the law, commonly require that a dispensation be sought in that case, by which Communion can be made in another place. Except, however, unless the permission of the Parish Priest can be presumed.
Q. 4. Whether he sins gravely who defers Communion to the first or second day after Easter time has elapsed?
Resp. It is affirmed per se. The reason is that, although a delay of this sort can seem small in itself, yet with respect to the paschal time it is sufficiently notable. Nor are they to be excused from mortal sin who from grave negligence approach indisposed 2 on the last day of Easter time, so that they must be remitted by the Confessor to another time. Per accidens they are excused who in good faith think it is sufficient if they then approach the Confessor for the sake of beginning confession; but they must be instructed about the obligation of communicating within the Easter time.
2 These things are true if here by indisposed you understand those who, although they approach the Confessor, nevertheless knowingly adhere to sin, and do not have in any way the will of performing those things which are necessary for reconciliation with God; and these indeed by the fact itself declare that they do not wish to satisfy the precept of receiving Easter Communion; and it is the same whether they approach on the last day of Easter time or before it. But if here you call indisposed those who do not lack good will, yet some cause is present on account of which Communion is remitted to another time, the exception which the law itself expressly adds will avail with regard to these (c. Omnis utriusque sexus 12, De Poenit. et Remiss.), through these words: "Unless perhaps, by the counsel of his own priest, for some reasonable cause he should judge that abstaining for a time from this reception is necessary."
- Q. 5. Whether he satisfies the precept of the Church who communicates in the cathedral Church, or from the hand of the Bishop outside the parish?
Resp. It is denied, because he has not communicated in his own parish. - Thus commonly. - St. Lig., n. 300. - Salmant. - Gousset, n. 224, against others.
Q. 6. Who can dispense from this precept of communicating in the parish?
Resp. 1. The Bishop with diocesan subjects; 2. Vicars general likewise for the diocese; 3. the Parish Priest himself, since the law was enacted in his favor, and besides it is established from custom. - St. Lig., l. 6, n. 300.
- Q. 7. Where can pilgrims, wanderers, soldiers, and servants satisfy the precept of Easter Communion?
Resp. 1. Pilgrims and wanderers can communicate in any Church, and are not bound to go to the parish of the place where they are staying; because they do not have their own Parish Priest who ought to recognize them. - St. Lig., l. 6, n. 300.
- Soldiers in station, or having domicile in a city, must communicate in the parish in which they are dwelling; otherwise they can fulfill the precept in any Church.
- Servants and all others having quasi-domicile are bound by the same law as the inhabitants of the place.
Q. 8. Whether he is bound to communicate again in the parish who sacrilegiously communicated there?
Resp. It is denied, because he fulfilled the end of the precept as to the circumstance of place; therefore it suffices that he communicate somewhere in order to satisfy the precept of Easter Communion, which he did not fulfill through sacrilegious Communion. Nor is one bound to receive Easter Communion in the parish if he received sacred Viaticum during Easter time; for the end of the law was sufficiently fulfilled. - See Cases, n. 488.
See more concerning Communion in the Treatise on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.