ARTICLE V: ON THE MANNER OF RESERVING THE HOLY EUCHARIST

1300. - I. "The most ancient custom," says the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore,¹ "of reserving the Sacred Eucharist in churches, as altogether salutary and necessary to be retained, the Council of Trent decreed.² It must be preserved in the Cathedral church and in any parish church, so that it can be carried to the sick when occasion is given. But in many other churches or chapels it can be preserved either by law," as in the churches of Regulars strictly so called, and of those who communicate with them in privileges, as also of Nuns who emit solemn vows and live in enclosure, "or by Pontifical indult," as in the chapels of the other religious communities of the Province of Baltimore and Philadelphia (25 July 1858), at the prayers of the Fathers of the Ninth Provincial Council of Baltimore (Second Plenary Council of Baltimore³), and in certain other dioceses.

II. "The Most Holy Sacrament is to be reserved in only one place of any church in which it can, is accustomed, or ought to be kept."⁴ But it is to be kept over a corporal in a tabernacle decently adorned, locked with a key,⁵ which key must always be kept by the priest who has care of the church or chapel.⁶ "The tabernacle covered decently with a conopaeum," the Ritual wills.⁷ (8) p. 417. The custom of "placing upon it Sacred Relics (even of the Most Holy Cross, or Instruments of the Lord's Passion), and painted images, so that the tabernacle serves as a base," while the Most Holy is reserved in it, the Congregation of Rites disapproved,⁸ and decreed that neither can "vases of flowers, or anything similar, be retained before the little door."⁹ "The tabernacle regularly ought to be wooden, gilded outside, but covered decently within with some silken cloth."¹⁰ In it let the Sacred Eucharist be preserved in a pyx, or ciborium, "of solid and decent material; and with its own lid well closed, covered with a white veil."¹ "Vessels of the Holy Oils, Relics, or anything else,"² it is not lawful to place in it. But "the abuse which has crept in somewhere, of living or sleeping in that part of a religious house which is situated above the altar, is not to be tolerated further, but is altogether to be eliminated."³

III. "Before the Most Holy let a lamp always be kept burning, nourished with olive oil," which, where it "cannot be had," is remitted "to the prudence of the Bishops, that" it be nourished "from other oils, vegetable insofar as it can be done."⁴ Therefore petroleum the Bishop cannot permit outside necessity; nor without true necessity is one to use the privilege (p. LXXII. n. 24), "of retaining it without light," if any has been granted. (w) p. 402.

IV. "The Roman Ritual commands that particles of the Most Holy Eucharist be frequently renewed; and the Ceremonial of Bishops prescribes that this be done at least once a week.⁵ This rule, which the Sacred Congregation of Rites not only often confirmed,⁶ but declared to oblige 'strictly and rigorously,'⁷ we seriously inculcate to be faithfully observed by all priests. 'Where the priest has consecrated new hosts, let him first distribute, or consume, the old ones,'⁸ but by no means preserve them in the tabernacle. Let him take care besides that the particles to be consecrated be fresh."

V. "The solemn Exposition and Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament," decree the Fathers of the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore,⁹ "the customary rite being strictly observed, in all churches of our jurisdiction and in the chapels of monasteries and religious communities, at least whenever it can be done with due solemnity, on each Lord's Day of the whole year, and on feasts of precept, or also on feasts of the first and second class not of precept, can be given once only in the day. But through the Octave of Corpus Christi it will be lawful that it be done solemnly both in solemn Mass and in Vespers, Benediction being given again. It will be lawful besides to give solemn Benediction twice in the week during the time of Lent, likewise on each day in the time of Sacred Missions, on the feast of the Most Holy Heart of Jesus, and wherever the devotion of Forty Hours is made; and on other days designated by the Ordinary. But if the Holy See has granted something further to some religious Order or Society, we will that that remain altogether inviolate. But outside such privilege, of which certain document should be shown to the Ordinary, we will that Benediction not be given or Exposition be made, except, as above, by express leave of the Ordinary, the decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites also being preserved in all things in this matter."

1301. Questions. - Query 1° Does he sin gravely who neglects to preserve a light before the Most Holy Sacrament?

Resp. Affirmatively, of itself, if the time is notable. - Thus commonly with St. Alphonsus.¹ Indeed several say that the time is notable if this is done for a whole day or some whole nights. Thus Busembaum, whose words St. Alphonsus reports and implicitly approves.²

Query 2° What must be done concerning fragments of Hosts which are found?

Resp. 1° If the priest finds fragments of his present Sacrifice, he must consume them, even after the ablutions, whether they are small or large, because they pertain to the same Sacrifice. Thus from the Rubric of the Missal.³ But this is to be observed not only immediately after Mass, but also if the priest is in the sacristy, still nevertheless vested in the sacred vestments. - Thus commonly St. Alphonsus,⁴ after Benedict XIV, On the Sacrifice of the Mass.⁵

But if the priest has already been divested of the sacred vestments, he must replace the fragments in the tabernacle, if it is present, or reserve them for another priest about to celebrate on the same morning. If neither can be done, let him consume them himself.⁶

Resp. 2° But if the remains were consecrated in another Mass, they are not to be consumed after the ablutions, but must be placed in a decent place. The reason is because the Rubric permits a priest not fasting only to consume those remains which pertain to the same Sacrifice. If nevertheless this cannot be done, and grave danger of irreverence is present, then the priest should consume them. - Thus commonly.¹

Resp. 3° If a layman finds fragments, let him warn a priest as soon as possible, if one is nearby, or summon him, if he can be found. But the priest, reverently collecting the fragment, will replace it in the ciborium, or in a decent and safe place, if the tabernacle is lacking, so that it can be consumed in the next Mass. But if a priest cannot be had, let the fragment be collected reverently by the layman himself in paper or a clean little linen, by means of a little thorn, and be placed within the corporal, or in a decent vessel, until the priest arrives.

Query 3° What must be done if a Host certainly or doubtfully consecrated is found on the altar, or elsewhere?

Resp. 1° If the Host is believed certainly consecrated, and otherwise seems clean and recently consecrated, it is to be replaced with the others in the ciborium. It can also be consumed by the celebrant before the ablutions. But if it is not clean, or if it has been drawn from a place not clean, or is not recently consecrated, it is not to be mixed with the others, but the celebrant can consume it before the ablution; but if he experiences too great a repugnance, he will place the Host separately in the tabernacle in a clean vessel, until it is corrupted, and, corrupted, it is cast into the sacrarium. Thus from the Rubric of the Missal.²

Resp. 2° If it is doubtfully consecrated, it is to be consumed by the priest in Mass after the ablution, but before the purification, because the remains of the Blood are certainly a Sacrament, but that host doubtfully;³ but if it provokes too great nausea for him, it is to be placed separately in the tabernacle, until it has been corrupted, as was just said.

Query 4° What must be done if a sick person has rejected the sacred species?

Resp. 1° If they appear, they must be carefully collected in a clean vessel, carried to the Church, and preserved in a safe and well-closed place until they are altogether corrupted, so that they can be cast into the sacrarium without irreverence.

Resp. 2° If they cannot be discerned, as being altogether mixed with impurities, the mouth indeed of the sick person is to be cleansed; but whatever has been rejected is to be collected with tow; then, the tow having been burned, the ashes are to be thrown into the sacrarium. Reuter,¹ Gousset.² Cf. nevertheless n. 1278. q. 2°.

Query 5° How is the ciborium to be renewed?

Resp. The renewal of the ciborium is to be made in the Sacrifice of the Mass itself. The celebrant, the most Precious Blood having been consumed, consumes the old Hosts, although they are many; but he can consume 20 or 30 Hosts thus, according to Elbel;³ 60 or even more (Lacroix⁴). But it will rarely happen that there are more, because not more should be consecrated than seems sufficient. But if at some time a much greater quantity of Hosts had to be consumed, the priest can consume them divided among several Masses, or even several priests celebrating successively can consume them.

But the smaller particles found in the ciborium the priest will cast into the chalice, and, wine having been poured over them, he will consume them, and will place the new Hosts in the entirely empty ciborium. He can also pour wine into the ciborium for collecting the smallest particles. Nevertheless the wine will not be drunk from the ciborium, but poured back into the chalice. - Lacroix.⁵

If the priest by inadvertence had first consumed the ablution, he could still purify the ciborium and consume the remains, because for the consumption it is morally reputed one. - Thus Lacroix,⁶ Elbel,⁷ Tamburini, on Communion.⁸ But St. Alphonsus otherwise here, n. q. 2°. Resp. 2°.

Particles to be consecrated ought to be fresh. Negligence of Pastors and others in this matter can constitute grave sin. - Gardellini. - The custom of consecrating Hosts made three months before in winter, or six months before in summer, is an enormous abuse altogether to be removed. But if the Pastor, his Vicars, or other priests seem to tolerate an abuse of this kind, they cannot use those Hosts. - Sacred Congregation of Rites.⁹