§ V. On the Privileged Altar

1796. Questions. - Quaer. 1° What is the privilege of the altar?

Resp. It is called that by force of which, from Pontifical indult, through the celebration of Mass a plenary Indulgence applicable only to the dead is granted.

It is said: only to the dead; for privileged altars even for the living are rare.⁷

Quaer. 2° How many kinds of privileged altar are distinguished?

Resp. Twofold; namely local, or real, if it is annexed to an altar designated for this; personal, if it is granted to some person.⁸

1797. - Quaer. 3° What things are special to a local privileged altar?

Resp. They are nearly these:

1° If in the Pontifical concession no altar is designated, one must be designated by the respective Ordinary,¹ or by the Prelate endowed with jurisdiction in that place.² - But the Ordinary, from the concession of Benedict XIII, July 20, 1724, once for always, can designate in each patriarchal, metropolitan, and cathedral church one perpetual daily privileged altar.³ - Likewise Clement XIII⁴ willed all and individual parish churches of the whole world to be decorated with this same privilege, and indeed daily, but to last only for seven years, the Bishops however recurring to the Holy See for this grace both the first time and after the seven years have elapsed. - The faculty granted to our Bishops, see p. LXXIII. n. 8.

2° The altar to be designated must be fixed, unless in the indult it is permitted that even a portable one be designated.⁵ - But fixed is understood here not in the liturgical sense, but that it be stable and immovable, although not consecrated, and that in its middle a consecrated stone, even removable, be placed. But a privileged altar, rebuilt again (even in a destroyed church, but rebuilt in the same place), does not need a new privilege, provided it is constructed under the same title or invocation.⁶

3° Outside the case of a special indult, only one altar in each church can be declared privileged; and at least if the second altar appears to have been granted under the same view as the first, and no mention of the first has been made even in the supplication, the indult, as we think (for the Decree of June 14, 1845, seems opposed only in appearance), is always to be understood with the clause: "provided there is not another privileged altar in the same church."⁷ Yet this clause, at least if there is question of a privilege granted indefinitely for all, does not touch privileged altars granted for a certain company of persons, e.g., for a confraternity.

4° "The transfer of the privilege to a different altar requires the intervention of the Holy See."¹

5° The aggregation of a church, as regards privileges and spiritual favors, to another church does not comprehend privileges of the altar. - Cf. n. 1790. a).

6° In order that the Indulgence be acquired, intention is not required, either on the part of the one celebrating on the privileged altar, or on the part of the one offering the honorarium. S. C. Ind., March 12, 1835.² Cf. n. 1779. q. 15°.

7° Perpetual burdens and foundations cannot be received for privileged altars. S. C. Indulg., December 14, 1711.³

1798. - Quaer. 4° What things are common to a local and a personal privileged altar?

Resp. 1° Either can be perpetual or temporal; - daily or restricted to certain days in the week.

2° Either has the same efficacy. - But S. C. Ind., July 28, 1840,⁴ declares the efficacy of the privilege in these words: "By the Indulgence annexed to a privileged altar, if the mind of the one granting and the use of the power of the keys be considered, there is to be understood a plenary Indulgence which would immediately free the soul from all the penalties of purgatory; but if the effect of application be considered, there is to be understood an Indulgence whose measure corresponds to the good pleasure and acceptance of divine mercy."

3° Neither privilege can be applied to several souls of the dead. Thus the last declaration of S. C. Ind., June 19, 1880.⁵

4° Neither privilege benefits the dead if, as often as the liturgical rules permit it, you do not celebrate a Mass of Requiem, and indeed in black vestments, or from reasonable cause (see n. 1296. q. 10°) in violet ones. I said: as often as the rules, etc., i.e., as often as there is not an obstacle either from the rubric, or from a particular disposition, e.g., by reason of exposition of the Most Holy Sacrament when the prayer is for a public cause, or some solemnity. - But he who has the personal privilege for four Masses in each week ought to celebrate the Mass of Requiem on days not impeded, or defer it to days not impeded, insofar as they occur in the same week.¹

5° A greater stipend cannot be accepted for the application of a Mass with the privilege of the altar; for this would be simoniacal.²

6° Whether the state of grace is required in the priest, so that the privilege of the altar be gained, is controverted.³

7° Concerning the obligation of the priest of applying the privilege, see n. 1325. q. 14°. q. 15°. - But whether the decree of S. C. Ind., February 16, 1852,³ abrogates the decree of the same S. Congregation of February 22, 1847,⁴ or derogates from it in some point, is doubtful to us; therefore, until the matter becomes clearer, we adhere to the opinion of St. Alphonsus, which we reported at n. 1325. q. 14°.

Quaer. 5° When is the privilege of the altar acquired without some special concession?

Resp. 1° At the time of the Prayer of Forty Hours, all the altars of any church in which that prayer is held are privileged.⁵

2° On the second day of November, Masses enjoy the privilege, as if they were celebrated on a privileged altar.⁶

3° A priest who has made the oblation concerning which in n. 1779. q. 6°. R. 1° enjoys the indult of a daily personal privileged altar.⁷

Note. - The personal privilege of the altar which through our Bishops can and is accustomed to be communicated to priests of their dioceses, see p. LXXI. n. 20.