Article III: On The Other Privileges Of Regulars

2191. • Regulars have from common law, either directly or by communication, the following FACULTIES:

1. "Generals and Provincials of Regulars can erect private ORATORIES in their Convents and Colleges, provided they are deputed only for divine worship; and in them, without another faculty of the Bishop or Supreme Pontiff, several Masses can be read on the same day, not only by Regulars, but also by secular presbyters";¹⁴ likewise, in them "all the faithful can hear Mass and satisfy the precept of hearing the Sacred rite on feast days, because those oratories enjoy the privilege of a public oratory" (cf. n. 678, 1583, 1, 1627, 2185).

2. Regular Superiors, even local ones, can bless any vessels, vestments, and other things pertaining to divine worship, provided a sacred unction is not to be used; but only for their own churches and convents. Likewise, they can bless sacred places proper to themselves, namely their own churches, and their own oratories and cemeteries; and, if they have been polluted, reconcile them with blessed water mixed, according to the precept of the Roman Pontifical, with salt, ashes, and wine.¹⁵ Yet it has been counseled that they never use this faculty when the Ordinary is unwilling, nor publicly.

3. Regulars can CELEBRATE Mass one hour before dawn (or about three hours before sunrise); indeed, when some just cause accedes, two hours after midnight, even in winter time; but only in their own churches, in which this is also licit for secular priests. Besides, from a privilege conceded by Eugene IV, they can celebrate three hours after noon.¹⁶

4. In time of Interdict Religious are privileged, as we saw n. 1307, II.

5. Regular Confessors, approved by the Bishop, have the faculty: - 1) of dispensing with seculars, whether within or outside confession, in all simple vows (the five reserved to the Pope excepted), provided the rights of a third party are not prejudiced; 2) of dispensing in all occult irregularities from delict, except voluntary homicide; - 3) of dispensing in the inability to celebrate which confessors soliciting to shameful things incur, and also priests abusing the sacrifice of the Mass for sorceries; - 4) of dispensing with spouses in the impediment of exacting the conjugal debt, which one of the spouses has contracted, whether from incest committed with an affine, or from a personal vow of chastity emitted before or after marriage; but special license from the Superior at least of the house must be sought for this.¹⁷

Will you ASK whether Regulars (or others possessing the same faculty) can dispense in oaths made to God, as also in vows? R. Authors dispute, and indeed probably on both sides. Whence St. Alphonsus concludes for practice: "The negative opinion must altogether be held; for the obligation of an oath already contracted, since it is certain and is in possession, cannot be taken away by a dispensation only probably valid."¹⁸