§ 2. On Paschal Communion

1568. From the DIVINE precept, as we have said (n. 1564), we are held to receive the Eucharist several times in life. "The reason is that just as it is necessary to take earthly food several times for preserving bodily life, so heavenly food for preserving spiritual life."¹¹ But from the ECCLESIASTICAL precept the time and manner of this obligation are more closely determined, as is had in the Constitution of the Fourth Lateran Council, which sounds thus: "Every faithful of either sex, after he has arrived at the years of discretion, shall faithfully confess all his sins at least once in the year to his own priest... receiving reverently, at least at Easter, the Sacrament of the Eucharist; unless perhaps, by the counsel of his own priest, for some reasonable cause, he should judge that for a time one must abstain from reception of this kind; otherwise, living, let him be kept from entering the church, and dying, let him lack Christian burial." It is confirmed from Trent, sess. 13, can. 9.

In these words of the Council are contained three obligations, and these grave: the first regards the frequency of receiving the Sacrament; the second the time of reception, and the third the place of reception. Wherefore let there be the following:

1569. Principles. I. Each faithful person is held AT LEAST ONCE IN THE YEAR to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist. - But he who communicates sacrilegiously does not satisfy the precept, as is clear from proposition 55 condemned by Innocent XI: "The precept of annual Communion is satisfied by sacrilegious eating of the Lord." Therefore one who communicated unworthily is afterwards held to satisfy, no otherwise than one who omitted Communion altogether.¹²

It is asked: How is the year of the obligation of this annual Communion to be computed?

Resp. "Some judge that it is to be computed from January to December. But from the common opinion of the Doctors, and from custom received everywhere, the time is computed from Easter to Easter, because this is judged to be the ecclesiastical year. But the Paschal time begins from Palm Sunday, and ends on Low Sunday, from the declaration of Eugene IV in the Bull Fidei digna, in the year 1440. Yet from custom, necessity, or privilege, more time is conceded."¹³

1570. II. The annual Communion prescribed to Christ's faithful is to be performed IN PASCHAL TIME. This time, according to the more common and more probable opinion, is assigned by the Church not for ending, but for urging on the obligation of the divine precept; wherefore one who omitted Communion at Easter is held to communicate as soon as possible, from both the ecclesiastical and the divine precept.¹⁴

But Paschal time is to be computed strictly, so that any delay, even of one day, by itself is judged grave.¹⁵ Yet this obligation by no means urges the confessor to absolve the indisposed more quickly than is just. But the faithful are held to remove impediments. Hence "the excommunicated and those detained in prisons, when they can, are held to procure absolution or liberty, by which they can satisfy the Paschal precept"¹⁶ (cf. n. 225).

It is asked: Whether one who cannot communicate in Paschal time is held to ANTICIPATE?

Resp. 1. "It is certain that, Paschal time having begun, if someone foresees himself about to be impeded from Communion, he is held to receive it immediately, as they commonly teach."¹⁷ 2. Before Paschal time has begun, he is not held to anticipate, because, according to the common opinion, "before that time the obligation has not yet been contracted; and if someone anticipates, he does not satisfy the precept; and this is so much so that if someone, on account of a foreseen impediment, anticipated, and afterwards the impediment ceased, he would still be held to communicate at Easter."¹⁸

1571. III. "Anyone is held to receive Paschal Communion IN HIS OWN PARISH from his pastor, or his delegate, unless he is exempted by his license, custom, or privilege." This is clear from various Constitutions of the Supreme Pontiffs and declarations of the Roman Congregations,¹⁹ and from the practice of the universal Church. The reason of the law is that the pastor may know the sheep committed to his care.

It is said 1. in his own parish, that is, in the parish of his domicile or quasi-domicile (cf. n. 203). - Hence, he does not satisfy who communicates in the cathedral church, since this cannot despoil parochial churches of their rights. - But he satisfies who anywhere receives Communion from the hand of his own pastor, because the pastor is judged to know his sheep everywhere. Similarly, one who has received Viaticum in Paschal time from the hand of his own pastor has satisfied each precept.

It is said 2. unless he is exempted by license of the pastor; "because, with the consent of the Supreme Pontiff, or of the Bishop or Ordinary, or his Vicar General, or the pastor, for all these are understood under the name of pastor, the Doctors concede that by communicating outside the parish, the precept is satisfied." Yet PRESUMED or interpretative license suffices, provided consent can morally certainly be supposed. And if the pastor is, or is presumed to be, unwilling unreasonably, the consent of the Bishop or Pontiff can licitly be presumed. But it is not licit for a pastor to concede to his parishioners a general license that they satisfy the Paschal precept in another church, since he cannot dispense universally in the law of the Church. Thus the S. C. Conc., September 7, 1615.

It is said 3. by custom: by this reason priests satisfy wherever they celebrate. Understand, if they celebrate; for otherwise they are held to communicate in the parish, as laymen. Likewise, pilgrims and vagi are exempted, who either do not have a parish, or are so absent from it that they cannot conveniently return to it. Therefore they can communicate in any church whatever, unless, as the Ritual bears, in some place a custom flourishes of remitting them to the cathedral church.²⁰ - And the same must be said of soldiers, if they are not at station, nor have domicile or quasi-domicile in the city.

It is said 4. or by privilege: for to Regulars privilege has been conceded, that their familiars can satisfy in their churches; provided they actually serve, reside within the enclosures of the monastery, and live under the obedience of the Prelates, as is had in Trent (cf. n. 2186).²¹

It was asked: "Whether male and female secular servants of Nuns, living in dwellings situated in the courts of monasteries surrounded by a wall, and which are contiguous to the monasteries and have a gate which is closed, are held to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist in Paschal time from the pastors in whose parishes the monastery and dwellings are situated? - And the S. C. C., September 19, 1722, responded: Affirmatively and no more... by which word no more, it is declared that all the Cardinals were unanimous, and that no question about the same matter, clear enough, is to be had in the future." Thus Benedict XIV.²²

1572. It is asked: To what is he held who DID NOT SATISFY the Paschal precept in his own parish?

Resp. 1. One who communicated in his own parish, but, on account of unworthy reception, did not satisfy, is indeed held to communicate as soon as possible, but can do this in any church; because he is already sufficiently recognized by the pastor.²³ 2. One who in good faith communicated in another church does not seem to be obligated under grave sin to repeat Communion in his own parish church; because the pastor is reasonably presumed not to urge his right in this way, at least toward those who receive the Sacraments more rarely. 3. One who omitted Communion, or in bad faith communicated in another church, is held to communicate as soon as possible in his own church; because his own dishonesty excuses no one from the law. Yet, Paschal time having now elapsed, the consent of the pastor can more easily be presumed, so that satisfaction be made in another church.²⁴

It must be noted that the penalty decreed against transgressors of the law is not incurred except after the sentence of a judge²⁵ (cf. n. 1387, 4).

1573. IV. Every faithful of either sex is held by the Paschal precept, after he has arrived AT THE YEARS OF DISCRETION. - But at what age children are judged to have this discretion must be weighed in this place. Hence the following:

Questions. Q. 1. Whether CHILDREN, as soon as they have the use of reason, are held to communicate?

Resp. Negatively, from the most common and more probable opinion. "The reason is that the common usage of the Church thus interprets the obligation of this precept, both that children may receive the Eucharist with greater reverence and fruit, and lest they themselves be easily exposed to danger of transgression. And although they are obligated to confession, nevertheless they are not for that reason held to receive the Eucharist, which is of greater excellence and not of so great necessity. Nor does the canon of the Lateran Council obstruct, where it is said that every faithful, after he has reached the years of discretion, is held not only to confession but also to Communion; for the years of discretion are to be understood respectively according to the reason of the matter, namely when someone has reached the years of discretion for confession, let him confess; when he has reached the years of discretion for Communion, let him communicate."¹

But to children constituted in DANGER OF DEATH, provided they are able in some way to discern between profane and heavenly food, Communion not only can be given, but also ought to be, as authors very commonly teach.² "The reason is that, on the one hand, children constituted in such danger are held from the divine precept to communicate; on the other, the utility of the Eucharist then does not demand a greater disposition."³

Q. 2. When are children judged OBLIGATED to communicate?

Resp. "The Doctors commonly say that, REGULARLY speaking, children are not obligated to Communion before the ninth or tenth year"; the Council of Albi in the year 1850 thinks the same⁴; "nor is Communion to be deferred for them beyond the twelfth or at least beyond the fourteenth year.... It was said REGULARLY; for, as authors notice, children who before such an age are seen to be more perspicacious can be obligated sooner. Whence Roncaglia rightly reprehends pastors who indiscriminately do not admit to Communion except children constituted in a certain age. - But it must be noted that, although children in the tenth year can be admitted to Communion, nevertheless they themselves are not held to it, but only then when they have been warned by the pastor or parents."⁵

Q. 3. To WHOM does it pertain to institute an examination and bring judgment concerning the capacity of the child?

Resp. "1. With respect to AGE and DISPOSITION OF SOUL, it pertains to parents and the confessor to decide the matter. For thus the Roman Catechism:⁶ 'At what age the sacred mysteries are to be given to children, no one will be able to determine better than the father and the priest to whom they confess their sins; for it pertains to them to explore and ask from the children whether they have received some knowledge of this admirable Sacrament and have a taste for it.'

"2. With respect to EXAMINATION concerning Christian doctrine, nothing particular is established by common law. Therefore it pertains to the confessor to attend whether the child has sufficient doctrine. But by particular law, established by Bishops in many places, children to be admitted to first Communion must be examined by the pastor himself, or his delegates, concerning doctrine and maturity of judgment."⁷

1574. Concerning the FIRST COMMUNION of children it is useful to add the following things from the Council of Bordeaux, celebrated in the year 1850:⁸

"Since on the first approach to the sacred Synaxis the course of the whole life, and therefore eternal salvation itself, often depends, we beseech in the Lord every rector of souls, that they expend the greatest possible diligence in disposing little ones for first Communion.... Let them demand, as far as can be done, that the children be present assiduously at catechism for two years; let them instruct them with particular diligence, question them frequently, and not admit them unless it is altogether clear concerning their sufficient knowledge.

Then: "Let them stir them up in every way to prepare a dwelling for God, which is a great work; and, for the sake of discerning who are preparing themselves with a great heart and willing soul, let them diligently inquire concerning the manner of acting of each one, and let them themselves watch over them attentively; at least once in the month, let them receive them at the sacred tribunal, or care that they be received, and the more frequently as the time of Communion becomes more imminent.

"Before Communion, let them receive a general confession of the whole life, taking care lest, through fear of repulsion, some sin be concealed. But three days before Communion, let them proximately prepare them by pious exercises, and on the day itself let them take care that the greatest solemnity be applied, and that the baptismal vows be renewed."

FROM THE SYNOD OF TURIN we add: "But if an adolescent, already having attained the thirteenth year, cannot approach his proper pastor, the confessor will perform an excellent work of charity if he teaches him in catechesis and promotes him to Communion; but let him exhort him that he make his pastor more certain concerning this matter."⁹