Article — Merkelbach, Summa Theologiae Moralis
Article III: On the Secondary Minister of Distribution
S. Th. III, q. 82, a. 3 and 9.
336. Principle I. The priest alone is the ordinary minister of the dispensation of the holy Eucharist (can. 845, § 1). - It is certain.
It is proved: 1. From the words of Christ: Do this in commemoration of Me, directed to the apostles.
- From apostolic tradition and the constant use of the Church, as is established from the Fathers: Clement of Rome, to the Corinthians, XL, 1-4; Didache X, 7; XV, 1; Ignatius, to the Smyrnaeans, VIII, 1-2; Justin, 1 apol., 65; Irenaeus, adv. haer. IV, 18; ep. to Victor, 3; Clement of Alexandria, Strom. IV, 25; Cyprian, ep. 43 and 70; and from the Council of Trent, sess. 13, c. 8; sess. 23, c. 1.
- By reason, and indeed a threefold one: a) The priest consecrates in the person of Christ; but consecration of itself is ordered to distribution, whence Christ, just as He consecrated at the last supper, so also dispensed to others to be received; therefore just as consecration pertains to the priest, so also does dispensation. - b) The priest is constituted as a mediator between God and the people; whence just as it pertains to him to offer the gifts of the people to God, so also to hand over divine gifts to the people. - c) In reverence for the sacrament it has been established that it is not touched except by a consecrated or blessed thing; whence the corporal, chalice, and hands of the priest are consecrated; therefore others cannot touch it except in necessity, as for avoiding profanation of the sacrament.
337. Principle II. The deacon, as one near to the priestly order, participates in something of its office, and according to the current discipline is the extraordinary minister of dispensing communion (can. 845, § 2).
This is established from ancient and constant tradition, to which Justin, 1 apol., 65, 67; Cyprian, de laps. 25; Apostolic Constitutions VIII, 13 and 28; Dionysius of Alexandria in H. E. VI, 44; Damasus, carm. 18; Basil, ep. 93; and the use of the Church testify. For formerly, as still today in the Greek Church, the deacon was the dispenser of the blood; but not of the body except in necessity, at the command of the bishop or presbyter, which still obtains at present. Whence according to can. 845, § 2, the "extraordinary minister is the deacon, with the permission of the local Ordinary or of the pastor, to be conceded for a grave cause, which in a case of necessity is legitimately presumed."
Therefore by commission either of the local Ordinary or of the pastor (but not of the regular Ordinary or of the simple rector of a church, as some gratuitously assert without positive foundation) a deacon can distribute communion, provided it is conceded from a reasonable cause sufficiently grave, as if the priest is absent or infirm, if there is no one who can conveniently administer, if on a great feast all the priests are very occupied with hearing confessions or with preaching, or sufficient priests are not present for the number of communicants, if no one is present except a censured priest publicly declared as such, etc.; - but in a case of necessity commission is not required but is legitimately presumed; indeed the deacon is bound to minister if there is a necessity of ministering Viaticum and every priest who can or will minister is lacking.
338. Question: If a minister is lacking, can it sometimes be licit to communicate oneself?
It is answered: 1. A priest or deacon can, when a minister is lacking, communicate himself in order to Viaticum. Indeed, according to several, especially more recent authors, even for the cause of devotion alone, provided scandal is not to be feared; but we would not dare to assert this, because on the one hand there is no necessity of receiving the sacrament, and on the other hand it cannot be received according to the mode of communicating now received and long established for centuries by the custom of the Church.
- Whether another cleric or layman can, when necessity urges and a minister is lacking, minister Viaticum to himself, as was sometimes done in the primitive Church, is disputed. Several more recent authors affirm, because in the case the divine precept of communicating obliges, which urges more than the ecclesiastical custom prescribing the mode of communion. Nevertheless especially the older authors rightly deny it with St. Thomas, in IV d. 13, p. 1, a. 3, sol. 1, ad 3, because the divine precept ceases when it cannot be fulfilled with due reverence from the received custom established by the Church (n. 284), especially because the reception of this sacrament is not of necessity; - unless perhaps in the case in which a sinner could receive no other sacrament and doubted concerning the perfection of his contrition.
Concerning the opinion of the more recent authors, who in both cases think more benignly, it is more true to say that in this matter they rather desire a certain change of ecclesiastical custom than have demonstrated that the ancient custom has already been legitimately changed into a new one, of which matter they assign no positive foundation.
Let it be noted: 1) these things can nevertheless be done licitly from a dispensation or permission obtained;
- outside the case of necessity, all those below the deacon solemnly ministering holy communion incur irregularity (can. 985, § 7);
- a deacon ministering unduly does not incur it, because he does not usurp an order (ibid.).
339. Principle III. For licit dispensation there is also required in the minister jurisdiction or due permission. - The reason is, because it pertains to the pastor to feed the sheep and minister the sacraments; whence the power of jurisdiction is necessary, or the faculty or permission obtained from him who has such jurisdiction; so that one who ministered without any faculty or permission would sin gravely.
Hence they can dispense the Eucharist:
- From ordinary or quasi-ordinary jurisdiction, besides the Supreme Pontiff, the local Ordinary; the pastor in his parish and those who are after the manner of pastors; superiors of a clerical religion not only with respect to professed members and novices, but also with respect to those who remain in the religious house day and night for the sake of service, education, hospitality, or infirm health, according to can. 514, § 1; the rector of a Seminary with respect to all who are in the seminary (can. 1368) and the rector of a church (can. 484, § 1).
- From permission, all priests who have obtained it directly or indirectly, explicitly or implicitly, by law or from a man; which all have both in the case of necessity and if they celebrate Mass: namely, they can minister communion within Mass, and if, besides a solemn or sung or conventual Mass, they celebrate privately, also immediately before and immediately after (can. 846, § 1); indeed even if they celebrate in a private oratory, unless the local Ordinary, for a just cause, has prohibited this in a particular case (can. 869).
Other prescriptions are added: 1. "Even outside Mass any priest has the same faculty from at least the presumed permission of the rector of the church, if he is a stranger," can. 846, § 2.
- "The right and office of carrying holy communion publicly to the sick, even non-parishioners, outside the church, pertains to the pastor within his territory. Other priests can do this only in a case of necessity, or with at least the presumed permission of the same pastor or Ordinary," can. 848.
- "Any priest can carry communion privately to the sick, with at least the presumed leave of the priest to whom custody of the most holy Sacrament has been committed," can. 849, § 1.
- "To carry holy communion by way of Viaticum, whether publicly or privately, to the sick pertains to the pastor," can. 850; nevertheless in a Seminary to the rector (can. 1368), in a clerical religion to the superiors (can. 514, § 1), who can also carry it outside the house to professed members and novices, either privately, or publicly with the permission of the pastor (Commission for Interpretation, June 16, 1931, ad 1), and in a house of nuns to the ordinary confessor or the one acting in his place (can. 514, § 2). In the sole case of necessity or with the permission of the pastor, other priests can minister Viaticum.
340. Observation. - Besides due permission, it is also required that the minister not be censured or impeded. And indeed:
- if he is simply tolerated, he cannot minister spontaneously, but only if he is requested by the faithful, or there is present a cause excusing for avoiding grave scandal or infamy;