Article — Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology
Article I.
When it is licit to celebrate.
200. On what days it is licit to celebrate. It is licit to celebrate daily, except on a few days on which celebration is restricted by a special ecclesiastical law or is entirely prohibited, namely on the last three days of greater week.
- On Thursday in the Supper of the Lord it is licit to celebrate one solemn Mass, but only in churches in which the most holy sacrament is reserved and the functions of the sacred triduum are performed either according to the form of the Roman missal or at least according to the form of the small ritual (Memoriale rituum) of Benedict XIII.1
Because many parochial churches, especially rural ones, lack ministers and vestments, and therefore cannot perform the functions of the sacred triduum according to the form of the Roman missal, Benedict XIII took care that for poor parishes, and especially rural ones, a small ritual be published, in which the simpler functions would be described. This ritual must be used in parochial churches;2 but in other non-parochial churches, e.g., of regulars or of nuns, it is not licit to use it without apostolic indult, but in these churches the functions must either be performed according to the form of the missal or be omitted entirely.
- Private Masses, except in a few cases, are prohibited on this day.
a. In parochial churches in which the functions of the sacred triduum cannot be held, the bishop can permit that the pastor celebrate a private Mass for the convenience of the people.3 But by custom the petition for permission, which would have to be renewed yearly, is omitted.
Where the solemn functions of the sacred triduum are not held, religious superiors can celebrate a private Mass to provide Holy Communion to their own, but in the domestic chapel and, this failing, in the church with doors closed.4
b. In parochial churches in which the functions of the sacred triduum are performed, the bishop can permit that before the solemn Mass a private Mass be celebrated for the sick who cannot be present at the solemn one. But by custom the petition for permission is omitted.
c. In order that in non-parochial churches in which the solemn functions are performed a private Mass may be celebrated before the solemn one, the license of the bishop must be sought; but the bishop must obtain an indult for granting it. But custom has it that without a petition for permission, from presumed license, for the convenience of the faithful, Mass is everywhere celebrated in all churches, even of seminaries, hospitals, prisons, of regulars both men and women, provided these churches enjoy their own priest-curate and the right of reserving the most holy sacrament.5
To a bishop who cannot celebrate in the cathedral church it is licit to say Mass in his domestic oratory, and, if he is set on a journey, in the house where he is staying.6
- If on Thursday in the Supper of the Lord there falls a feast of precept (St. Joseph, or the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where these are of precept), the bishop must take care that so many Masses be said in the churches as suffice for the people to be able to satisfy the precept of hearing the sacred rite.7 Where on these days there no longer exists any obligation of hearing the sacred rite, there is likewise no reason for several sacred rites.8 For the rest, one must stand in this matter by the legitimate custom of the region.
1 S. C. R., 14 June 1659, n. 1120.
2 S. C. R., 28 July 1821, n. 2616.
3 S. C. R., 28 July 1821, n. 2616.
4 S. C. R., 31 Aug. 1839, n. 2799.
5 Cf. however Schneider-Lehmkuhl, Manuale sacerdot., 15th ed., pp. 500, 516.
6 Ballerini-Palmieri, IV, n. 1057.
7 S. C. R., 13 Sept. 1692, n. 1883; 12 Sept. 1716, n. 2240.
8 S. C. R., 26 Sept. 1868, n. 3179.
201. 1. Friday of greater week is called an aliturgical day, on which, except the case of necessity, any Mass, whether solemn or private, is prohibited under grave sin. Only the Mass of the Presanctified is celebrated, which is not a true Mass, but only sacred communion.
a. The Mass of the Presanctified must be celebrated in all churches in which on Thursday in the Supper of the Lord the accustomed function has been held.1
b. In a case of necessity, namely in one in which otherwise a sick person would die without viaticum, it is licit to celebrate Mass also on this day. But that Mass must be said which most befits the time, namely De passione Domini.
- If on this Friday or on Holy Saturday there falls the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the office and Mass of the feast (with the obligation of hearing Mass and of abstaining from servile works where they are of precept) are transferred to Monday after Sunday in white.2
If on Friday in Parasceve or on Holy Saturday there falls another feast of precept, e.g., of a patron, the office with Mass is transferred to another unimpeded day; the obligation of abstaining from servile works is observed on Friday itself, but the obligation of hearing Mass on the day of Parasceve ceases,3 since private Masses are prohibited and the hearing of the Mass of the Presanctified does not suffice for satisfying the precept; but on Holy Saturday both obligations of the feast must be observed,4 but those who cannot be present at the solemn Mass are excused from the precept of hearing the sacred rite, since the celebration of a private Mass is prohibited also on this day.
1 S. C. R., 9 Dec. 1899, n. 4049.
2 S. C. R., 11 Feb. 1690, n. 1822.
3 S. C. R., 20 Mar. 1706, n. 2164.
4 S. C. R., 2 Sept. 1903.
202. On Holy Saturday it is licit to celebrate the solemn sacred rite in churches in which the functions of the sacred triduum are held; but private Masses in any churches or oratories whatsoever are entirely prohibited, notwithstanding any custom whatsoever to the contrary.1
a. In parochial churches in which the baptismal font is to be blessed, the functions must be performed on this day; but in other churches they can be omitted, even if on Thursday and Friday the functions according to the small ritual were held.2
b. Although Holy Saturday also is an aliturgical day, nevertheless the solemn Mass is celebrated today in the morning by anticipation; by apostolic indult, however, the faculty is granted, although very rarely, of celebrating a private Mass; this faculty is never granted for Friday in Parasceve. In the Mass which is permitted on this day, with the prophecies and the rest omitted, one must begin in the usual manner with the confession, which, since there is no Introit, is followed by the Kyrie.3
c. But on this day it is licit to distribute sacred communion to the faithful, even for satisfying the Easter precept, but only during the solemnities of Mass or immediately after they have been completed. Cn. 867, 3.
1 S. C. R., 11 Feb. 1690, n. 1822.
2 S. C. R., 9 Dec. 1899, n. 4049.
3 22 July 1848, n. 2970.
203. At what hour of the day it is licit to celebrate. 1. The disposition of the Roman Missal, namely that Mass can be celebrated at any hour from dawn to midday, the new Code has enlarged in such a way that it says that the beginning of Mass is not to be made earlier than one hour before dawn nor later than one hour after midday.1
a. By the name of dawn is understood the beginning of morning twilight; since this is diverse for diverse places and for the same place is diverse at diverse times of the year, for individual regions there is usually prepared and appended to the directory of the divine office a table which indicates the hour of dawn.
b. The time of dawn and of midday must be taken morally, so that he satisfies the precept of the Church who does not finish Mass before dawn and does not begin after midday.
c. In regions in which dawn lasts through the entire night, of itself nothing stands in the way of beginning Mass soon after midnight; nevertheless propriety forbids that this be done without a just cause. Where dawn is very late, the custom of celebrating earlier than is licit by the general rule can be observed.2 Where dawn does not appear, as happens at a certain time of year in polar regions, it is licit to begin Mass from the beginning of the civil and customary day, on which men are accustomed to rise at daybreak for the works of the day.3
- On the Nativity of the Lord it is licit to celebrate one solemn Mass after midnight, but no private Mass without apostolic indult.4
a. Therefore by common law it is not licit at midnight or before dawn for him who had said the solemn Mass to celebrate the other two Masses,5 nor for other priests to celebrate even a single private Mass, nor to give sacred communion to the faithful. Nevertheless, in all religious or pious houses having an oratory with the faculty of habitually reserving the most holy sacrament there, one priest can celebrate three Masses or, with the things to be observed observed, only one Mass, which is valid for satisfying the precept by those present, and can minister Holy Communion to those asking.6 The privilege does not hold for churches of regulars, and for public oratories it holds only with doors closed.7
b. The Mass which is said on the night of the Nativity of the Lord is not licitly begun before midnight, so that the consecration occurs after midnight. The sacred congregation reproved this usage and commanded it to be abolished,8 and cn. 827, 2, says: The Mass can be begun at midnight.
Note. Sometimes the privilege of celebrating two hours before dawn or after midday is granted. Privileges of this kind granted to some religious orders do not seem to have been abrogated.
1 General rubrics of the Missal, XV, 1. Cn. 821, 1.
2 Genicot, Theol. mor. inst., II, 236.
3 Special Congregation, 18 Sept. 1634.
4 General rubrics of the Missal, XV, 4. Cn. 821, 2.
5 S. C. R., 20 Apr. 1641, n. 752; 7 Dec. 1641, n. 781.
6 Cn. 821, 3.
7 S. Office, 26 Nov. 1908.
8 General rubrics, XV, n. 4. S. C. R., 11 May 1878, n. 3448; 2 June 1883, n. 3576.
204. Gravity of this precept. 1. The precept concerning the hour of celebration obliges under grave sin in grave matter. Therefore he who without a just cause celebrates notably before or after the time established by the Church, i.e., by two whole hours before dawn or after midday, commits a grave sin,1 unless particular circumstances excuse.
a. The precept of not celebrating before dawn is graver than the precept of not celebrating after midday; hence of itself a graver cause is required for anticipating the established time than for postponing it, and license of celebrating after midday is granted more easily than license before dawn. In fact, in some cities on Sundays and feasts Mass was already celebrated a whole hour after midday.
b. Commonly authors concede also to bishops the power of dispensing in this law in a particular case.2 The same power belongs also to regular superiors, who, with the special privilege of celebrating before dawn and after midday excluded, can dispense with their subjects in this law in a particular case.3
- From a just cause without dispensation it is licit to celebrate Mass before or after the established time: for ecclesiastical law does not oblige with grave inconvenience. Moreover, in the following circumstances the cause is judged to be just:
a. If viaticum must be confected; in this case it must be celebrated even immediately after midnight.
b. That to artisans and servants an occasion of hearing Mass may be furnished; for this cause it is licit also on weekdays to anticipate the time by a whole hour.
c. If a solemn sacred rite is prolonged beyond midday and there is a custom of afterward celebrating a private Mass, lest a great part of the people lack Mass.
d. If a priest on a day of precept is impeded by a journey from celebrating at the due hour: in this case he can anticipate or postpone Mass by more than one hour.
e. At the funeral of a great prince, on the occasion of a sermon, of public supplication, of gatherings of orders, of matrimony, etc.; in these circumstances it is licit to celebrate Mass later than a whole hour after midday.
1 St. Alphonsus, n. 346.
2 Cf. Lugo, disp. 20, n. 97; St. Alphonsus, n. 344; Lehmkuhl, Theol. mor., II, n. 117 (n. 298); Ballerini-Palmieri, IV, n. 1051.
3 Cf. Lacroix, l. 6, pr. 2, n. 225; St. Alphonsus, n. 344.