Section — Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology
Section 2. Defect of Body.
483. From Defect of Body those are irregular who are vitiated in body and who, because of debility or deformity, cannot safely perform the ministry of the altar.1 Therefore this irregularity arises from a twofold head: from debility and from deformity of body, which impede the exercise of order.
This irregularity absolutely prohibits the reception of orders; for although the defect impedes the exercise of only one order, e.g., the presbyterate, nevertheless no order, not even first tonsure, can be licitly received. But it does not absolutely prohibit the exercise of orders received. Hence if a defect supervenes after the reception of orders, the ordained man is prohibited from exercising only those orders for whose exercise he has been made unfit, or which he cannot exercise without offense and scandal. Therefore nothing prevents, for example, the man who cannot celebrate publicly without scandal from celebrating privately, or the man who cannot celebrate from hearing confessions.
Greater indecency is required so that one already ordained is bound to abstain from the exercise of order, e.g., from celebrating Mass, than so that one not yet ordained is kept away from receiving orders.
In order that someone can celebrate decently, it is required that sacred things not be exposed to danger of irreverence, that horror not be stirred up in the people, and that liturgical laws not be violated in a matter of greater moment.
If there is doubt concerning impotence for celebrating about one who has not yet been ordained, judgment belongs both to the proper bishop and to him who will confer the orders. If the same doubt concerns one who is already ordained, judgment belongs to the bishop of domicile or of the place of celebration. In neither case must a bishop stand by the judgment of another bishop.
1 Cn. 984, 2.
484. In Species irregularities from defect of body are almost innumerable; therefore it will suffice to recount the more important ones in this place.
- He who is mutilated in thumb or index finger, whether wholly or in part, so that he cannot break the host, is irregular.
He who lacks one of the three remaining fingers is not irregular; indeed from the opinion of some, not even if two fingers are lacking, if only all three are not lacking, is he irregular, not indeed because of impotence but because of deformity. A priest, however, is not made irregular nor prohibited from celebrating, even if all three posterior fingers have been lost.1
He who lacks an index finger will more easily obtain dispensation because the middle finger can better substitute in the sacred ministry for the index finger. But a priest who has lost the index finger in sacred functions can use the middle finger after the consecration; for, although the entire hand of a priest is consecrated, the index finger is consecrated equally.2
- He is not irregular who lacks the power of seeing in one eye only, or whose one eye is on the left side; but what is stated by some authors, namely that he is absolutely irregular who lacks the canonical eye, that is, the left, lacks foundation. Therefore this irregularity is to be restricted to the case in which, because the left canon is lacking, he cannot read with the right eye without indecent turning of the head.3
He would be called irregular whose one eye is entirely drawn out or torn out, because then a notable deformity can be present. But one does not seem to be called irregular who has been furnished with a glass eye, since no deformity appears.
A priest who has become blind can receive permission from the holy pontiff of celebrating, if it is established that he will not err, while another priest assists.
- Irregular are the mute, the blind who are destitute of the power of seeing in both eyes, not those with weak sight provided they can read in the missal with the help of an ocular instrument; the deaf who lack hearing in both ears so that they cannot hear the responding minister; and irregular not only are the deaf, but those who lack hearing in one ear only.4 Stammerers are not irregular unless they either have a badly lisping tongue or one entirely too quick, or they move laughter. Those who have trembling hands to such a degree that they cannot celebrate without danger of spilling blood are irregular.
There are to be added abstemies, who cannot drink even a little wine without danger of vomiting.
- All are irregular who by defect or blemish of body stir up horror or mockery in spectators, such as the enormously hunchbacked, those having a notable blemish on the face or in the eye, those notably limping, etc.
Note. It belongs to the bishop to judge whether the deformity is great or small, if the ordinand is a secular or a non-exempt regular. But if he is an exempt regular, judgment pertains to the regular prelate; nevertheless the bishop who confers orders is not bound to stand by the judgment of the prelate. If after examination doubt remains concerning the existence of the defect, the ordinary can dispense.
1 Ballerini-Palmieri VII, n. 478.
2 Ballerini-Palmieri l. c.
3 Cf. Acta S. Sedis XX, p. 380 ss.