Article II. On the Obligations of Parish Priests

§1. According to the norm of can. 156 a parish priest is to have only one parish by title, unless there is question of parishes united equally as principal.

§2. In the same parish there must be only one parish priest who bears the actual care of souls, contrary custom being reprobated and any contrary privilege revoked (Can. 460).¹

A parish priest obtains the care of souls from the moment of possession taken according to the norm of can. 1443-1445; and before possession, or in the very act of taking possession, he must make the profession of faith of which in can. 1406, §1, n. 7 (Can. 461).

The functions reserved to the parish priest are, unless the law provides otherwise:

1st. To confer baptism solemnly;

2nd. To carry the Most Holy Eucharist publicly to the sick in his own parish;

3rd. To carry the Most Holy Eucharist publicly or privately as Viaticum to the sick, and to strengthen those placed in danger of death with extreme unction, with the prescription of can. 397, n. 3, 514, 848, §2, 938, §2 being safe;

4th. To announce sacred ordinations and marriages to be entered; to assist at marriages; to impart the nuptial blessing;

5th. To perform lawful funerals according to the norm of can. 1216;

6th. To bless houses according to the norm of the liturgical books on Holy Saturday, or on another day according to the custom of places;

7th. To bless the baptismal font on Holy Saturday, to lead a public procession outside the church, to impart blessings outside the church with pomp and solemnity, unless there is question of a capitular church and the Chapter performs these functions (Can. 462).

§1. The parish priest has a right to the offerings which either approved custom or legitimate taxation assigns to him according to the norm of can. 1507, §1.

§2. If he demands greater ones, he is held to restitution.

§3. Although some parochial office has been fulfilled by another, nevertheless the offerings fall to the parish priest, unless the contrary will of those offering is certainly established concerning the sum which exceeds the tax.

§4. Let the parish priest not deny gratuitous ministry to those who are not able to pay (Can. 463).

§1. The parish priest is held by office to exercise the care of souls toward all his parishioners who are not legitimately exempt.

§2. The Bishop can, for a just and grave cause, withdraw from the care of the parish priest religious families and pious houses which are in the territory of the parish and are not exempt by law (Can. 464).

¹ Cf. Addenda, p. 1106, n. 48.

As Regards Residence. §1. The parish priest is held by the obligation of residing in the parish house near his church; nevertheless the local Ordinary can for a just cause permit him to dwell elsewhere, provided that the house is not so distant from the parish church that the discharge of parochial duties suffers any detriment from this.

§2. He is permitted to be absent for two months at most within the year, whether continuous or interrupted, unless a grave cause, in the judgment of the Ordinary himself, either requires a longer absence or permits only a shorter one.

§3. The days on which the parish priest attends to pious exercises according to the norm of can. 126 are not counted, once in the year, among the two months of vacation of which in §2.

§4. Whether the time of vacation is continuous or interrupted, when the absence is going to last beyond a week, the parish priest, besides a legitimate cause, must have the written permission of the Ordinary and must leave in his place a substitute vicar to be approved by the same Ordinary; but if the parish priest is a religious, he needs moreover the consent of the Superior, and the substitute must be approved both by the Ordinary and by the Superior.

§5. If the parish priest is compelled to depart from a sudden and grave cause and to be absent beyond a week, let him as soon as possible inform the Ordinary by letter, indicating to him the cause of the departure and the priest supplying, and let him stand by his commands.

§6. Even for the time of a shorter absence the parish priest must provide for the necessities of the faithful, especially if particular circumstances of things demand this (Can. 465).

As Regards Preaching. On Sundays and the other feasts of precept through the year, it is the proper office of each parish priest to announce the word of God to the people in the customary homily, especially within the Mass at which the greater attendance of the people is accustomed to be. The parish priest cannot satisfy this obligation habitually through another, unless the Ordinary approves; he can also permit that on more solemn feasts, or from a just cause, the sermon be omitted on Sundays. Cf. Can. 1344.

Note. Moreover, it is to be desired that in Masses, on feast days of precept, when the people are present, in all churches and public oratories a brief explanation of the Gospel or catechesis be given. But if the local Ordinary has prescribed this, with suitable instructions having been given, all of both clergy, even exempt, are held by this law. Cf. Can. 1345.

It is the proper and most grave office, especially of pastors of souls, to care for the catechetical instruction of the Christian people (Can. 1329).

The parish priest must:

1st. At stated times, by instruction continued through several days, prepare children each year for rightly receiving the sacraments of penance and confirmation;

2nd. With altogether special zeal, especially, if nothing prevents, during the time of Lent, so instruct children that they may first taste the Holy Things from the altar in a holy manner (Can. 1330).

Besides the instruction of children of which in can. 1330, the parish priest should not omit cultivating more richly and more perfectly in the catechism children who have recently received first communion (Can. 1331).

On Sundays and other feasts of precept, at that hour which in his judgment is more suitable for the attendance of the people, the parish priest must moreover explain the catechism to the adult faithful, in language accommodated to their grasp (Can. 1332).

In the religious instruction of children he can, and if he is legitimately impeded he must, employ the labor of clerics dwelling in his territory, or, if there is need, of pious laypeople, especially those enrolled in the confraternity of Christian doctrine or another erected in the parish. Cf. Can. 1333, §1. Priests and clerics dwelling in the territory of the parish priest should themselves be helpers in this work. Ibid., §2. But if there is need, in the judgment of the local Ordinary, of the help of religious, their Superiors, even exempt ones, when required by the Ordinary, are held, either through themselves or through subjects, yet without detriment to discipline, to hand on catechesis especially in their own churches. Cf. Can. 1334.

As Regards the Administration of the Sacraments. §1. The parish priest must celebrate the divine offices, administer the Sacraments to the faithful as often as they legitimately ask, know his sheep and prudently correct those wandering, embrace the poor and the wretched with paternal charity, and apply the greatest care in the Catholic instruction of children.

§2. The faithful are to be admonished that frequently, where this can conveniently be done, they approach their parish churches and there be present at the divine offices and hear the word of God (Can. 467).

§1. With diligent care and poured-out charity the parish priest must assist the sick in his parish, but especially those near death, by diligently refreshing them with the Sacraments and commending their souls to God.¹

§2. To the parish priest, or to another priest who assists the sick, there belongs the faculty of granting them the apostolic blessing with plenary indulgence at the article of death, according to the form handed down by approved liturgical books; let him not omit to impart this blessing (Can. 468).

¹ Cf. Addenda, p. 1141, n. 106.

As Regards Parochial Books. §1. Let the parish priest have parochial books, that is, the book of those baptized, of those confirmed, of marriages, of the dead; let him also care according to his powers accurately to compose the book concerning the state of souls; and let him write all these books according to the usage approved by the Church or prescribed by his own Ordinary, and diligently preserve them.

§2. In the book of those baptized let it also be noted if the baptized person has received confirmation, has contracted marriage, with the prescription of can. 1107 being safe, or has received the sacred order of subdiaconate, or has emitted solemn profession; and those notations are always to be referred into documents of received baptism.

§3. At the end of each year let the parish priest transmit to the episcopal Curia an authentic copy of the parochial books, except the book concerning the state of souls.

§4. Let him use a parochial seal and have a record office, or archive, in which the aforesaid books are kept together with the letters of Bishops and other documents to be preserved because of necessity or utility; all of which, to be inspected by the Ordinary or his delegate at the time of visitation or another suitable time, he is religiously to take care lest they come into the hands of outsiders (Can. 470).

Cooperating Vicar. §1. If the parish priest, because of the multitude of the people or other causes, cannot, in the judgment of the Ordinary, manage the fitting care of the parish alone, there is to be given to him one or more cooperating vicars, to whom suitable remuneration is assigned.

§2. Cooperating vicars can be constituted either for the whole parish or for a determinate part of the parish.

§3. Not to the parish priest, but to the local Ordinary, after the parish priest has been heard, belongs the right of naming cooperating vicars from the secular clergy.

§4. Religious cooperating vicars are presented to the Ordinary by the Superior to whom this belongs from the constitutions, after the parish priest has been heard; it belongs to the Ordinary to approve them.

§5. The cooperating vicar is held by the obligation of residing in the parish according to diocesan statutes or laudable customs or the prescription of the Bishop; indeed the Ordinary should prudently take care, according to the norm of can. 134, that he dwell in the same parish house.

§6. His rights and obligations are to be taken from the diocesan statutes, from the letters of the Ordinary, and from the commission of the parish priest himself; but unless something else is expressly provided, he himself by reason of office must supply the place of the parish priest and assist him in the whole parochial ministry, except the application of the Mass for the people.

§7. He is subject to the parish priest, who is to instruct him paternally and direct him in the care of souls, watch over him, and at least yearly report concerning him to the Ordinary (Can. 476).

Let the parish priest diligently watch lest anything contrary to faith and morals be handed on in his parish, especially in public and private schools, and let him foster or institute works of charity, faith, and piety (Can. 469).