Article III. On the Nature, Division, and Effects of Interdict

§ 1. Interdict is a censure by which the faithful, remaining in the communion of the Church, are prohibited from sacred things which are enumerated in the canons which follow.

§ 2. The prohibition is made either directly through personal interdict, when the use of those goods is interdicted to the persons themselves; or indirectly through local interdict, when in certain places the dispensation or reception of the same is forbidden (Can. 2268).

Interdict strikes the faithful remaining in communion with the Church, directly and indirectly: directly, by interdicting to them, through personal interdict, the use of certain goods; indirectly, by forbidding the dispensation of them in certain places, according as the interdict is personal or local.

I say 1°. § 1. A general interdict, whether local against the territory of a diocese or republic, or personal against the people of a diocese or republic, can be brought only by the Apostolic See or by its mandate; but a general interdict against a parish or the people of a parish, and a particular interdict whether local or personal, can also be brought by the Bishop.

§ 2. A personal interdict follows the persons everywhere; a local one does not press outside the interdicted place, but in the interdicted place all, even outsiders or exempt persons, with a special privilege excluded, must observe it (Can. 2269).

A general local interdict against the general territory of a diocese or republic can be distinguished from a general personal interdict against the people of a diocese or republic. Each is brought only by the Supreme Pontiff or another from his authority. The Bishop brings a general interdict against a parish or the people of a parish. By a personal interdict persons are held everywhere; by a local one they are not held outside the place; but in the place all are held, even outsiders or exempt persons, with privilege excluded.

I say 2°. § 1. A local interdict, whether general or particular, does not forbid ministering the Sacraments and Sacramentals, with the things to be observed being observed, to the dying, but it prohibits in the place any divine office or sacred rite, with the exceptions remaining safe of which in § 2 of this canon and in can. 2271, 2272.

§ 2. On the day of the Nativity of the Lord, Easter, Pentecost, the Most Holy Body of Christ, and the Blessed Virgin Mary assumed into heaven, the local interdict is suspended, and only the conferral of orders and the solemn blessing of nuptials are prohibited (Can. 2270).

Therefore the dying can receive, while a local interdict lasts, not only sacraments but also sacramentals.

On those solemn feast days the local interdict is suspended, so that the people may fully enjoy the spiritual joy proper to these days; two things are forbidden: the conferral of orders and solemn nuptials.

I say 3°. If the interdict was general local and in the decree of interdict something else is not expressly provided:

1°. Clerics are permitted, provided they are not themselves personally interdicted, to perform all divine offices and sacred rites privately in any church or oratory, with doors closed, voice lowered, and bells not rung;

2°. But in the cathedral church, parish churches, or in the church which is the only one in the town, and in those alone, there are permitted the celebration of one Mass, reservation of the Most Holy Sacrament, administration of baptism, the Eucharist, penance, assistance at marriages, with the nuptial blessing excluded, funerals of the dead, yet with any solemnity forbidden, blessing of baptismal water and of the sacred oils, preaching of the word of God. Nevertheless in these sacred functions there is prohibited chant and pomp in sacred furnishings and the sound of bells, organs, or other musical instruments; but sacred Viaticum is to be carried privately to the sick (Can. 2271).

I say 4°. § 1. In a particular local interdict, if an altar or chapel of some church has been interdicted, no sacred office or sacred rite is to be celebrated in them.

§ 2. If a cemetery has been interdicted, the bodies of the faithful indeed can be buried there, but without any ecclesiastical rite.

§ 3. If it has been brought against a certain church or oratory:

1°. If the church was capitular and the Chapter has not been interdicted, the prescription of can. 2271, n. 1, is valid, unless the decree of interdict prescribes that conventual Mass be celebrated and the canonical hours recited in another church or oratory;

2°. If it was parochial, let the prescription of the cited can. 2271, n. 2, be observed, unless the decree of interdict substitutes another church for it for the time of the interdict (Can. 2272).

I say 5°. When a city is interdicted, accessory places also remain interdicted, even exempt ones, and the cathedral church itself; when a church is interdicted, contiguous chapels are interdicted, but not the cemetery; when a chapel is interdicted, the whole church is not interdicted, nor, when a cemetery is interdicted, is the church contiguous to it interdicted, but all oratories erected in the cemetery are interdicted (Can. 2273).

I say 6°. § 1. If a community or college has perpetrated a delict, interdict can be brought either against the individual delinquent persons, or against the community as such, or against the delinquent persons and against the community.

§ 2. If the first, let the prescription of can. 2275 be observed.

§ 3. If the second, the community or college cannot exercise any spiritual right which belongs to it.

§ 4. If the third, the effects are cumulated (Can. 2274).

In the first case the things to be said concerning personally interdicted persons are valid; in the second, it loses the spiritual right of electing to certain offices; in the third, they both lose rights and are prohibited from all those things which it is forbidden for personally interdicted persons to do.

Question 1. What is prohibited to personally interdicted persons?

Resp. Personally interdicted persons:

1°. Cannot celebrate divine offices or assist at them, with the preaching of the word of God excepted; those assisting passively need not be expelled; but from active assistance, which carries with itself some participation in celebrating divine offices, interdicted persons are to be repelled after a condemnatory or declaratory sentence has been brought, or otherwise notoriously interdicted persons;

2°. They are prohibited from ministering, confecting, and receiving Sacraments and Sacramentals, according to the norm of can. 2260, § 1, 2261;

3°. They also are bound by the prescription of can. 2265;

4°. They lack ecclesiastical burial according to the norm of can. 1240, § 1, n. 2 (Can. 2275).

Therefore these sin gravely, 1°. by celebrating these offices or assisting at them, unless it is preaching at which the interdicted person assists; those assisting passively are not to be expelled; after sentence or notoriously interdicted persons are to be repelled from active assistance; 2°. by ministering or confecting sacraments or sacramentals, unless according to the norm for excommunicated persons, they sin gravely.

Question 2. Is it licit for him who is subject to interdict and has not given cause for it to receive the sacraments?

Resp. He who is subject to a local interdict or to an interdict against a community or college, without having given cause for the same, and is prohibited by no other censure, can, if he is rightly disposed, receive the Sacraments, according to the norm of the preceding canons, without absolution from the interdict or any other satisfaction (Can. 2276).

Question 3. What prohibition does interdict from entering a church carry with it?

Resp. Interdict from entering a church carries with it the prohibition lest someone celebrate divine offices in a church or assist at the same or have ecclesiastical burial; but if he assists, it is not necessary that he be expelled, nor, if he is buried, is it necessary that the corpse be removed (Can. 2277).

The celebration of offices in a church, assistance at the same, and ecclesiastical burial are prohibited by this interdict.