Article III. On the Obligation of Ministering the Sacraments

I say. Priests having the care of souls are bound under grave obligation from justice to minister the sacraments to their subjects reasonably asking. For by undertaking the care of souls, they have bound themselves to this by a tacit contract entered into with their subjects, from whom they receive sustenance or at least honor. But others not having the care of souls are not bound from justice to minister the sacraments; sometimes, however, they are bound from charity, namely in a grave necessity of the neighbor. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 58. Cf. Can. 467.

You Will Resolve. 1st. Those having the care of souls sin gravely not only if they deny their ministry without reason, but also if they often show themselves morose and difficult; because thus they deter the faithful from the sacraments, which is the same as if they denied the sacraments.

2nd. Nevertheless, mortal sin is not present, setting aside the case of grave scandal, if they deny the Sacrament of Penance or of the Eucharist to one or another, or to the same one once or again, asking apart from necessity; because the harm can easily be repaired, nor is the subject thereby judged to be gravely unwilling.

3rd. If subjects ask irrationally, there is no sin. Hence the Parish Priest is not bound to spend time every day with a scrupulous person or with little devout persons, since so frequent confession is not expedient for them, nor do they themselves have a strict right to such frequent absolution.

4th. If the Parish Priest has suitable Vicars, he will not be bound so rigorously to hear the confessions of his subjects; yet he must satisfy the faithful who expressly require him by name, unless either he is impeded or the penitents would willingly approach another confessor.

5th. Generally speaking, those who have charge of souls sin gravely who are unwilling to hear the confessions of their subjects except on a few determined days within the month; because they are the cause why the faithful remain long in the state of sin and are kept from receiving the sacraments. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 58 and elsewhere passim.

Question. Are any sacraments, and which ones, to be ministered even with danger of death, whether by those having the care of souls or by others?

Resp. Only two, namely Baptism and Penance. For, on the one hand, the eternal life of the neighbor must be valued more highly than the temporal life of the Minister of the sacraments, and, on the other, only the two aforesaid sacraments are necessary for salvation.

Observe, however, 1st. that those who have the care of souls are bound to expose life not only in extreme necessity, but also in grave necessity, while other Ministers are bound to this only in extreme necessity; 2nd. that this obligation ceases when only a probability of success or necessity is present. - Hence you are not bound to expose your life for baptizing or absolving someone if you probably must perish before you can fulfill it, or if you probably presume that he has been baptized, or is not living in the state of mortal sin, or even can easily provide for himself through an act of perfect contrition. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 58; and de praec. caritatis, n. 27.