Scholion I. On Choral Recitation

I. Existence of the precept. The canonical precept of reciting the office in choir is in force as follows:

1. Any Chapter is bound by the obligation of duly discharging the divine offices in choir daily, with the laws of foundation preserved (can. 413, § 1). Moreover:

a) The divine office comprehends the psalmody of the canonical hours and the celebration with chant of the conventual Mass, besides other Masses to be celebrated either according to the rubrics of the Missal or from pious foundations (can. 413, § 2).

b) All and each who hold a choral benefice are bound to discharge the divine offices in choir itself on individual days, unless service by turns has been granted by the Apostolic See or by the laws of foundation (can. 414). A canon who without just cause was notably absent from choir, that is, for three or four days beyond the time conceded by law, would sin gravely. By law, however, individuals can be absent only three months in the year, whether continuous or interrupted, provided the statutes of their own church or legitimate custom do not require longer service (can. 418, § 1). Bishops are not bound to assist at choir, "because they ought to be free for greater affairs, which are incompatible with assistance at choir" (St. Alphonsus III, 675, doubt 1).

2. In religions, whether of men or women, which have the obligation of choir, in individual houses where there are at least four religious bound to choir and actually not legitimately impeded, and even fewer if the constitutions so provide, the divine office must be discharged in common daily according to the norm of the constitutions (can. 610, § 1). The obligation of choir of which the canon speaks is understood as a canonical obligation, which is had only in religions in which solemn vows are in fact emitted, though not in all. Moreover, that obligation being posited:

a) The burden rests upon the community, so that no one individually is bound to assist at choir, provided choral recitation takes place (St. Alphonsus IV, 143); he sins who is the culpable cause why the choir is taken away.

b) The obligation of choir then only actually presses where in the house there are at least four, or fewer if the constitutions so provide, religious who are both bound to choir and actually not impeded. Hence novices and lay brothers are not counted, because they are not bound to choir; nor are those legitimately impeded by illness or occupations, for example care of the sick or hearing confessions (St. Alphonsus IV, 143).

c) Although novices are not counted if there is question of constituting the obligation of choir, nevertheless the constituted obligation is quite probably satisfied even if only novices assist at choir, because in favorable matters they are reputed religious.

Note. As it is useful to note again, in religions, whether of men or women, in which there is the obligation of choir, the solemnly professed who have been absent from choir must, except for lay brothers, recite the canonical hours privately (can. 610, § 3); but in the same religions those professed by temporary vows are not bound by the law of privately reciting the divine office, unless they are constituted in sacred orders or the constitutions expressly prescribe something else (can. 578, 2nd).

II. Obligation of the precept. 1. The Bishop, if there is question of canons, or the Superior, if there is question of religious, sins gravely if through negligence he permits the office or a notable part of the office to be omitted; but a notable part, as in private recitation (n. 1193), is that which reaches the quantity of a little hour (St. Alphonsus IV, 143).

2. Even a notable inversion in the order of the hours is quite probably only venial, because it touches an accident rather than the substance (St. Alphonsus IV, 171).

III. Time for satisfying the precept. 1. The useful time both for the valid fulfillment of the precept and for satisfying the grave obligation is from midnight to midnight, yet in such a way that Matins and Lauds can be anticipated on the preceding day from the hour of Vespers. For satisfying the light obligation, attending to law alone, Matins must be recited at midnight, Lauds at the beginning of dawn, or Matins with Lauds from dawn until sunrise, Prime at sunrise, Terce in the middle of the morning time, Sext at midday, None in the middle of the afternoon, Vespers before sunset, and Compline after sunset. I said attending to law alone, because a reasonable received custom can be observed. This obligation is only light, because there is question only of an accidental circumstance of the precept.

2. In computing the hours of the day, one must stand by the common use of the place (can. 33, § 1).

IV. The place for satisfying the precept is the church; nevertheless for a just cause the hours can sometimes be recited in the sacristy (St. Alphonsus III, 675; IV, 143).

V. Manner of satisfying the precept. 1. For the psalms the choir must be divided into only two parts, whether there are more on one side or fewer, so that individuals recite alternate verses; for thus the use and practice of the Church has it. Readings, etc., can either be distributed among several persons or said by one (St. Alphonsus IV, 162). One who omits certain things from his own part, whether because he came somewhat late, or because of distraction,¹ or because he is occupied in the office of choir, for example by playing the organ for some moments or transferring books - he, I say, who thus omits certain things, is not bound to supply them, because the choir has supplied them. The same must be said of one "who while others are reciting coughs or spits, even if an entire psalm is said in the meantime," ... likewise of one "who in choir reads through a lesson beforehand, lest he err, when otherwise he would err" (St. Alphonsus IV, 143, note 3), or who, while the others are chanting, prepares himself for this end, that he may complete the lesson with sufficient readiness. The contrary must be said of one who for a long time is occupied by some other business alone, for example merely playing the organ. Likewise, quite probably, one satisfies the office who recites his own part softly and hears the other. Nevertheless canons do not acquire the distributions and fruits of the prebend if they do not sing or chant as the others do; in order to acquire them, they must come together for chanting the office (St. Alphonsus IV, 163, question 1; III, 675, doubts 3 and 4).²

2. One who assists at choir must attend to the things which are recited by the others, because by attending to them he must communicate in them. But he satisfies well who does not distinctly perceive the things recited by the others, whether because he is somewhat deaf, or because of the noise of others, or because of the fault of the choir (St. Alphonsus IV, 163, questions 2 and 3). But one who is deaf and recites his own part indeed gains the distributions, but does not seem to satisfy the obligation of the office unless he recites quietly the things which are said by the other side (St. Alphonsus IV, 163, question 3).

¹ Cf. chapter Dolentes 9, De celebratione missarum.

² Constitution of Benedict XIV Cum semper oblatas, 19 August 1744; Brief of Benedict XIV Dilecte Fili, 19 January 1748.