Pollution and reconciliation of a church

If a church or public oratory has been polluted by the perpetration therein of certain crimes, it is forbidden to say Mass there until it has been reconciled. The crimes which pollute a church, provided that they are certain, notorious and committed in the church itself, are: homicide, the grave and injurious shedding of blood, the putting of the church to impious or sordid uses, the burial therein of an unbaptized ' person or of an excommunicated person after a declaratory or condemnatory sentence (Can. 1172). It is not allowed to celebrate the divine offices, to administer the sacraments, or to bury the dead in a polluted church before it has been reconciled.

If the church is only blessed it can be reconciled by its rector or by any priest with the presumed leave at least of the rector. one If the church is consecrated, its reconciliation belongs to the Ordinary of the place or to the higher superior if it is a church of exempt religious, or to a priest delegated by either of them. But in a case of grave and urgent necessity, the rector of a consecrated church can reconcile it and inform his Ordinary afterwards. The reconciliation of a blessed church can be done with common holy water. If the church is consecrated, the water should be specially blessed, but the priest who is deputed to reconcile the church can bless the water as well as the Ordinary (Can. 1176, 1177).

Private oratories are not polluted, even if any of the above crimes be committed in them, and so they do not need reconciliation.

Mass may not be said in a church or oratory which has lost its consecration. This happens when the greater part of it is destroyed at one and the same time, or when a new portion is added to it and what is added is greater than the old part. A church does not lose its consecration if the roof falls in or if the plastering of the walls is renewed. When a church loses its consecration it must be reconsecrated, or at least blessed, before Mass be again said in it.

When a church is polluted the altars in it are also polluted, but altars do not lose their consecration merely because the churches in which they are placed are desecrated. A fixed altar loses its consecration if the altar-stone is loosed from its foundation, and both fixed and portable altars lose their consecration if the tomb where the relics are placed is violated, or in consequence of a large fracture.

"Whether a consecrated Church which served for military stations and watches for two days is to be judged profaned, and therefore needs the reconciliation prescribed by the Roman Pontifical? Resp. That for caution it is to be reconciled." S. R. C. 27 Feb. 1847.

“Is a consecrated church which served for military quarters and watches for two days to be deemed profaned and therefore to need the reconciliation prescribed by the Roman Pontifical?—Response. As a precaution, it is to be reconciled.” Sacred Congregation of Rites, 27 February 1847, Tolentino.

“Is a polluted church said to be reconciled through the celebration of Mass in it?—Response. Negative, and therefore it must be reconciled according to the form prescribed in the Pontifical.” Sacred Congregation of Rites, 19 August 1634, Oppido, response to 2.

388. QUESTION 2. How is a church polluted, and how must it be reconciled?

Reply to the first. A church is polluted or violated when certain base or indecent actions injurious to the sacred place are exercised in it, on account of which it is considered indecent that the immaculate Victim be offered there and the divine Offices celebrated until it is reconciled.

Therefore, a church is polluted: 1. By voluntary and unjust homicide ³. 2. By the shedding of human blood from a blow or a gravely injurious wound. 3. By the voluntary emission of human semen ⁴. 4. By the burial of an unbaptized person or infidel. Except, more probably, if he is a catechumen, because he is not regarded as an infidel. Likewise, if it is an infant whose parents are Christians, because then the parents desire Baptism for him. - Thus Pichler. - Gousset, no. 310, against others. 5. By the burial of a baptized person excommunicated by name; but not if he is indeed excommunicated but is not to be avoided. These things are established from Canon Law. - See St. Lig., no. 362. But in order that a church be regarded as polluted, these crimes must be notorious, so that they can in no way be concealed. They must also be perpetrated in the church itself, and not merely in the tower, roof, sacristy, or other rooms adjoining the church. - St. Lig., nos. 362 and 364.

³ The VV. rightly observe (p. 933, no. 99) that it must be sought from Busembaum (Lib. 6, tr. 3, ch. 3, dub. 4, res. 1) how far unjust homicide extends in this place. Busembaum, from Lugo, speaks thus: A church, as also a cemetery, is violated or polluted... 1. By homicide committed in it which is mortally evil or injurious, at least to the immunity of the Church, such as even that which would otherwise be just by the sentence of a judge, unless, however, a disturber of the Republic could not otherwise be apprehended.

⁴ Understand an emission unlawful either in itself or by reason of the sacred place. Therefore, it would not be polluted by marital intercourse when a just cause for having it was present, for example, to avoid incontinence. See what was said elsewhere, where Sacrilege was treated.

Question 3. In what way must a church already violated be reconciled? Resp. §1. A violated church is to be reconciled as quickly as possible, according to the rites described in approved liturgical books.

§2. If it is doubted whether a church has been violated, it can be reconciled ad cautelam (Can. 1174).

A church violated because of the burial of an excommunicated person or an infidel is not to be reconciled before the corpse has been removed from it, if the removal can be made without grave inconvenience (Can. 1175).

§1. A blessed church can be reconciled by its rector or by any priest with at least the presumed consent of the rector.

§2. The valid reconciliation of a consecrated church belongs to those of whom there is mention in can. 1156.

§3. Yet in a case of grave and urgent necessity, if the Ordinary cannot be approached, it is lawful for the rector of a consecrated church to reconcile the same, with the Ordinary being informed afterward (Can. 1176).

The things which the canons prescribe concerning the interdict, violation, and reconciliation of churches are also applied to cemeteries (Can. 1207).