The Place of Dispensing the Holy Eucharist

I. Ordinary Communion, under which name also comes Communion of devotion to be carried to the sick. Now: Holy Communion can be distributed wherever it is permitted to celebrate Mass, even in a private oratory, unless the local Ordinary, for just causes, has prohibited this in particular cases (canon 869). These things are also to be applied to Easter Communion. It is said wherever it is permitted to celebrate Mass. Hence permission granted either by the local Ordinary or by a major superior according to canon 822, § 4 - that is, of celebrating outside a church and oratory, but in a decent place, never however in a bedroom; which permission can be granted by the said persons, only for a just and reasonable cause, in some extraordinary case, and by way of an act - carries with it permission to distribute Communion in the same place. This is deduced from canon 869 joined with canon 822, § 4.

Hence the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, to question I: "Whether the faithful living in mountain villages, whenever the Holy Eucharist is carried to the sick, can be refreshed by the Holy Synaxis in a sacred place, or even, since it concerns so sacred a thing, in a decent and honorable place which exists on the route, since they cannot go to church on that day"; to that question, I say, it responded: "Affirmatively according to canon 869 joined with canon 822, § 4, that is, provided the local Ordinary grants this according to the norm of the cited prescription, namely for individual cases and by way of an act."¹ And to question II: "Whether Holy Communion and the sacrament of Confession can be administered to those who are in the house of the sick person"; it responded: "As regards Communion, provision has been made in the first response." Moreover, note:

1. In the proposed hypothesis it is not required that Mass in fact be celebrated, but the faculty of celebrating in some place suffices.

2. The power of granting the permission of celebrating of which we have spoken is ordinary, and therefore can be delegated by the local Ordinary and by a major superior.

Corollary. Missionaries who enjoy the faculty of celebrating outside sacred places can minister the Eucharist in a place where in fact they do not celebrate, but where they can celebrate. Likewise pastors who enjoy a faculty received from the Ordinary of permitting Mass to be celebrated outside sacred places can permit Holy Communion to be ministered, even though Mass is not celebrated. But a just cause, some extraordinary case, and that it be done by way of an act are always required.

¹ 5 January 1928 (Acta Apostolicae Sedis 1928, p. 79).

II. Viaticum can be ministered in almost any place. In itself, indeed, it is unbecoming for Viaticum to be carried to a brothel; but if a penitent prostitute cannot in time be removed from such a house, it seems Viaticum can be ministered to her, provided scandal and the danger of positive irreverence are absent. Moreover, let the priest take care not to be deceived and not to suffer harm to his reputation; hence let him have as companion a safe man and indeed, if it can be done, a public minister.

222. c) A suitable place for administering the Eucharist is every place in which it is lawful to celebrate Mass or to reserve the Most Holy Sacrament; nevertheless, for a just cause the Ordinary can in a particular case prohibit Communion in a private oratory²²² or permit it in another becoming place. But Viaticum and the Communion of bedridden sick persons can be distributed in any place when necessity requires it.

²²² Code of Canon Law, c. 869.

Question 16. In what place can Holy Communion be distributed?

Resp. Holy communion can be distributed wherever it is lawful to celebrate Mass, even in a private oratory, unless the local Ordinary, for just causes, has prohibited this in particular cases (Can. 869).¹

It is not lawful for a celebrating priest to distribute the Eucharist within Mass to faithful persons so distant that he himself loses the altar from view (Can. 868).

¹ Cf. Addenda, p. 1148, n. 122.