Thesaurus responsorum ex « Notitiae » - Notitiae Response Database
[Part of Ipsissima-Verba]

Hoc in situ interretiali ordinantur responsiones, explanationes, et decreta ex « Notitiae » aliisque interdum fontibus (ut AAS) deprompta. Finis est praestare textum originalem, versionem anglicam, et exemplar PDF paginarum pertinentium ex « Notitiae » vel alio fonte. Praesens igitur inceptum opusculum « Ordo Missae locis correspondentibus illustratus » aliquatenus extendit. Est enim labor imperfectus quem, cum operae mihi est, suscipio. Denique Reverendo domino Danieli Gill, domino Radosław Gosiewski, et domino Abram Córdova y Muenzberg, qui nonnullas ex responsionibus transcripserunt, gratias refero, item etiam domino Ioanni Oliveire dominaeque Cristae Mootz, qui in linguam anglicam responsiones quasdam verteri adiuvaverunt. Exemplaria PDF exstant etiam textuum nondum transcriptorum. This website organizes responses, explanations, and decrees from Notitiae and sometimes from other sources (such as AAS. The goal is to provide the original text, an English translation, and a PDF scan of the relevant pages from Notitiae or other source. In some ways, the project is a further development of my Cross-Referenced Ordo Missae. This is an ongoing prject which I work on in my spare time. I am also grateful for the help of Rev. Daniel Gill, Mr. Radosław Gosiewski, and Mr. Abram Córdova y Muenzberg in transcribing some of these responses and also to Mr. Johan Oliveire and Miss Crista Mootz for helping to translate certain responses into English. PDFs are available even for texts that have not yet been transcribed.
Fac Patrem Dylanum Schrader certiorem si habes proposita vel corrigenda. Contact Father Dylan Schrader with suggestions and corrections.
N.B. In « Notitiae » 1 (1965) et 2 (1966), supra responsa, invenitur monitio: Solutio quae proponitur nullam induit vestem officialem. Solummodo habet valorem orientativum: solutiones enim ex officio publici iuris fient, si casus fert, a competenti Auctoritate in « Acta Apostolicae Sedis ». N.B. In Notitiae 1 (1965) and 2 (1966), this notice appears above the responses: The solution which is proposed takes on no official character. It has only an orientative force; solutions will be published officially, if the case warrants, by the competent Authority in « Acta Apostolicae Sedis ».

The responses below have been filtered. Show all responses instead.

Use this link to display only the responses which appear below: http://notitiae.ipsissima-verba.org/show/156.

TextUnofficial English TranslationCitationTagsPDF of the original document

Serpens invaluit aliquando usus accipiendi propria manu, ex parte communicantis, sacram Particulam directe e pixide, seu vasculo vel patena, vel ex altari calicem cum pretioso Sanguine, sicut facit sacerdos celebrans, vel minister, qui Communionem de mandato Ordinarii distribuit et seipsum deinde communicat.

Estne hoc « self service » admissum?

℟. Minime gentium. Gestus a Christo Domino in institutione Eucharistiae peractus, aptius et dignius exprimitur quando panis consecratus fideli revera datur. Vide:

Mt 26, 26: « accepit Iesus panem ... fregit deditque discipulis suis et ait: Accipite ».
27: « accipiens calicem ... dedit illis ».

Mc 14, 22: « accepit Iesus panem ... fregit et dedit eis et ait: Sumite ».
23: « et accepto calice ... dedit eis ».

Lc 22, 19: « accepto pane ... fregit et dedit eis ».
20: « similiter et calicem ».

Hac ratione in ritu « de Sacra Communione et de cultu mysterii Eucharistici extra Missam » (typis pol. Vaticanis 1973) n. 21, quarta alinea [sic], dicitur: « Sacra Communio distribui debet a competenti ministro, qui panis consecrati particulam communicanti ostendat et porrigat ».

Maluit sancta Ecclesia ministros extraordinarios sacrae Communionis multiplicari, et quidem sive viros sive mulieres, quam tolerare ut gestus biblicus deperderetur.

Insuper, etiam cum Conferentia quaedam Episcopalis petiit et ab Apostolica Sede obtinuit facultatem permittendi ut sacra Communio distribuatur in manu fidelium (cf. Instr. Memoriale Domini, 29 maii 1969), hic communicandi modus nullo modo imponi potest, sed semper libertas et possibilitas danda est communicandi more tradito. Quod non eveniret si fideles deberent particulam consecratam directe e vaso sacro sumere.

Proinde facultas sumendi manu propria consecratum Panem non conceditur nec concedetur. Praxis, si quae irrepsit, opportuna catechesi, et si necesse est interventu auctoritatis localis, tollenda est.

The practice has sometimes crept on the part of the communicant of taking by his own hand the sacred Particle directly from the ciborium, vessel, or paten, or the chalice with the precious Blood from the altar like the priest celebrant; or the minister who by mandate of the Ordinary has distributed Communion also then gives Communion to himself.

Is this « self service » allowed?

℟. Absolutely not. The gesture performed by Christ in the institution of the Eucharist is more fittingly and worthily expressed when the consecrated bread is truly given to the faithful. Consult:

Mt 26, 26: « Jesus took bread ... broke it and gave it to his disciples and said: Take this ».
27: « taking the chalice ... he gave it to them ».

Mc 14, 22: « Jesus took bread ... broke it and gave it to them and said: Eat this ».
23: « and having taken the chalice ... he gave it to them ».

Lc 22, 19: « having taken the bread ... he broke it and gave it to them ».
20: « likewise also the chalice ».

For this reason in the rite « Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist outside Mass » (typis pol. Vaticanis 1973) n. 21, fourth line, it says: « Holy Communion should be distributed by the competent minister who shows to the communicant the particle of consecrated bread and gives it ».

The holy Church has preferred that extraordinary ministers of holy Communion be multiplied, whether men or women, rather than to tolerate that the biblical gesture be abandoned.

Moreover, even when a certain Episcopal Conference has asked and obtained from the Apostolic See the faculty of permitting that holy Communion be distributed in the hand of the faithful (cf. Instr. Memoriale Domini, 29 May 1969), this manner of receiving Communion can in no way be imposed, but the freedom and possibility of receiving Communion in the traditional manner must be granted, which would not arise if the faithful had to take the consecrated particle directly from the sacred vessel.

Therefore, the faculty of taking by one's own hand the consecrated Bread is not granted and will not be granted. The practice, if it has slipped in, with the appropriate catechesis and, if necessary, the intervention of local authority, must be abolished.

Notitiae 10 (1974): 308communion in the hand, communion, extraordinary minister of holy communionPDF of Notitiae 10 (1974): 308