Catholic Controversies:
The Matter of The Blessed Sacrament
Pope Michael's Reply: Decree On The Blessed Sacrament
- Matter of The Blessed Sacrament Controversy - I
- Matter of The Blessed Sacrament Controversy - II
- Sacred Congregation of the Sacraments, 1929 - Decree On The Blessed Sacrament
CANON 815
Renovation of the Sacred Particles (Reply, S. C. Sacr.) AAS 11-8.
This Sacred Congregation of the Sacraments is informed that in certain dioceses some rural deans or pastors have the practice of providing and of distributing to their own and to the filial churches every two or three months, hosts for Mass and for the Holy Communion of the faithful. After the lapse of the aforesaid period of time, a new supply is similarly provided, which in turn is to last two or three months, and so on. And the question has been asked:
Question. Whether such a practice of using for the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist hosts which are two or three months old can be approved.
Reply. The Sacred Congregation, after full and mature consideration replied: In the negative, and let the prescription of the Roman Ritual and of the Code of Canon Law be observed.
The Roman Ritual (tit. IV, cap.
I, De Sanctissimo Eucharistiae Sacramento) provides: "The pastor should frequently renew the particles of the Most Holy Eucharist. The hosts or particles to be consecrated must be fresh; and when he has consecrated these, let him distribute or consume the old ones first."
In the Code the following provisions are made: Canon 815 states, "The bread (for the Sacrifice of the Mass) must be pure wheat bread and recently made, so that there shall be no danger of corruption. The wine must be natural wine of the grape, and incorrupt."
Canon 1272: "Hosts which are consecrated either for the Communion of the faithful or for the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament must be freshly made and frequently renewed, the old ones being duly consumed so that there shall be no danger of corruption, and the instructions which the Ordinary of the place may have issued on this matter must be carefully observed."
Because of the very great reverence which is due to the Most Blessed Eucharist, this Sacred Congregation orders that this Reply be published in all the ecclesiastical papers of the various dioceses, so that it may more easily become known to all and be faithfully and religiously observed by those whom it concerns.
AAS 11-8; S. C. Sam, Reply, 7 Dec., 1918. Periodica, 10-59 (Vermeersch).
Mass Wine: Treated with Sulphurous Anhydride, Etc. (Holy Office) Private.
The Holy Office was asked by the Archbishop of Tarracona: Whether in the Sacrifice of the Mass, wine may be used which is made from the juice of the grape, treated with sulphurous anhydride or with potassium bisulphite.
Reply. In the affirmative.
(Private) ; Holy Office, 2 Aug., 1922.
Not published in the AAS; cf. Il Monitore, Oct., 1923, p. 289.
Instruction of the S. C. Sacr. to the Most Reverend Ordinaries Regarding 'Certain Faults to Be Avoided and Certain Requirements to Be Observed in Performing the Sacrifice of the Mass and in Distributing and Reserving the Sacrament of the Eucharist (S. C. Sacr.) AAS 21-631.
Our Lord and Savior left an admirable pledge and a tower of strength for the salvation of the souls of men when He instituted the Most August Sacrament of the Eucharist, and commanded them to come to Him in these words: "Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day" (John vi, 54, 55).
It is for this reason that Holy Mother Church has always been solicitous in exhorting the faithful to be frequently nourished with this heavenly bread, even as were the first Christians, who "were persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts ii, 42). To this end also the Sacred Congregation which is in charge of the interpretation of the laws of the Council of Trent, on 20 Dec., 1905, issued a Decree "regarding the daily reception of the Most Blessed Eucharist," beginning with the words
Sacra Tridentina Synodus,1 to which was added the Decree of the S. C. Sacr., of 8 Aug., 1910, "regarding the age of those to be admitted to first Communion," beginning with the words,
Quam singulari.2 Added impulses of no slight moment also were given to the promotion of this salutary practice by the Eucharistic Congresses which, first instituted by Leo XIII of happy memory, have since been celebrated everywhere with solemn ceremony, and have done wonders to enliven the faith and foster the piety of the people.
Meanwhile the Church has always used the greatest care to prevent abuses from creeping into the consecration, reception, and reservation of so great a Sacrament. Wherefore, this Sacred Congregation which is in charge of the discipline of the sacraments, having learned in the course of its work that there were some abuses to be corrected in this regard, or some laws and prescriptions already enacted which ought to be recalled into practice, has decided to decree, enact, and declare the following, first as regards the preparation of the matter for the Sacrament of the Eucharist; and secondly as regards its reception and administration; and thirdly as regards the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament during the last three days of Holy Week.
I
For since this Sacrament is made up not only of form, but also of matter, it is necessary that this latter be most carefully preserved in its substance. Now, the matter which by divine institution, in virtue of the words of consecration, serves in the divine Sacrifice and in the consecration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, is twofold; namely, bread and wine.
Of the substance of this matter, the Code, in c. 815, � 1, declares: "The bread must be pure wheat bread, and freshly made, so that there be no danger of corruption"; and � 2 of the same canon declares: "The wine must be natural wine of the grape, and not corrupted." It follows that bread made of any other substance, or to which has been added so great a quantity of any other substance than wheat that according to common estimation it cannot be said to be wheat bread, cannot be valid matter for the performance of the Sacrifice and the consecration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
Similarly that wine, or rather liquor, cannot be regarded as valid matter, which is extracted from apples or other fruits, or which is made chemically, although it have the color of wine, and may be said in a way to contain its elements; nor wine to which water has been added in a greater or equal quantity.
In fact, matter is to be regarded as dubious, and hence is not to be used, if a
notable quantity of any other substance has been added to the wheat or to the wine, even though that other substance be not present in greater or equal quantity; for it is criminal to expose so great a Sacrament to the danger of nullity.
To this end those who prepare this matter should be thoroughly acquainted with the Decrees of the Holy Office of 4 May, 1887, 30 July. 1890, 15 Apr., 1891, 25 June, 1891, and 5 Aug., 1896.1
It will be well to repeat those provisions which more closely concern our subject:
"The Bishop of Carcassonne proposed to the Sacred Congregation two remedies to be used either when the wine was diluted with too much water, or when the wine itself was changed so as to become very weak or be in danger of corruption: (1) that there be added to the natural wine a small quantity of alcohol carefully prepared by the proprietors themselves from true wine (v.g., 15 to 20 per cent), and that the danger of corruption be thus averted; (2) that the wine be boiled up to 65 degrees; for then, when it cools, although diminished in quantity, it is free from all danger of corruption.
And the Bishop asked whether these procedures could be used in wine for the Sacrifice of the Mass, and which of the two were preferable.
The Sacred Congregation replied on 4 May, 1887: Use the boiled wine."'
Again, the Vicar Apostolic of Tche-li in China reported: "Since it is difficult to buy pure wine in Europe, and still more difficult, after one has bought it at a rather high price, to transport it to China, without having it fraudulently adulterated in transit, it has for many years seemed to the missionaries of this vicariate to be safer and easier to make wine for the Sacrifice of the Mass in this country itself. But the grapes which can be obtained in the northern part contain too little sugar; so that the wine made from them for the Sacrifice of the Mass has but a weak content of alcohol and hence can scarcely be preserved from corruption, especially in view of the long and intense heat of the summer which is very likely to cause the wine to spoil.
"This difficulty is obviated and a wine is obtained which can safely be used and is besides not displeasing in appearance, taste, and bouquet, if to one hundred pounds of freshly bruised grapes are added ten pounds of cane sugar (sugar made from a grassy plant botanically called
saccharum officinarum, or in French
canne a sucre), and if this mass is then fermented in the usual way. When the fermentation ceases there is obtained from every hundred pounds of this mass (containing, as above explained, nine pounds of sugar), sixty-seven pounds of wine, which contain, as may be concluded from chemical calculation, practically not more than four and one-half pounds (that is about one-fifteenth part by weight of the entire mass) of alcohol made from the sugar. In other words, by the above process there is obtained a true grape wine which contains about six or seven per cent of alcohol which is from another source, that is, which is not produced from the grapes....
"And now, a doubt having arisen, we humbly ask: (1) Whether this practice of obtaining wine for the Sacrifice of the Mass is safe; (2) whether it is valid; (3) what if this wine has been used in Masses which are due in justice?"
The Sacred Congregation replied on 25 June, 1891: "It is better to add to the wine which is intended for the Sacrifice of the Mass, spirits or alcohol which has been made from grapes, in such quantity that, added to that which the wine already naturally contains, it will not exceed twelve per cent. This admixture should be made when the so-called tumultuous fermentation has begun to go down;
et ad mentem: the mind of the Sacred Congregation is that if the missionaries are unable themselves to obtain grape alcohol from the wine of the country, let them add raisins to the wine or wines of the country and ferment the whole mass together."'
Therefore, if the bread or the wine is corrupt or in any other way substantially changed, it is evident that the substances which result from these changed or corrupted qualities can no longer be suitable matter for the consecration of the Eucharist. For this reason care must also be taken that the wine which is prepared for the Mass be not allowed to remain too long in the bottle or cruet so that it easily turn sour; also that part of the 'wine be not furtively drawn off and water substituted for it.
When the words of consecration have been pronounced by a legitimate minister, and when valid matter has been used, Christ our Lord is already present entire under both species, and indeed under every part of either species, as the Council of Florence declared in the Decree
pro Armenis, which was confirmed by the sacred Synod of Trent (Sess. 13, can. 3); a truth which the Angelic Doctor had already beautifully expressed in these words,
memento tantum esse sub fragmento quantum toto tegitur.
For this reason the Rubrics of the Roman Missal enjoin upon the priest who celebrates that whenever any fragment of the host falls on the corporal or the paten or adheres to his fingers, he must pick it up carefully, even though it be very small.
Hence it is not to be wondered at that according to the old laws grave penalties were provided against a priest if through his negligence a drop of the Precious Blood were spilled.
Wherefore, it is already clear what great care priests ought to take to perform this great Sacrament rightly, to see that the matter of both kinds, that is, the bread and the wine, be prepared under every safeguard, especially in these times when an insatiable thirst for gain basely tempts many persons to adulterate many substances in such a way that instead of serving for the nourishment of the body they rather do it harm.
For many substances are now chemically synthesized, which have the appearance of the genuine article, without the natural substance; and the same result is produced by fraudulently substituting one thing for another in such a way that the fraud is often hard to detect even by chemical analysis.
Now, in order to be sure of the genuine matter of the bread and wine which is absolutely required in consecrating so great a Sacrament, it will certainly be better, unless the priest have both of these substances made at home, to obtain them from persons who are very expert in them and who actually grind the wheat or press the wine from the grapes; and who, besides, being above all suspicion, can safely certify that they have absolutely without any fraud, made the hosts from wheat alone, and pressed the wine from grapes alone.
II
In the administration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist no less care is to be taken that no fragments of the consecrated hosts be lost, since in every one of them the entire Body of Christ is present. Hence, care must especially be taken that particles be not easily separated from the hosts and fall to the ground, where, alas, they would be mixed with the dirt and trodden under foot!
To prevent such accidents it is necessary that the hosts be also well made, and made by persons who are not only of irreproachable honesty but have some experience in making them, and who have the proper equipment. Hence, in some places the function of preparing hosts and wine for the Sacrament has, with commendable forethought and with happy results, been assigned to religious of both sexes.
And what the Rubrics of the Missal enjoin upon the priest about to celebrate; namely, that in preparing the chalice he remove carefully any fragments that may be adhering to the host, should also be done before the particles which are intended for the Communion of the faithful are placed in the ciborium by the person charged with that office. For this purpose it will be well not to throw the particles in a heap into the ciborium, but to place them all nicely in it.
So that the priest may more easily collect the fragments from the corporal, the latter must be free from those little pieces of wax which usually fall from the candles which are lighted upon the altar, for when the particles are mixed with these they can sometimes hardly be distinguished. And so care must be taken that the corporal which is to receive the most sacred Body of Christ be kept always white, and free from every stain; so, too, the altar cloths, the pall, and the linen cloth which is used to wipe the chalice, must be clean.
But to prevent particles from falling on the ground, either directly or from the communion cloth, when the priest gives Communion to the faithful, a very prudent practice has arisen during nearly the last fifty years, of using a small paten made of metal, which is placed under the chin of the communicant. For particles are held in such a paten more easily and safely than on the communion cloth, and they can more easily be seen and picked up by the priest.
And the Sacred Congregation of Rites, when it was questioned on this practice on 16 March, 1876, gave no adverse judgment, but replied
non esse interloquendum; and hence this practice began to gain ground in many places and has become widespread.
The sacred particles of the Eucharistic Sacrament are sometimes scattered through another cause, when on a special occasion, either by permission of the Holy See or when the law gives the Ordinaries the faculty of permitting it, Mass is said in the open air, and the wind may be blowing. To prevent the scattering of the fragments, care should be taken that the altar where Mass is to be said be protected by panels on three sides; or that an awning be put up over the altar coming down on three sides in the form of a shrine; or that protection be afforded in some other way consistent with the reverence due to so great a Sacrament.
III
As regards the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament on the last three days of Holy Week, it is reserved for the celebration of the Mass of the Presanctified, and to give Communion to the sick.
a) The Sacred Host for the Mass of the Presanctified is to be reserved in a chapel in the church, decorated as beautifully as possible with candles and draperies, which, however, should not be black or mournful, and flowers, without relics or representations of the saints or the Blessed Virgin or St. John the Evangelist, and without any statues representing the scenes of the Passion.
The tabernacle where the chalice with the Sacred Host is to be deposited should be so constructed that the chalice is not seen by the adorers, and should be locked; it is not allowed to place seals over the door of the tabernacle. This is provided for by the Rubrics of the Roman Missal and the Decree. of the Sacred Congregation of Rites.
In Decree n. 3939,
Romana, of the S. C. Rit., we have the following: "Whether in the decoration of the aforesaid altar (namely, that of the repository), it is permitted to use statues or pictures of the Blessed Virgin, St. John the Evangelist, St. Mary Magdalene, and the soldiers," etc.
Reply: "In the negative. Bishops may tolerate such representations where an old custom exists; but they should see to it that no new customs in this matter are introduced" (15 Dec., 1896).
And n. 2873,
Narnien: "To whom is the key of this little door (that is, the key to the door of the tabernacle in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved on Holy Thursday) to be given?"
Reply: "According to other Decrees, it is to be given to the canon or priest who is to celebrate on the following day" (7 Dec., 1844).
To the same effect are Decrees nn. 635, 813, 912, 2335, 2830, 2833, 2904, and 579.
b) For giving Communion to the sick, in parish churches and other churches from which the Blessed Sacrament is usually taken, some consecrated particles are to be reserved in a ciborium, and as regards the reservation of this ciborium, the following should be observed.
According to the mind of the Rubrics, this ciborium should be kept outside the church, that is, near the sacristy in a fitting and convenient place, where the Blessed Sacrament is to be kept with becoming reverence, not, however, exposed for the adoration of the faithful, but only kept for the purpose of giving Communion to the sick.
Such a fitting and convenient place is a chapel near the church, or the sacrarium itself, or some small compartment of the sacrarium which is safe and suitable; or even a suitable place in the parish house, which is separated from domestic and profane uses and remote from all danger of irreverence. There let the tabernacle be prepared; it should be closed with lock and key, and before it a lamp should be kept burning all the time. The reposition should be made on Holy Thursday itself.
Where such a fitting place is not available, the sacred ciborium is to be kept from the Mass of Holy Thursday until the Mass of the Presanctified in the "sepulcher" itself, as the repository is commonly called, behind the chalice; but from the Mass of the Presanctified until the Mass of Holy Saturday, in some more remote and secret chapel of the church, where a lamp should be kept burning. If there is no suitable place except the chapel of the "sepulcher," the ciborium should remain in the "sepulcher," until Holy Saturday. A lamp should be lighted before the "sepulcher," and the other lights should be extinguished, even those that were used for decoration of the "sepulcher" being now removed. If in any church the solemnities of Holy Thursday are not held, the sacred ciborium may be kept in its altar until sunset of Holy Thursday; and from that time until Holy Saturday it should be put in one of the places above indicated.
For the rest, it is left to the prudent discretion of the Bishops, whenever any difficulty arises in the observance of these prescriptions, to decide which of the places mentioned is more suitable; and if any considerable abuses creep in regarding this matter, to take care that they be done away with.
Wherefore the Sacred Congregation, at the plenary session of 23 March, 1929, after full consideration and discussion, decided to make the following prescriptions to the Most Reverend Ordinaries:
1. After giving due consideration to the remarks, precepts, and decisions herein contained, let the Ordinaries as soon as possible require that they be most carefully observed by the rectors of churches, and under their leadership by others who serve at the altar, so that the Sacrifice of the Altar be safeguarded from all danger of nullity and from every occasion of irreverence.
2. Let them also see to it that in all dioceses or cities or towns, according to the nature of the place, there be some fit persons who are above all suspicion, especially religious of both sexes, from whom the rectors of churches may secure, unless they already have it at hand, matter of both species for the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Eucharist, such as can be used with a safe conscience.
3. Likewise as regards the making of hosts, rectors must be watchful that no particles such as easily adhere to the hosts remain there; they should see to it that these be removed carefully and cautiously before Mass, and that if a large number of hosts are to be put out, they be at least gently shaken in a sieve.
4. They should exercise a very vigilant supervision to see that none but fresh hosts be consecrated, and that the sacred particles reserved in the ciborium be frequently renewed (canon 1272; Roman Ritual, tit. IV, cap. 1, n. 7); and to this end they should strive to have the tabernacles where the Blessed Sacrament is kept, protected as far as possible from dampness or extreme cold; for humidity tends to make the hosts lose their crispness, while cold makes them brittle.
5. In distributing Holy Communion to the faithful, in addition to the white linen cloth spread before the communicants, according to the Rubrics of the Missal, the Ritual, and the Bishops' Ceremonial, a paten should be used, which should be of silver or gilded metal, but not engraved on the inside, and which should be held by the faithful themselves under their chins, except in the case where Holy Communion is given by a Bishop, or by a prelate in pontificals, or in a solemn Mass, when a priest or deacon who is in attendance may hold the paten under the chins of the communicants.
6. The faithful should be carefully instructed not to incline or invert the paten while they hold it under their chins or hand it to the priest or to another communicant, in such a way that any particles that may be on it will fall off and be lost.
7. Any fragments which may be on the paten after the Communion of the faithful, when it has been distributed during Mass, must be carefully brushed into the chalice with the finger; if Communion has been given outside of Mass, they should be carefully brushed into the ciborium.
It is not, however, the mind of the Sacred Congregation to condemn the patens, of whatever form they may be, which are now used in certain churches, provided they be made of metal, not engraved on the inside, and be suitable to catch the sacred fragments.
8. Finally, let the Ordinaries strive to have the rectors keep the altars scrupulously clean, together with the sacred furnishings, especially those which serve to receive the sacred Species: and let them take notice that the observance of the above prescriptions is a grave burden upon their consciences.
9. As regards the reservation of the Sacred Hosts for the Communion of the sick on the last three days of Holy Week, Ordinaries of places should bear in mind the intention of the Rubrics and of the Decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites; the hosts are not reserved for public veneration; in fact, that is prohibited; yet every effort must be made that, especially as regards the place, the Sacrament of the Eucharist be not deprived of the tribute of due honor and elegance.
The Eminent Fathers, moreover, ordered that the Ordinaries of places, within a year after the receipt of this Instruction, inform this Sacred Congregation what measures they have taken in pursuance of the prescriptions herein contained and for the correction of abuses that may have become confirmed.
In the audience of 25 March, 1929, His Holiness, Pius XI, having received the report from the undersigned Secretary of this Sacred Congregation, approved this Instruction and ordered it published; and ordered that it be sent to all Ordinaries of places and regular prelates, so that they might communicate it respectively to priests and to members of religious institutes.
Annotations of the Secretary, Officially Published
1. It is indeed a pleasure to observe how rapidly devotion toward the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist has grown in our time since the celebration of those noted congresses everywhere for the commemoration of that life-giving and wonderful institution which so clearly manifests the boundless charity of Jesus Christ for the salvation of men. For, as the Supreme Pontiff, Leo XIII, wrote,
"There is nothing more effective to encourage , Catholics both to the vigorous profession of their faith and to the exercise of truly Christian virtues than the nourishment and increase of popular devotion toward that admirable pledge of love which is 'the bond of peace and unity."1
2. Hence, it is not to be wondered at that the same Pontiff left nothing undone to promote Eucharistic Congresses in various parts of the world. Witness his Letter of 16 May, 1881, when the First International Eucharistic Congress was held in the city of Lille, from the 28th to the 30th of June of that year, in which he gave utterance to his joy on that occasion and with special benevolence bestowed his apostolic blessing upon all who attended that Congress. Moreover, on the 22nd of August of that year, on receiving a report of the Congress from its President, the Pontiff wrote him a letter in which he offered inducements for the greater and greater propagation of such congresses, in these words: "Continue therefore, beloved sons, in your work; go on increasing the number of your members; propagate the institution in which you are enlisted, and strive to enkindle in all hearts the fire of divine charity which He came to cast upon earth, and which He especially desired to enkindle through the Sacrament of the Eucharist."
3. Again on the 28th of May, 1892, he sent an Encyclical to the Bishops of all the world,
"On the Most Blessed Eucharist" beginning with the words, Mirae caritatis.
4. The Supreme Pontiff, Pius X, in like manner ordered the publication of that Decree of 20 Dec., 1905, which can never be sufficiently extolled, in which he commended to the faithful the daily reception of the Most Blessed Eucharist, and gave them timely injunctions for receiving it in a holy and salutary manner. Moreover, on 7 Aug., 1910, he desired another Decree to be issued regarding the age at which boys and girls should be admitted to their first Eucharistic Communion, ordaining that Holy Communion could and should be given to them when they attained the age of discretion, that is, the beginning of the use of reason.
5. We know that both of these Decrees were confirmed by the Rescript of the Supreme Pontiff, Benedict XV, issued by the Secretariate of State pursuant to the audience of 26 June, 1916, which was entitled
De Eucharistica puerorum utriusque sexus Communione ad mentem Summi Pontificis die 30 mensis Julii solemni ritu promovendal on which occasion a general Communion of children was ordered, to the end that the dreadful war which was so cruelly devastating nearly all Europe should end at last and leave the world in peace.
It will be worth while to quote the tenor of that Decree: "His Holiness Benedict XV, by Divine Providence Pope, who has nothing more at heart than the pious and exact observance of the Decrees, Sacra Tridentina Synodus, and Quam Singulari, which were issued by order of his Predecessor of happy memory, Pius X . . . deigned to issue the following order: that all and each of the Ordinaries of places in Europe should make a supreme effort that on the 30th of the coming month of July, which will be a Sunday, in the churches and oratories of each one's diocese, all the children of both sexes receive Holy Communion for the intention of the Holy Father as solemnly as possible, all things to the contrary notwithstanding."
6. Finally the Supreme Pontiff, Pius XI, now gloriously reigning, in order to foster and increase more and more that same devotion to the Most Blessed Eucharist, on 24 May, 1922, solemnly blessed and was present at the Twenty-Sixth International Eucharistic Congress. Well known, too, are the words which the same Supreme Pontiff pronounced in the Allocution held on 17 Dec., 1928, regarding these Eucharistic Congresses: "Everyone knows how much and how wonderfully the other International Eucharistic Congresses which have been held have contributed to arouse in the people the spirit of faith, to foster piety, and to restore the Christian manner of life."'
7. And on 20 Dec., 1908, on the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of his priesthood, he most lovingly gave Communion to the little ones in the Oratory of St. Peter, who were receiving Our Lord for the first time.
8. Finally, on 25 July of this year, 1929, in thanksgiving to the Good Lord for the treaty entered into between the Holy See and the King of Italy, a treaty which was the harbinger of peace between the two powers, there occurred a most joyous event. That evening the common Father of the faithful marched forth at last in solemn state from the great Basilica of St. Peter's, accompanied by very many men of the highest rank and by a great number of students for sacred orders, and bearing in solemn procession the Host of Peace, amid transports of joy from the immense throngs assembled.
Nature herself, through the mild evening air and the lingering sunlight, seemed to join in the general rejoicing.
9. And therefore, while it is a matter of congratulation that splendid results have been obtained from this reawakened devotion to the Most Blessed Eucharist, prudence dictates that so great a Sacrament be protected from dangers of irreverence. To this end this Sacred Congregation which is in charge of the discipline of the sacraments, mindful of the precepts laid down by the Code of Canon Law, by the Councils, and especially by that of Trent, in regard to the reception of this great Sacrament, has issued this Instruction. For the reverence that is required in handling and receiving this Sacrament is declared by the Roman Catechism which was issued in pursuance of the Decree of the Council of Trent in these notable words:
"Just as among all the sacred mysteries which Our Lord and Savior commended to us as most certain means of grace, there is none that is comparable to the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist: so, too, there is no graver punishment to be feared from God for any crime than that which must be feared if a thing which is full of all holiness, or rather which contains the Author and Source of holiness Himself, were treated by the faithful without sacredness and without religious observance."'
10. Rightly, therefore, did this Sacred Congregation endeavor by this Instruction to provide norms for treating sacredly and receiving religiously this divine Sacrament; norms which concern the altar where the Holy Sacrifice is offered, the table where the Eucharist is received, the tabernacle where the Sacred Host is kept, and the matter from which it is consecrated, to wit, bread and wine; bread which must be made of wheat, and wine pressed from grapes. Hence, the making of these materials is to be carefully looked to in order to avoid all danger of invalidity or irreverence, just as the very cloths which cover the altar, and the other articles which are used upon it, are required to be perfect and clean.
11. For the same reason the Sacred Congregation ceaselessly urges the ministers of the altar to remove the danger of loss of the sacred fragments in distributing Communion to the faithful; and hence it orders that a paten be used. They must also take care to provide for proper custody of the Most Blessed Eucharist during the triduum of the Passion of Our Lord, that is, by seeing that the reservation be made in a sacred and religious manner.
12. It is left to the prudent initiative of the pastors to see to it that especially in churches situated in large cities, the altar where the tabernacle which contains the Blessed Sacrament is, be easily distinguished by the faithful from all the other altars, by some certain and conspicuous mark, for the sake of avoiding irreverence toward it; and the pastors should for this purpose instruct the faithful that when they enter a church they should show their greatest reverence, as is only right, to the Blessed Sacrament.
13. Finally, the Most Reverend Ordinaries, both those of places and those of persons, and priests both secular and religious, are earnestly requested to use their most diligent efforts to see that none of the provisions of this Instruction, looking to the sacred and religious treatment of the Blessed Sacrament, be disregarded, to the injury of that great Sacrament to which all the others are subordinate. To this end let all strive in accordance with these prescriptions, which are now confirmed by His Holiness, Pius XI, through his supreme authority.
D. Jorio, Secretary.
AAS 21-631; S. C. Sam, Instruction, 26 March, 1929. Periodica, 18-305 (Pauwels).