EUCHARIST

The Most Holy Eucharist is the most august Sacrament, in which Christ the Lord himself is contained, offered and received, and by which the Church constantly lives and grows. (CIC 897)

MINISTERS

1. The minister, who in the person of Christ confects the sacrament of the Eucharist, is solely a validly ordained priest. (CIC 900)

2. When a just cause requires it, priests in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe are allowed to celebrate Eucharist twice a day and three times on Sunday and holy days of obligation. (CIC 905, §2)(1)

3. The celebration of the Eucharist is to be done in accord with the approved liturgical books for the United States. The Third Typical Edition of “the ROMAN MISSAL promulgated by Paul VI is the ordinary expression of the „Lex orandi‟ (Law of prayer) of the Catholic Church of the Latin rite.”(2)

Art. 2. In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may use the ROMAN MISSAL published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962, or the ROMAN MISSAL promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and may do so on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum. For such celebrations, with either one Missal or the other, the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See or from his

Ordinary.

Art. 5. §1. In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier

liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate

the Mass according to the rite of the ROMAN MISSAL published in 1962, and

ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonizes with the ordinary pastoral

care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon

392, avoiding discord and favoring the unity of the whole Church.

§2. Celebration in accordance with the Missal of Bl. John XXIII may take place on

working days; while on Sundays and feast days one such celebration may also

be held.(3)

In the Archdiocese of Santa Fe pastoral consideration for those attending Sunday Eucharist requires that Masses of the extraordinary form (1962 ORDO MISSAE) are to be announced and scheduled before hand so that parishioners have the opportunity to make arrangements to participate in the ordinary form of the Mass if they so desire.

4. The ordinary minister for the distribution of Holy Communion is a bishop, priest or deacon. (CIC 910, §1)

5. The extraordinary minister for the distribution of Holy Communion is a properly instructed and commissioned lay person. See the specific archdiocesan guidelines for extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.

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(1) The Congregation for Divine Worhsip and Discipline of the Sacraments in a letter dated January 9, 1991, indicates that the diocesan bishop, and he alone, “by reason of canon 87, §1, in particular cases (CIC 85), for just and reasonable cause (c. 90, §1), for the spiritual good of the faithful (CIC 87, §1) can grant priests the permission to celebrate three Masses on weekdays and four Masses on Sundays. (2) SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, 2007. (Art. 1) Apostolic Letter In the form of “Motu Proprio”. Benedict XVI. (3) SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, 2007. Art. 2; 5.§1; 5.§2) Apostolic Letter In the form of “Motu Proprio”. Benedict XVI.