![]() Whether or not an action is licit is based on the legitimately promulgated laws in place – usually Canon Law – which a priest is required to follow.ĭid the priest follow the rubrics governing the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? Did he knowingly receive Holy Communion while violating the Eucharistic fast? It should be further clarified by example that while the Church has the authority to change the time of the Eucharistic fast, the necessity of being in the state of grace to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion is a matter of divine law and may not be changed. Latin licet, it is lawful, it is allowed or permitted.)” Often distinguished from valid, to express what the law prescribes or allows, as distinct from what is necessary to produce the desired effect. That which is permitted by law, whether civil or ecclesiastical. Father John Hardon, in his Catholic Dictionary, defines it as such: However, besides validity, we also should be concerned with whether or not the Sacraments are licit. This principle is known as ‘ ex opere operantis’. ![]() Although the graces are received, how effective or active they are in the life of the recipient depends on numerous factors the most important being the interior disposition of the recipient. This principle is known as ‘ ex opere operato’. When this occurs, the recipient receives the graces from the Sacrament regardless of the personal sanctity (or lack thereof) of the priest or of the recipient. Have a news tip? Submit news to our tip line.Review of Basic Principles of Sacramental Theologyįor a Sacrament to be validly conferred (i.e., for the recipient to receive the inward grace it signifies), it is necessary for the Sacrament to be conferred using valid matter and form, together with the intention to do what the Church does. The Jubilee Year of Mercy ended on Sunday, November 20. In Sunday's Apostolic Letter, the Pope said,įor the pastoral benefit of these faithful, and trusting in the good will of their priests to strive with God's help for the recovery of full communion in the Catholic Church, I have personally decided to extend this faculty beyond the Jubilee Year, until further provisions are made, lest anyone ever be deprived of the sacramental sign of reconciliation through the Church's pardon. ![]() In his 2015 letter, Pope Francis declared, "I establish that those who during the Holy Year of Mercy approach these priests of the Fraternity of St Pius X to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation shall validly and licitly receive the absolution of their sins." Although Pope Francis has extended faculties to absolve sins, he has not granted similar faculties for SSPX clergy to validly witness marriages. In order for a priest to validly witness marriages and grant absolution in confession, a priest requires not only the sacrament of Holy Orders but also the faculties - or permission - of a bishop in union with the Pope. The group was separated from the Catholic Church in 1988 when its founder consecrated bishops against the Pope's express prohibition.īoth Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have noted that the SSPX is not in "full communion" with the Catholic Church. Pope Francis is also allowing the laity to validly receive absolution from priests in the SSPX, a traditionalist group that disregards the Second Vatican Council and the New Mass. Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island commented that, "while it's a wonderful gesture on behalf of the Holy Father, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference here in Rhode Island." When Pope Francis granted his dispensation last year, some bishops noted it doesn't affect much in the United States. He may, however, on certain conditions and occasions grant that power to priests subject to him.įor nearly 30 years, bishops in the United States have been allowing priests to forgive the sin of abortion in confession. Only the bishop of a diocese has the ability to extend the Church's forgiveness to a person who incurs an excommunication. The sin of abortion carries with it a "latae sententiae," or automatic, excommunication, meaning it is so grave a sin it separates a person from the Catholic Church and forbids participation in the sacraments. In many places in the world absolution for the sin of abortion had been reserved only for the bishop of the diocese. He admonished the faithful "that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life," and added, "there is no sin that God's mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father." In the Holy Father's newest letter released Sunday, he declared, "The provision I had made in this regard, limited to the duration of the Extraordinary Holy Year, is hereby extended."
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |