Did the Spanish Flu of 1918 Create a Precedent for Closing Churches and Cancelling Masses Today?

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Cathy Caridi

Q:  A priest in residence at my parish is defending the bishop’s decision to lock all the churches indefinitely … claiming that there is canonical precedent for doing this.  He says the same thing was done during the Spanish Flu of 1918, so this isn’t the first time.  Is this true? –Alessandra Continue reading →

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The Virus and the Bishops: Twisting Canon 223 to Further an Agenda

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Cathy Caridi

Q:  We contacted our bishop in protest, because he is insisting we can only receive Communion in the hand.  A canon lawyer replied on his behalf, claiming that Canon 223.2 gives the bishop power to “regulate the exercise of rights which are proper to the Christian faithful.”  He concludes that the bishop has the power to “regulate” how we receive Communion, because of the virus….  How can this be right?  I’m sure if this was true you would have mentioned it…. –Hillary Continue reading →

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Stressed-Out Shepherds and Ungrateful Parishioners

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Cathy Caridi

Q1:  Our archbishop issued a decree that we parishioners can satisfy our Sunday Mass obligation on any other day of the week, as a way to lessen the number of people at Mass on Sundays, given that there is still a risk of the virus spreading in our locality.  I am just a layperson and, by my very limited knowledge of Canon Law, there seem to be nothing wrong about this.  But some of my friends are not sure about it.  Is this decree valid? –Jun

Q2:  Some relatives have reported that the priest allowed them to bring home a consecrated host….  They said their request was granted because they act as Eucharistic ministers in the parish.  It sounded even like they were given the privilege not as part of their role as Eucharistic ministers, but just as trusted lay faithful.
Even assuming that trust would be a valid criteria (sic) for the priest to allow something like that (which I find questionable), my questions are:
– Are Eucharistic ministers allowed to distribute communion where, when and to whom they please, following any ‘rite’ they please?
– Is there any situation in which lay Catholics are exceptionally allowed to administer themselves Holy Communion? –Chiara

Q3:  We utilized some of your research in our battle with our Bishop and Pastor about receiving Holy Communion on the tongue.  But, as you can see from the email exchange below, we aren’t having much success.
Both of them, pastor and Bishop, must obey the higher, universal law, but alas they are not.  So, how do we file a canonical suit against them? –Chris

Q4: My parish is planning on forcing us to register for Mass as a means of enforcing limits on attendance (due to the virus situation).  Can they do that?  Can you help me understand what is at play here? –Philip Continue reading →

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Our Priest Cancelled Our Wedding, So Who Else Can Validly Marry Us?

Posted on May 21, 2020 by Cathy Caridi

Q:  My fiancé and I have been engaged for about a year, and long ago we had planned to marry on April 25.  As you can probably imagine, our parish priest cancelled the wedding entirely, citing a directive from the bishop that all weddings are postponed indefinitely because of the virus.

In our locale, the government says you can have events with up to 20 people present.  So we argued with the priest that this was unjust, and expressed our willingness to have a drastically scaled-down wedding, with no guests except a couple of witnesses … [but] he is afraid of the bishop.  So here we are.  We already completed the marriage-preparation course and the priest had told us everything is in order….

Since our parish priest is refusing to marry us, even though he had previously said nothing stood in the way, can we ask another priest in another parish/diocese to marry us instead?  Would it be valid and licit?  What would you suggest?  –Alexis Continue reading →

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Episcopal Conferences and Communion on the Tongue

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Cathy Caridi

Q1:  The US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued guidelines saying that we have the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, despite the virus … but my bishop has ordered all his priests to do the exact opposite.  He won’t allow them to distribute Communion on the tongue, only in the hand.  Our diocese is in the US, so isn’t my bishop required to follow the Conference’s guidelines?  What should we do?  –Olivia

Q2:  I enjoyed reading your text about the authority of a Conference of Bishops to cancel Masses in the whole country.  I completely agree … but I would like to have your opinion about the following argument.  Canon 455.4, which addresses the authority of a conference of bishops, seems to give the conference authority to do this, if all the bishops unanimously consent to a decision.

The very thing which you addressed in the article happened in my country, Croatia—all the bishops issued a declaration suspending all public Masses and the administration of sacraments. In this case one could try to justify the legality of the decision by simply stating that all the bishops have given consent, in order that the conference would proclaim a decision which all of them have agreed will be implemented in their own dioceses.

I would be thankful to have your answer on this issue. –Father T. Continue reading →

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