Frequency of Communion Before Current Code of Canon Law

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This past weekend, my Dad attended a Saturday evening Mass of anticipation at which he received the Eucharist. On Sunday, he and my Mom attended their regular Sunday Mass; he did not receive at the Sunday Mass. Apparently he learned in grade school that one cannot receive at both a Saturday anticipated Mass and a regular Sunday Mass because the readings are the same. By this logic, one could receive at both a Saturday evening wedding and a Sunday mass, but not at a Saturday anticipated Mass and a regular Sunday Mass.

I referred him to Canon 917 of the current Code of Canon Law, which refutes his position. Canon 917 allows Catholics to receive twice in one calendar day so long as the second reception occurs within a Mass in which the recipient participates (as opposed, one imagines, to a prayer service). As this Canon makes no reference to the readings at Mass, he could have received Saturday night and Sunday.

That leaves the question: was he misinformed in school in the 60s, or have the norms for reception changed since then? That is, did the norms for reception in force before the 1983 Code was instituted have anything to do with the readings at Mass? I realize that Masses of anticipation did not exist when the old 1917 Code of Canon Law was written, so that source will not answer the question. (Not to mention the fact that the 1917 Code is only available online in Latin - perhaps Fr. Z could translate it? 🙂 )

Does anyone remember any relevant directives on this point from the Vatican or the national bishops’ conference?
 
Rule change in 1964 - Inter Oecumenici, n. 60 (see here). This deals with Christmas and Easter.

Rule change in 1967 - Tres abhinc annos, n. 14 (see here). This deals with Holy Thursday.

Rule change in 1967 - Eucharisticum Mysterium, n. 28 (see here). This deals with anticipated masses.

Rule change in 1973 - Immensae Caritatis, section 2 (see here). This is an extensive change that includes ritual masses, which many people connect to the issue of the readings at the mass.
 
Gaudium86 said:
This past weekend, my Dad attended a Saturday evening Mass of anticipation at which he received the Eucharist. On Sunday, he and my Mom attended their regular Sunday Mass; he did not receive at the Sunday Mass. Apparently he learned in grade school that one cannot receive at both a Saturday anticipated Mass and a regular Sunday Mass because the readings are the same. By this logic, one could receive at both a Saturday evening wedding and a Sunday mass, but not at a Saturday anticipated Mass and a regular Sunday Mass.

I referred him to Canon 917 of the current Code of Canon Law, which refutes his position. Canon 917 allows Catholics to receive twice in one calendar day so long as the second reception occurs within a Mass in which the recipient participates (as opposed, one imagines, to a prayer service). As this Canon makes no reference to the readings at Mass, he could have received Saturday night and Sunday.

That leaves the question: was he misinformed in school in the 60s, or have the norms for reception changed since then? That is, did the norms for reception in force before the 1983 Code was instituted have anything to do with the readings at Mass? I realize that Masses of anticipation did not exist when the old 1917 Code of Canon Law was written, so that source will not answer the question. (Not to mention the fact that the 1917 Code is only available online in Latin - perhaps Fr. Z could translate it? 🙂 )

Does anyone remember any relevant directives on this point from the Vatican or the national bishops’ conference?
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Just Lurking already posted the citations.

The long and short of it is that he wasn’t misinformed–that was the canon law at the time.

It wasn’t the readings as such, but the fact that the Mass was a ritual Mass. He was probably taught to use the readings as a way to determine if it was a different Mass, so it’s just a slight misunderstanding there. I wasn’t aware that there used to be exceptions until I read the links.

Yes, he could have received both times, but he wasn’t required to.

I get this a lot in my own ministry. The way I approach it is to explain that one may receive Communion a second time, but if the person is still uncomfortable with doing that, I don’t press the issue; and that almost never happens.
 
Forgive my ignorance, but I have never heard of “Masses of anticipation”. Could somebody please enlighten me?
 
corsair said:
Forgive my ignorance, but I have never heard of “Masses of anticipation”. Could somebody please enlighten me?
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It’s just another way of saying that a Mass which is for the next day is celebrated on the evening before–like the typical Saturday evening Mass for Sunday.
 
corsair said:
Forgive my ignorance, but I have never heard of “Masses of anticipation”. Could somebody please enlighten me?
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They are popularly called “Vigil Masses,”–e.g., Saturday Evening for Sunday–but their proper name is Anticipated Mass–or “masses of anticipation.”
 
Gaudium86 said:
I referred him to Canon 917 of the current Code of Canon Law, which refutes his position. Canon 917 allows Catholics to receive twice in one calendar day so long as the second reception occurs within a Mass in which the recipient participates (as opposed, one imagines, to a prayer service). As this Canon makes no reference to the readings at Mass, he could have received Saturday night and Sunday.
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By “participating” is it mean that…you were present? Or does it mean you have to be doing something, such as cantor, lector, etc.
 
dnar said:
By “participating” is it mean that…you were present? Or does it mean you have to be doing something, such as cantor, lector, etc.
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You do need to participate in the Mass, BUT NOT have to be a Extraordinary minister of any kind, EMHC, cantor, lector ect.
 
dnar said:
By “participating” is it mean that…you were present? Or does it mean you have to be doing something, such as cantor, lector, etc.
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participating at Mass is what all the laity do who attend Mass. Full active participation is not limited to those who are fulfilling some specific role in service to the liturgy like cantor or reader. Attending Mass is participation. Nor is participation limited to those who partake of communion. All those in attendance with intent to participate (as opposed to bystanders) are participating. Mass is a communal sacrifice and act of worship, not a show, performance or spectacle at which those in the pews are merely spectators.
 
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