Priest's Confession

[aj830]

Let’s say a priest commited a mortal sin and he was the only priest for many miles so there is no fast way to confess his sins. He has to celebrate Mass in an hour. Is he supposed to refrain from receiving the Body and Blood of Our Lord after the Eucharistic Prayer just as we would in a state of mortal sin? Or if he says an Act of Perfect Contrition knowing he must confess as soon as possible can he receive? I was just wondering what the Church’s teachings were on this.

 

[jmcrae]

Let’s say a priest commited a mortal sin and he was the only priest for many miles so there is no fast way to confess his sins. He has to celebrate Mass in an hour. Is he supposed to refrain from receiving the Body and Blood of Our Lord after the Eucharistic Prayer just as we would in a state of mortal sin? Or if he says an Act of Perfect Contrition knowing he must confess as soon as possible can he receive? I was just wondering what the Church’s teachings were on this.

As I understand it, he would make an Act of Contrition before receiving the Eucharist, and get to Confession as soon as humanly possible.

Since it’s impossible to commit a mortal sin by accident, your scenario is probably extremely rare, in any case, since I consider it very unlikely that a priest would deliberately sin one hour before Mass is scheduled to begin.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

This was addressed in another thread yesterday or today; the answer is that the priest makes an act of perfection contrition (or strives to) and gets to confession as soon as he possibly can. He must receive the Eucharist; he may not refrain.

From EWTN:

The sacrifice (of the Mass) is completed only after the presiding celebrant has consumed both species.

This is also why the individual priest must also consume both species before Communion begins. The faithful’s exercise of their baptismal priesthood is carried out with and through the priest. Thus, their full participation in the holy sacrifice of the Mass through Communion would be incomplete if the priest fails to first complete the sacrifice by consuming both species.