Receptions per day

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are priests dispensed form the 2 communion receptions per day rule? Because I know on a sunday my pastor celebrates up to 4 masses.
 
I believe if there is not a priest to do the other Masses that dispensation is given. But does he really have to every Sunday say four Masses? I remember dispensation in certain instances but every Sunday there must be some other priests in the area to help him.
 
Here is the canon law:
Canon 905 §1 Apart from those cases in which the law allows him to celebrate or concelebrate the Eucharist a number of times on the same day, a priest may not celebrate more than once a day.
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§2 If there is a scarcity of priests, the local Ordinary may for a good reason allow priests to celebrate twice in one day or even, if pastoral need requires it, three times on Sundays or holydays of obligation.
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The CLSA New Commentary adds:
If pastoral need requires that a priest regularly celebrate more than two Masses on weekdays, including Saturdays, or more than three times on Sundays and holy days, the diocesan bishop may dispense in individual cases. However, the bishop may not give general permission without an indult from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
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I have had this same question.

I attend a very large parish (5,000 families+) and we have 4 priests around, usually–although they may go on retreat, vacation, be “off” to places unknown, etc.

The mass schedule:

3 daily masses + funerals
Saturdays: daily mass, maybe a funeral and a wedding (have actually seen 1 going while another comes in), then the saturday vigil mass.

Sundays 4 morning masses and an evening Life Teen mass.

Some weekends only 2 of the priests are scheduled to celebrate, but any of them assist with Communion, and therefore receive Communion more than once per day at the masses they are not celebrating.

There is no way for them to avoid recieving several times per day…to follow the directive we would need 10 priests! (Actually, I think my chruch needs 10 priests anyway…they are so overworked!).

I believe that under canon law priest are also required to assist at any mass where they are present and not indisposed to assisting at comumion.
 
I believe that under canon law priest are also required to assist at any mass where they are present and not indisposed to assisting at comumion.
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Huh???
 
Chatter,

I see that this is your 26th post, (and recent member) therefore you weren’t around for the thread I’m referring to.

Long ago there was a thread about priests and the celebration of mass.

Someone posted something from canon law (I think) advising that priests need to concelebrate mass if they are present. In other words, they cannot just go to mass and sit there while the EHMC’s file forward–rather, he, or if not a priest, then a deacon, etc., is to step forward and act within the authority conveyed through their ordination appropriate to the mass.

Then contrast this with canon law given above…and put both laws into the parish I attend.

This is impossible for them to meet, therefore a dispensation is needed in order for them to recieve communion multiple times.

I have never seen a concelebrant NOT recieve communion so I take that to mean that they must recieve if they are concelebrating.

I am not well versed in canon law or the GIRM other than some things I KNOW are correct or wrong by common sense. This goes beyond my knowledge.

Is there a canon lawyer in the house to sort all this out?
 
Someone posted something from canon law (I think) advising that priests need to concelebrate mass if they are present. In other words, they cannot just go to mass and sit there while the EHMC’s file forward–rather, he, or if not a priest, then a deacon, etc., is to step forward and act within the authority conveyed through their ordination appropriate to the mass.
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Two different issues are being mixed together here. There is NO requirement that a priest must concelebrate. A priest may dress in cassock and surplice, sit in the sanctuary and simply be what is called “in choir,” whereby his status as a cleric is visible and apparent, but he does not concelebrate.

Such a priest may or may not assist at communion; in most cases these days, he would, but he would always be obligated to assist before any extraordinary ministers did so, unless age or affliction prevented him from doing so.

The point is that a priest could be present, but not concelebrating; whether or not he assists at communion depends on the numbers of clergy present. All available clergy must administer communion before any extraordinary ministers are used, because the latter are, as their very name implies, extraordinary. John Paul II, in Inaestimabile Donum, called the attitude of priests (particularly celebrants) who refrain from distributing communion in favor of EMHC’s “reprehensible.”
 
Along the same lines, how many times a day can a regular person like you and me receive communion?
Code: 
             Thanks,
              ~ Kathy ~
 
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Toni:
I believe if there is not a priest to do the other Masses that dispensation is given. But does he really have to every Sunday say four Masses? I remember dispensation in certain instances but every Sunday there must be some other priests in the area to help him.
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he usually does 3 but on some occasions, he ends up doing 4 (hence: up to)
 
Here is the paragraph from Redemptionis Sacramentum:
  1. If there is usually present a sufficient number of sacred ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it. The practice of those Priests is reprobated who, even though present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons.
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Katie1723:
Along the same lines, how many times a day can a regular person like you and me receive communion?
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Not counting viaticum, twice. The second time must be at a Mass in which the person participates.
 
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Toni:
I. But does he really have to every Sunday say four Masses? I remember dispensation in certain instances but every Sunday there must be some other priests in the area to help him.
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not necessarily. in this diocese there are 3 parishes with no priest, only two with 2 priests (and both these parishes have mission churches). most of the other parishes have 3 to 5 Masses a weekend, English and Spanish, plus at least one and usually 2-3 missions that also need services, so routinely most of our priests say 3-5 Masses each weekend. almost every priest also has a diocesan assignment in addition to a parish assignment, so is in effect working two full time jobs. pray for vocations.
 
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