Sources: Zenit.org, Code of Canon Law; presentation by the Rev. Dr. Francis G. Morrisey, O.I.M., J.C.D., Ph.D. at the Western Regional CLSA Convention 2008.

As it has been said in Part I, the purpose of this article is to examine some aspects of the administration of the sacraments in the Catholic Church and, how the current canonical legislation illuminates the modus procedendi to allow practicing Catholics to receive the sacraments of the Church. The article has been divided in three parts: Part I has presented an introduction describing the principles used by the current Code of Canon law (Canon 843) in this particular matter and the first area of analysis on how (1) the sacraments are instruments of sanctification. In this Part II, I consider two areas of analysis: (2) the role of the sacraments in the Church and (3) the right of access to the sacraments by the Christian faithful. Part III will consider some of the (4) reasons for denial of access to the sacraments in certain times and situations. Finally, Part III will also present some conclusions.

2. The Role of the Sacraments in the Church

Canon 840 of the current Code of Canon Law tells us that the sacraments, which have been entrusted to the Church, have a number of particular roles:

“The sacraments of the New Testament were instituted by Christ the Lord and entrusted to the Church. As actions of Christ and the Church, they are signs and means which express and strengthen the faith, render worship to God, and effect the sanctification of humanity and thus contribute in the greatest way to establish, strengthen, and manifest ecclesiastical communion. Accordingly, in the celebration of the sacraments the sacred ministers and the other members of the Christian faithful must use the greatest veneration and necessary diligence.”

The most significant part of this canon is its explanation of the nature of sacraments, which were described merely as the “principal means of sanctification and salvation in canon 731, §1. This is in accord to Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrasanctum Concilium, No. 59:

“The purpose of the sacraments is to make people holy, to build up the Body of Christ, and, finally, to give worship to God; but being signs they also have a teaching function. They not only presuppose faith, but by words and objects they also nourish, strengthen, and express it; that is why they are called “sacraments of faith.” They do indeed impart grace, but, in addition, the very act of celebrating them disposes the faithful most effectively to receive this grace in a fruitful manner, to worship God rightly, and to practice charity.”

No one will doubt that the sacraments belong to the divine deposit of faith. They are, indeed, a treasure which the Church has received and which call for the greatest reverence and due care. It is no wonder, then, that many canons of our current Canonical Legislation address specifically the issue of access to them. The conditions will vary for each one, and, in some instances, depend on the decision of the competent ecclesiastical authority, as, for instance, when it comes to admission to the sacrament of Orders (canon 1029).

As previously stated, there can be no greater punishment for a Catholic today than to be formally deprived of access to the sacraments, through the imposition of a major penalty such as excommunication. But, even if a person is not excommunicated, there are other occasions when he/she cannot be admitted to the celebration and reception of one or more sacraments, as, for instance, when someone cannot be admitted to celebrate the sacrament of marriage because of a prior valid bond.

3. Right of Access to the Sacraments

The general principle of canon 842 of the current Code of Canon Law, spells out that a person who has not received baptism cannot validly be admitted to the other sacraments. Then canon 849 tells us that baptism is validly conferred only by a washing in real water with the proper form of words. Not every initiation ceremony constitutes a valid baptism. In some ecclesial communities, such as the Salvation Army, there is a dedication ceremony, but not a baptism. In others, there are problems with the “forms of words” since some groups have changed the accepted words to substitute in their place gender-neutral terms. However, we have to recognize that it is not merely a question of “words;” it is what these words signify. In many instances, the substitutions refer to functions (creator, redeemer, sanctifier), rather than to persons. This deprives the Christian of adhesion to a personal God (three persons in one), and therefore is not a valid baptism. Changing the formula can have serious consequences for ecumenical dialogue, particularly in those areas where the various Churches have agreed to recognize each other’s baptisms. In this particular reference the responses from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the recent pronouncement of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith should be consulted in particular cases.

Although the Catholic Church considers itself the custodian of the sacraments, it recognizes that they exist also in some other Churches and ecclesial communities. In particular, in regards to the Orthodox Churches, we recognize their validity. In some of the other communities, we recognize the validity only of their baptisms and marriages. But, once a person has been validly baptized, the door is open to some form of participation in our sacraments. However, as canon 844 of the current Code of Canon Law indicates, the doors are not totally open, nor is there complete reciprocity. When we take a look at the provisions of canon 844, paragraph 4, we note that this norm provides very significant possibilities of opening in regards to access to the sacraments, particularly on the part of Christians who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church. On the other hand, the access of Catholics to sacraments celebrated in other Churches and ecclesial communities is quite limited, in view of the fact that we do not always recognize the validity of these sacraments celebrated in those communities. In this particular matter the provisions of Canon 844 should be consulted for specific cases.

Part III will describe some of the reasons for denial of access to the sacraments and some the conclusions of this series on the right to the Sacraments.