Oct 01 2008
Book of the Month: Surprised by Canon Law
Anyone with a modicum of interest in canon law will want to read Surprised by Canon Law: 150 Questions Catholics Ask About Canon Law by Pete Vere and Michael Trueman. At 119 pages, it’s a short book, and the Q&A style makes it an easy read. The authors treat subjects such as Church governance; the relationship between the Pope, bishops, pastors, and laity; what’s expected of a Catholic school; and the canoncial norms of the sacraments. Furthermore, the authors do not shy away from difficult questions. For example, Question 115 asks: “My pastor gave communion to a Lutheran woman in the hospital. How can this be?” Here’s their answer:
This is a sensitive issue. As we explained in Question 114, Protestants are not to receive Holy Communion, as there is no ecclesiastical communion between the Protestant demoninations and the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, there are exceptions to this rule.
In cases where a baptized non-Catholic person is facing death, “Catholic ministers may lawfully administer [the sacraments of penance, anointing of the sick, and Holy Communion]” to the individual. The sick person must be unable to approach his or her own minister. In addition, the person must “spontaneously” ask for these sacraments.
Furthermore, the individual must “demonstrate the Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and [be] properly disposed” (canon 844, paragraph 4). This means the individual must understand that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. Furthermore, the individual must be without grave sin for the reception of Communion, so he or she would usually make a confession beforehand.
There is another instance when a non-Catholic person can receive the sacrament of Holy Communion. If there is a “grave and pressing need,” the diocesan bishop or a conference of bishops can permit it. This would be for a planned moment rather than a spontaneous decision, since prior consent is needs to be acquired.
This answer is represents all the answers you’ll read in this book — answers that are both clear, accurate, and charitable. I enjoyed this book very much, and I’m looking forward to reading Volume 2, subtitled: More Quesions Catholics Ask About Canon Law.
