Part II: Other Acts of Divine Worship and Sacred Times and Places

Somewhat in imitation of the sacraments, sacramentals are sacred signs by which spiritual effects especially are signified and are obtained by the intercession of the Church.

§ 1.

The Apostolic See alone can establish new sacramentals, authentically interpret those already accepted, abolish or change any of them.

§ 2.

The rites and formulae approved by church authority are to be carefully observed in confecting or administering the sacramentals.

The minister of the sacramentals is a cleric who has been given the necessary power; in accord with the norm of the liturgical books and according to the judgment of the local ordinary, some sacramentals can also be administered by lay persons who are endowed with the appropriate qualities.

§ 1.

Persons who possess the episcopal character as well as presbyters to whom it is permitted by law or by legitimate concession can validly perform consecrations and dedications.

§ 2.

Any presbyter can impart blessings, except those which are reserved to the Roman Pontiff or to bishops.

§ 3.

A deacon can impart only those blessings which are expressly permitted to him by law.

Blessings, to be imparted especially to Catholics, can also be given to catechumens and even to non-Catholics unless (nisi) a church prohibition precludes this.

Sacred things which are destined for divine worship through dedication or a blessing are to be treated with reverence and not be employed for improper or profane use even if they are under the control of private individuals.

§ 1.

No one can legitimately perform (extra-liturgical) exorcisms over the possessed unless (nisi) he has obtained special and express permission from the local ordinary.

§ 2.

Such permission from the local ordinary is to be granted only to a presbyter endowed with piety, knowledge, prudence and integrity of life.

The Church, fulfilling the priestly function of Christ, celebrates the liturgy of the hours, whereby hearing God speaking to His people and memorializing the mystery of salvation, the Church praises Him in song and prayer without interruption and intercedes for the salvation of the whole world.

§ 1.

Clerics are obliged to perform the liturgy of the hours according to the norm of can. 276, § 2, n. 3; members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life are bound according to the norm of their constitutions.

§ 2.

Other members of the Christian faithful according to circumstances are also earnestly invited to participate in the liturgy of the hours inasmuch as it is the action of the Church.

In performing the liturgy of the hours the true time of each hour is to be observed as much as possible.

§ 1.

The Christian faithful departed are to be given ecclesiastical funeral rites according to the norm of law.

§ 2.

Through ecclesiastical funeral rites the Church asks spiritual assistance for the departed, honors their bodies, and at the same time brings the solace of hope to the living; such rites are to be celebrated according to the norm of liturgical laws.

§ 3.

The Church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burying the bodies of the dead be observed; it does not, however, forbid cremation unless (nisi) it has been chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching.

§ 1.

As a rule the funeral rites for any of the faithful departed must be celebrated in his or her own parish church.

§ 2.

However, any member of the Christian faithful or those commissioned to arrange for his or her funeral may choose another church for the funeral rites with the consent of its rector and after informing the departed person's pastor (parochus).

§ 3.

If the death has occurred outside the person's own parish, and the corpse has not been transferred to that parish and another church has not been legitimately chosen for the funeral, the funeral rites are to be celebrated in the church of the parish where the death occurred unless (nisi) another church has been designated by particular law.

The funeral rites of a diocesan bishop are to be celebrated in his own cathedral church unless (nisi) he has chosen another church.

As a rule the funeral rites of religious or members of societies of apostolic life are to be celebrated in this own church or oratory by their superior if it is a clerical institute or society, otherwise by the chaplain.

§ 1.

If a parish has its own cemetery, the faithful departed are to be interred in it unless (nisi) another cemetery has been legitimately chosen either by the departed person or by those who are responsible to arrange for his or her interment.

§ 2.

However, everyone, unless (nisi) prohibited by law, is permitted to choose a (particular) cemetery for burial.

The prescriptions of can. 1264 are to be observed in regard to the offerings given on the occasion of funerals; precautions are nevertheless to be taken in funeral rites against any favoritism toward persons and against depriving the poor of the funeral rites which are their due.

After the interment an entry is to be made in the death register in accord with the norm of particular law.

§ 1.

As regards funeral rites catechumens are to be considered members of the Christian faithful.

§ 2.

The local ordinary can permit children to be given ecclesiastical funeral rites if their parents intended to baptize them but they died before their baptism.

§ 3.

In the prudent judgment of the local ordinary, ecclesiastical funeral rites can be granted to baptized members of some non-Catholic church or ecclesial community unless (nisi) it is evidently contrary to their will and provided (dummodo) their own minister is unavailable.

§ 1.

Unless (nisi) they have given some signs of repentance before their death, the following are to be deprived of ecclesiastical funeral rites:

(1) notorious apostates, heretics and schismatics;

(2) persons who had chosen the cremation of their own bodies for reasons opposed to the Christian faith;

(3) other manifest sinners for whom ecclesiastical funeral rites cannot be granted without public scandal to the faithful.

§ 2.

If some doubt should arise, the local ordinary is to be consulted; and his judgment is to be followed.

Any funeral Mass whatsoever is also to be denied a person excluded from ecclesiastical funeral rites.

To foster the sanctification of the people of God the Church recommends to the particular and filial veneration of the Christian faithful the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, the Mother of God, whom Christ established as the Mother of the human race; it also promotes true and authentic devotion to the other saints by whose example the Christian faithful are edified and through whose intercession they are sustained.

Veneration through public cult is permitted only to those servants of God who are listed in the catalog of the saints or of the blessed by the authority of the Church.

The practice of displaying sacred images in the churches for the veneration of the faithful is to remain in force; nevertheless they are to be exhibited in moderate number and in suitable order lest they bewilder the Christian people and give opportunity for questionable devotion.

Whenever valuable images, that is, those which are outstanding due to age, art or cult, which are exhibited in churches or oratories for the veneration of the faithful need repair, they are never to be restored without the written permission of the ordinary who is to consult experts before he grants permission.

§ 1.

It is absolutely forbidden to sell sacred relics.

§ 2.

Significant relics or other ones which are honored with great veneration by the people cannot in any manner be validly alienated or perpetually transferred without the permission of the Apostolic See.

§ 3.

The prescription of § 2 is also applicable to images in any church which are honored with great veneration by the people.

§ 1.

A vow is a deliberate and free promise made to God concerning a possible and better good which must be fulfilled by reason of the virtue of religion.

§ 2.

Unless (nisi) they are forbidden by law, all who have the suitable use of reason are capable of making a vow.

§ 3.

A vow made through grave and unjust fear or fraud is null by the law itself.

§ 1.

A vow is public if it is accepted in the name of the Church by a legitimate superior; otherwise, it is private.

§ 2.

A vow is solemn if it is acknowledged as such by the Church; otherwise, it is simple.

§ 3.

A vow is personal if an act of the vowing person is promised; it is real if something is promised; it is mixed if it shares the nature of a personal and real vow.

By its nature a vow obligates only the person who makes it.

A vow ceases when the time appointed for the fulfillment of its obligation has passed, when there is a substantial change in the matter promised or when the condition on which the vow depends or the purpose for which it was made no longer exists; it also ceases through dispensation or commutation.

A person who has power over the matter of the vow can suspend its obligation for as long as its fulfillment would prejudice such a person.

Besides the Roman Pontiff, the following persons can dispense from private vows for a just reason provided (dummodo) a dispensation does not injure a right acquired by others:

(1) the local ordinary and the pastor (parochus) as regards all their own subjects as well as travelers;

(2) the superior of a religious institute or society of apostolic life if they are clerical of pontifical right as regards members, novices, and persons who stay day and night in a house of the institute or society;

(3) persons to whom the power of dispensation has been delegated by the Apostolic See or by the local ordinary.

The work promised in a private vow can be commuted to a great or an equal good by the person who makes the vow; however, a person who has the power of dispensation according to the norm of can. 1196 can commute it to a lesser good.

Vows made before religious profession are suspended as long as the person who makes the vow remains in a religious institute.

§ 1.

An oath, that is the invocation of the divine name as a witness to truth, cannot be taken unless (nisi) in truth, in judgment and in justice.

§ 2.

An oath which the canons demand or admit cannot be taken validly through a proxy.

§ 1.

A person who freely swears to do something in the future is bound by a special obligation of religion to fulfill what has been affirmed by oath.

§ 2.

An oath extorted through fraud, force, or grave fear is null by the law itself.

§ 1.

A promissory oath follows the nature and the condition of the act to which it is attached.

§ 2.

If an oath is attached to an act which directly tends towards the injury of others or towards the prejudice of the public good or of eternal salvation, the act is not reinforced by the oath.

The obligation arising from a promissory oath ceases:

(1) if it is remitted by the person for whose advantage the oath has been taken;

(2) if the thing sworn to is substantially changed or if, due to changed circumstances, it becomes either evil or entirely indifferent or, finally, if it would impede a great good;

(3) if the final purpose for or condition under which the oath may have been taken no longer exists;

(4) through its dispensation or commutation in accord with the norm of can. 1203.

The persons who can suspend, dispense or commute a vow have the same power over a promissory oath for the same reasons; but if the dispensation from the oath tends to prejudice others who refuse to remit its obligation, only the Apostolic See can dispense the oath.

An oath is to be strictly interpreted according to the law and the intention of the person taking the oath, or if that person acts out of fraud, according to the intention of the person to whom the oath is made.