Argentinian Bishop, “Many Approach Communion Without Having Confessed Mortal Sins”
Laise made this remark in a new section entitled “Spiritual Communion and the State of Grace” published in the fifths edition of his book on “Communion in the Hand” (quotes from the English translation, 2018).
Laise notices the sad paradox that, in other times, pious people made frequent spiritual communions and few but fervent sacramental Communions, “Now, instead, they proceed to receive the Body of Lord each time when they attend Mass, but it gives the impression that oftentimes it is with less spiritual union with Christ and less reflection on one’s life than those produced by a good spiritual communion.”
Laise adds that “many people, at least for what their outward attitude manifests, do not seem to ‘distinguish the Eucharistic bread from ordinary bread’, nor do they have ‘devotion or reverence when receiving it’, which are precisely the motives adduced by the Catechism of Trent to not give Communion to young children, a criterion that was reaffirmed by the Code of Canon Law of 1983.”
Then, Laise explains “what is worse”, that “many approach Communion without having confessed mortal sins”, adding, “The spreading of this practice and the lack of insistence on this point in preaching and catechesis, makes it possible to understand that to so many people the gravity of the recent proposal [note: Amoris Laetitia] of admitting to Communion people who live habitually in an objective state of sin is not evident in what concerns the sixth or the ninth commandments, since many have been receiving Communion for a long time while being in this state with respect to some of the other eight commandments.”
Laise refers to Germany, where Holy Communion is given to those who live together without being married while at the same time the Sacraments are denied to those who do not allocate their tax to the Church.
The Council of Trent Is Misused
Laise analyses a phrase of the Council of Trent stating (Sesseion XXII, September 17, 1562) that the Council “would certainly wish that at each Mass the faithful who are present communicate not only through spiritual affection, but also through the sacramental reception of the Eucharist…”. Laise warns of taking this sentence out of the context as the chapter is not concerned with the defense of frequent Communion. It approves and recommends – against Luther and Protestantism - precisely the contrary: that there are Masses in which only the priest celebrant communicates in a sacramental way.
The full passage of the Council reads: “The Sacred Council would certainly wish that at each Mass the faithful who are present communicate not only through spiritual affection, but also through the sacramental reception of the Eucharist, so that the fruits of this sacrifice will reach them more abundantly: however, even if this does not always happen, it does not condemn as private and illegal the Masses in which only the priest communicates sacramentally, but it approves them and even recommends them, since these Masses must also be considered as truly public, in part because in them the people communicate spiritually, partly because they are celebrated by the public minister of the Church, not only for themselves, but for all the faithful who belong to the Body of Christ.”
Laise points to the statement that sacramental Communion “does not always happen”, “It is not, therefore, a mandate of the Council or a counsel given to each to receive Communion at each Mass, but the realization that it does not always happen, and it immediately goes to defend the usual situation of Masses in which only the priest communicates, against those who challenged these Masses.”
Laise understands the Council of Trent like this: “The Coucil would like the faithful to lead a regular life of piety and make the effort to be properly prepared to receive Communion at every Mass they attend; however, if this does not always happen…”
As so often – Pius X is the turning point
Finally, Laise points out that the promotion of frequent Communion started as late as in the second half of the nineteenth century. A strong campaign promoted frequent Communion and led to a decree approved by Pius X on December 20, 1905. This decree stated that “frequent and daily Communion… be accessible to all the Christian faithful”.
Laise analyses that after this decree “the conditions for frequent and daily reception of the Eucharist will be reduced to a minimum from now on”.
