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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Ask Father Hardon
by John A. Hardon, S.J.
Q. Is it true that unless all the steps
of the ritual for the Sacrament of Penance instituted in 1976 are followed, including the
reading of Scripture by either the priest or the penitent, the Sacrament is illicit
(though valid)?
—Anonymous
A. There is no obligation for the reading of
Scripture by either the priest or the penitent during the ritual of the Sacrament of
Penance. The official text reads, “Then the priest, or penitent himself, may read a
text of Holy Scripture, or this may be done as part of the preparation for the sacrament.
Through the word of God the Christian receives light to recognize his sins and is called
to conversion and to confidence in God’s mercy.” Consequently, while the
recitation from Sacred Scripture is praiseworthy, it is not obligatory on either the
priest who hears the confession or on the penitent who is making his confession.
Q. A priest has said that the Vatican
decreed that no hymns only Gregorian chant may be sung at Mass. It this right?
—Anonymous
A. It all depends on what the word
“Vatican” means. It is true that Gregorian chant had been used over the
centuries. Gregorian chant was first established by Pope Gregory I (590-604). Since then
Gregorian chant has been the standard for Catholic worship, and still is so today. We
might therefore say that Gregorian chant is still the standard for the hymns used by the
priest during his offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass. However, other forms of sacred
music are not forbidden.
Q. Does the Church require that there be
at least one sponsor (godparent) for baptism?
—D.S., Ohio
A. I think it is worth quoting
all three canons of the Code of Canon Law on the subject of sponsors. This quotation
although lengthy will cover all the questions implied in the one question just raised.
Canon 872- Insofar as possible one to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who is to
assist an adult in Christian initiation, or together with the parents, to present an
infant at the baptism, and to fulfill faithfully the obligations connected with it.
Canon 873- Only one male or one female sponsor or one of each sex is to be employed.
Canon 874- 1. To be admitted to the role of sponsor, a person must:
a. be designated by the one to be baptized, by the
parents or the one who takes their place or, in their absence, by the pastor or minister
and is to have the qualifications and intention of performing the role;
b. have completed the sixteenth year, unless a
different age has been established by the diocesan bishop or it seems to the pastor or
minister that an exception is to be made for just cause;
c. be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has
already received the sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist and leads a life in harmony with
the faith and the role to be undertaken;
d. not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately
imposed or declared;
e. not be the father or the mother of the one to be
baptized.
2. A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may not be admitted
except as a witness to baptism and together with a Catholic sponsor.
© Copyright 1998 Inter Mirifica