The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-07-06

on Saturday afternoon or evening and
for some reason is unable to receive
Holy Communion on Sunday can he
receive Holy Communion on Monday
without going to confession again?
2. | have been told that If a person
who intended to receive Holy Com
munion should, by accident, swallow
such a small particle of food that he
doubts whether anything enters his
stomach he could still receive Holy
Communion. Is this true? Would 1t
not be better for such person to
receive Holy Communion some other
time than to receive it In such a
state? 8. Are Catholics allowed to
go to camp meetings? If not, why?
1. Under the circumstances a per-
son could receive Holy Communion
on Monday morning provided he had
not in the meantime fallen into mortal
sin. Whenever a person is prevented
from receiving Holy Communion after
going to confession he is allowed to
receive later on when favorable
opportunity presents itself, provided
he is still in the state of grace. 2. If
a person eats the smallest particle of
food, even by accident, he breaks the
fast required for Holy Communion.
In the case in question the person
undoubtedly swallowed the food and
that suffices to break the fast unless
the particle of food had remained
over night in the mouth after the even
ing meal, in which case the mere
swallowing of the food would not
break the fast. Whenever food it
taken into the mouth, no matter how
small the quantity, and swallowed,
whether by accident or not, the fast
is broken and person is not per-
mitted to receive Holy Communion on
that day. Of course, if a person be seri-
ously ill Holy Communion can be re-
ceived even though the fast be broken.
3. Catholics are not allowed to at
tend camp meetings. These are relig-
ious services held by certain sects
and Catholics are never permitted to
participate in false worship. If would
be the same as attending Protestant
church and taking part in the services.
1t is not we'll to go to camp meetings
even through curiosity because one
may thereby give scandal.
1. A notice was read in the Churches
some time ago stating that Catho-
lie marriages would be performed in
the Churches of st. Paul only at the
Ha
sibIe for Catholics to be married at
any other time. How is it possible
then for a Catholic marriage to take
place in Church in the evening? 2.
| have had brought to my attention
the marriage of Catholic girl, by
priest, to a man who was not baptized
in any faith whatever. 1t has been
stated that it would be possible for
her to get divorce and be married
in the Catholic Church to another
party. If this is true, is she not living
in sin, and why should a priest per-
form such a marriage?
l. No official announcement has
been made in the Churches of this
Diocese that Catholic marriages must,
in all cases, take place at Mass. How
ever, that is the general law of the
Church, and good Catholics always
observe it. But the law is not so
absolute and rigorous that exceptions
cannot be made for good and sufficient
reasons of which the Church authori-
ties are the final judges. When God
decreed that the human race must
bear the stigma of Adams transgres-
sion, He made an exception from the
general law in favor of the Blessed
Virgin. The Church, like a wise and
prudent legislator, allows exceptions
to it's general laws in particular
cases where the observance of the
law would be a special hardship.
Whenever, therefore, a Catholic mar
riage is celebrated in the evening it
should be taken for granted that there
is a good reason for this departure
from the general rule and Catholics
have no right to come to the conclu-
sion that no reasons can be alleged
in justification for it. 1t is their.
duty to conclude that those with whom
the final decision rests have given
due consideration to facts and circum-
stances and have assured themselves
that these justify the making of an
exception in this particular case. In
these and similar matters Catholics
are too prone to criticise and, because
they have not been made confidants
OF those in authority, they imagine
that the law has been transgressed
in the particular case under considera-
ton. Here, as elsewhere, the excep-
ton proves the rule. 2. Unfortu-
nately the case to which you refer is
not uncommon. But the conclusions
which you draw therefrom are unwar-
ranted and false. The fact that the