Celebret
Encyclopedia
A celebret is a letter which a Roman Catholic bishop
or major religious superior gives to a priest
in order that the priest may obtain permission in another diocese to say Mass
, and for this purpose bears testimony that he is free from canonical censures.
(Sess. XXIII, chap. xvi on Reform) lays down the rule that "no cleric who is a stranger shall without letter commendatory from his own ordinary
be admitted by any bishop to celebrate the divine mysteries". Ordinarily permission is not to be given to a priest from another diocese to say Mass without this certificate signed and duly sealed.
The seal is obviously the more important requisite, as it is the safer guarantee against forgery. The celebret should be officially recognized by the diocesan authority of the place where a priest may wish to say Mass. One who has his celebret in due form, or who is certainly known to be in good standing in his own diocese, may be allowed to celebrate until he has had a sufficient time to comply with this rule. A priest with proper credentials cannot reasonably be prevented from saying Mass, though he will be expected to comply with reasonable restrictions which may be imposed.
In the U.S, the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, as a regulation against collectors of funds for other dioceses or countries, enacted a decree (No. 295) that priests on such a mission should not be allowed to celebrate Mass even a single time until they had received permission from the ordinary. This rule has generally been enforced in diocesan synods.
The absence of the celebret does not suffice for the refusal of permission to say Mass, if persons worthy of belief bear positive testimony to the good standing of the priest. If the permission were unreasonably refused, the priest may say Mass privately, if no scandal is given. Yet the rector
s of churches are not obliged to incur any expenses the celebration may involve. (S.C.C., 15 December 1703).
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
or major religious superior gives to a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in order that the priest may obtain permission in another diocese to say Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
, and for this purpose bears testimony that he is free from canonical censures.
History
The Council of TrentCouncil of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
(Sess. XXIII, chap. xvi on Reform) lays down the rule that "no cleric who is a stranger shall without letter commendatory from his own ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
be admitted by any bishop to celebrate the divine mysteries". Ordinarily permission is not to be given to a priest from another diocese to say Mass without this certificate signed and duly sealed.
The seal is obviously the more important requisite, as it is the safer guarantee against forgery. The celebret should be officially recognized by the diocesan authority of the place where a priest may wish to say Mass. One who has his celebret in due form, or who is certainly known to be in good standing in his own diocese, may be allowed to celebrate until he has had a sufficient time to comply with this rule. A priest with proper credentials cannot reasonably be prevented from saying Mass, though he will be expected to comply with reasonable restrictions which may be imposed.
In the U.S, the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, as a regulation against collectors of funds for other dioceses or countries, enacted a decree (No. 295) that priests on such a mission should not be allowed to celebrate Mass even a single time until they had received permission from the ordinary. This rule has generally been enforced in diocesan synods.
The absence of the celebret does not suffice for the refusal of permission to say Mass, if persons worthy of belief bear positive testimony to the good standing of the priest. If the permission were unreasonably refused, the priest may say Mass privately, if no scandal is given. Yet the rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
s of churches are not obliged to incur any expenses the celebration may involve. (S.C.C., 15 December 1703).
Source
- Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum (April 23, 2004), Chapter V, 111.