ASK FATHER: The priest’s Eucharistic fast in the Extraordinary Form
From a priest…
QUAERITUR:
I mostly do the Extraordinary Form.
I saw in the De defectibus of 1962, it tells priest to fast 3 hours before communion, does that still hold with extra ordinary form Mass or does the hour fast work without offending God. (I know current norms say one hour but didn’t Pope Benedict use the logic of no altar girls for extraordinary form since we have to “use” the 1962 norms…?)
Given Universae Ecclesiae, I say no. One hour before Communion suffices to fulfill the norm of the Eucharistic fast in the Extraordinary Form, as in the Ordinary Form. It is commendable to do more, but the law says one hour before Communion (not before the beginning of Mass).
This is not really a matter that pertains to the rubrics for Mass, even though the moment of the priest’s Communion is described in the rubrics. This pertains to reception of Holy Communion. That law has been changed for all the faithful, priest included.
Similarly, if a Latin Catholic were to receive Holy Communion at an Eastern Rite Liturgy, he would not be bound by that Eastern Church’s laws on fasting, but rather by the Latin law. This would even apply if he were a Latin priest attending or assisting at an Eastern Mass.
In my opinion, the Holy See and bishops of the world should have us return to a longer Eucharistic fast. I say it should be at least three hours. That would help, I think, the problem of many sacrilegious Communions. It would also help to instill greater respect for all that is sacred and would strengthen our Catholic identity. We need a strong… stronger… Catholic identity in the face of what is surely to come.
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