Apostolic letter, Faculties concerning mass stipends : Firma in Traditione, June 13, 1974 / Pope Pau


APOSTOLIC LETTER
REFEREWCt rppj-^

' FACULTIES CONCERNING

MASS STIPENDS

POPE PAUL VI
IWNlVERSmr OF NOTRE l>AM£

memorial library

l“hb 1 In Traditione

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‘VERTICAL FILE June 13, 1974

1974

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APOSTOLIC LETTER

FACULTIES CONCERNING MASS STIPENDS
Firma in Traditione

POPE PAUL VI

It has been a strong tradition in the Church that the faithful,

moved by a religious and ecclesial consciousness, should join a

kind of self-sacrifice of their own to the eucharistic sacrifice, so

as to share in the latter more effectively, and should provide in

this way for the needs of the Church, above all for the support of

the Church’s ministers. This practice is in harmony with the

spirit of the Lord's words: “The laborer is worthy of his hire’’

(Luke 10:7), which the Apostle Paul recalls in the first letter to

Timothy (5:18) and the first letter to the Corinthians (9:7-14).

Thus the faithful associate themselves more closely with Christ,

who offers himself as victim, and then experience more abundant
effects. Not only has the practice been approved by the Church,

it has been promoted, because the Church considers it to be a

sign of the union of the baptized person with Christ as well as of

the union of the Christian with the priest who performs his ministry
for the benefit of the faithful.

To keep this understanding always intact and to protect it from

any possible error, appropriate regulations have been made in
the course of the centuries. These have had the purpose that the

worship which the faithful freely offer to God should In fact be
celebrated with no lessening of observance and generosity. Be-

cause of particular circumstances of different periods and human
social conditions, however, it sometimes becomes morally impos-
sible—and thus less equitable—to satisfy in their entirety the
obligations which have been sought and accepted. In such cases,
therefore, the Church is compelled by necessity to make a suitable
revision of the obligations, at the same time trying to be consistent
in this matter and to keep faith with the donors.

With the intention that the regulations for Mass stipends—

a

matter certainly serious and one demanding great prudence

—

1



should be established equitably, by means of a notification of the
Papal Secretariat (Secretariat of State) issued on November 29,
1971 (AAS 63 [1971]: 841), we decreed that all decisions con-
cerning reductions, condonations, and commutations of Mass
stipends should be temporarily reserved to us and we suspended,
as of February 1, 1972, all faculties, no matter to whom or in
what manner they had been granted.

Now that the principal purposes of that regulation have been
accomplished, we judge that the time has come to terminate the
reservation. In order to place the appropriate governance of this

matter on new foundations and to prevent any incorrect Interpreta-

tions, with reliance on lawful precedents of the past, it has seemed

best now to abolish any of the earlier faculties which remain.

Nevertheless, to satisfy somewhat the needs which our brothers

in the episcopate must sometimes consider and In view of the

experience of the use of faculties granted to them in the apostolic

letters Pastorale munus (AAS 56 [1964]: 5-12) and De Episco-
porum muneribus (AAS 58 [1966]; 467-472) issued motu proprio,

we think it expedient to grant certain faculties to those who share
the pastoral ministry in the Church with us.

Therefore, after mature consideration, upon our own initiative,

and in virtue of the fullness of our apostolic power, we establish

and decree the following for the whole Church:

I. From July 1, 1974, the above reservation, mentioned in the

notification of the Secretariat of State on November 29, 1971,
ceases. From the same day the Sacred Congregations of the
Roman Curia are empowered to resume their competence in this
matter, but accommodating its exercise to new, carefully defined

regulations imposed upon them separately. Thus petitions which

may be concerned with this matter are once again to be presented
to these congregations.

II. From the same day all faculties previously in effect con-
cerning Mass stipends, however granted or acquired, are com-
pletely revoked. Therefore the faculties of any physical or moral

person cease, whether granted by us or our predecessors, includ-

ing oral concessions, by the Roman Curia, or by any other
authority; whether by force of privilege, indult, dispensation, or

any other reason, including particular legislation; whether faculties

acquired by communication, custom. Including particular, cen-

2



tenary, or immemorial custom, prescription, or any other' manner
whatever.

In view of this revocation, we decree that only the following
faculties have force for the future:

a) the faculties now conceded to the Sacred Congregations of

the Roman Curia, mentioned in no. I;

b) the faculties contained in the apostolic letter Pastorale

munus and In the Index of Faculties which are regularly granted
to local Ordinaries and to pontifical legates;

c) the new faculties granted to bishops in this apostolic letter,

mentioned in no. ill below.

ill. From July 1, we grant the following faculties to the same

persons listed in the apostolic letter Pastorale munus, under the

same conditions established in that letter:

a) the faculty to permit priests who binate or trinate in the

diocese to apply the Masses for a stipend, which is to be given

to the needs assigned by the diocesan bishop or to apply the

Masses according to intentions for which a condonation or reduc-

tion would otherwise have to be sought. This faculty is not ex-

tended to concelebrated Masses of bination treated In the declara-

tion of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, August 7,

1972, no. 3b (AAS 64 [1972]: 561-563), for which the reception

of a stipend under any title is prohibited;

b) the faculty to reduce, by reason of diminished income, the

obligation of cathedral or collegiate chapters to apply the daily

conventual Mass for benefactors, with the exception of at least one
conventual Mass each month;

c) the faculty to transfer, for suitable cause, the obligations

of Masses to days, churches, or altars different from those stipu-

lated in the foundations.

These regulations become effective on the first day of July.

We order that everything decreed in this apostolic letter issued
motu proprio be effective and ratified, anything to the contrary
notwithstanding, including anything requiring very special men-

tion.

Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on the feast of Corpus Christi,
June 13, 1974, the eleventh year of our pontificate.

POPE PAUL VI

3



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