BINAZIONE

BINATION. – The celebration of two Masses on the same day by the same priest.

I. HISTORICAL NOTES

When instituting the Holy Sacrifice, Jesus did not establish the number of Masses that a priest may celebrate each day; this determination was left to ecclesiastical authority, which did not intervene with a true universal law until much later. Before then, as can be seen from some provincial councils and from hints in the writings of the Fathers and ecclesiastical authors, the practice of a single priest saying several Masses in one day had gradually become quite widespread (cf., for example, St. Leo the Great, Epist. 9, 2: PL 54, 626). Its origin was attributed by many to Rome, arising from necessity on certain more solemn feasts (Christmas, Holy Thursday, Easter, Pentecost, St. John the Baptist), when the basilica could not hold all the faithful at once, or when a single priest had charge of two churches. What had initially been done only on certain days began to be repeated more frequently. These were solemn or sung Masses; but this practice gave occasion for bination also in the case of private or low Masses, which, beginning in the 6th century, became increasingly common. Gradually, alongside the motive of necessity, there was added that of devotion, and later (once stipends were fixed) that of interest. Hence inevitable abuses arose, which eventually provoked the official intervention of the Church. Yet there were already some who sought to remedy the evil by word and example, asserting that just as Jesus Christ suffered but once for us, and thus saved all, so it was sufficient for every priest to celebrate but once a day. Others, however, reasoning from the fact that several Masses were said each day—even by different celebrants—concluded that the same priest could celebrate more than once, thinking that the more often the Passion of Jesus was commemorated, the more readily God would be moved to mercy. Walafrid Strabo, reporting these differing usages, cites on the one hand the example of St. Boniface, who celebrated only once, and on the other that of Leo III, who is said to have celebrated as many as seven or nine times in the same day (cf. Walafrid Strabo, *De rebus ecclesiasticis*, I, cap. 21; PL 114, 945).

The Church’s official intervention first came from lower ecclesiastical authorities, but to varying degrees. While reforming bishops of the 10th century, such as Dunstan of Canterbury and Oswald of York, permitted no more than three Masses a day (P. Batiffol, *Leçons sur la Messe*, 7th ed., Paris 1920, p. 58)—as did the canons published under King Edgar of England (d. 975; cf. Mansi, XVIII, 516) and Canon 5 of the Council of Seligenstadt (1022; ibid., XIV, 397)—the Council of London (1200) and that of Lambeth (1206) allowed bination only rarely and for urgent necessity: at Christmas, Easter, or for a funeral, a wedding, or to supply for an absent parish priest (L. Thomassin, op. cit., III, 1, chaps. 72–73). During this period, the Popes also began to intervene: Alexander II (d. 1073) declared it sufficient for a priest to celebrate once a day, though he did not condemn a second Mass if necessary, especially out of devotion for the dead (Gratian, *Decretum*, Dist. I, *De consecrat.*, cap. 3); Innocent III in 1212 (*Decretales*, I, III, tit. 41, cap. 3) and Honorius III (ibid., cap. 12) established the principle of one Mass a day, recognizing the exception of three Masses at Christmas and of urgent necessity. Nevertheless, in the churches of Aragon the custom of celebrating three Masses even on All Souls’ Day persisted. Benedict XIV expressly granted this privilege to all Latin priests subject to the crowns of Spain and Portugal (1748; P. Gasparri, *CIC fontes*, II, no. 391, p. 169), a privilege that was maintained in South America even after the disappearance of the Spanish and Portuguese regimes, and which Leo XIII confirmed (1897; ibid., III, no. 633, p. 512). Finally, Benedict XV extended it to the entire Latin Church (10 Aug. 1915; ibid., III, no. 706, p. 852).

II. THE DISCIPLINE OF THE CODE OF CANON LAW

The present ecclesiastical legislation of the Latin Church is governed by canon 806, according to the following principles: 1) Unless an apostolic indult or the authorization of the local Ordinary is obtained, every priest may celebrate only one Mass a day; however, the exception is admitted for Christmas and All Souls’ Day, on which three Masses may be celebrated (§ 1), even by priests who, by privilege, may celebrate only the Mass of the Blessed Virgin or of the Dead (S. Congregation of Rites, 26 Jan. 1920). 2) Diocesan Ordinaries may permit bination only on holy days of obligation, when in their prudence they judge that, due to the absence or scarcity of priests, a considerable portion of the faithful would be unable to attend Mass (§ 2). “Scarcity of priests” is understood to exist when there is no priest available at the fixed time for the convenience of the faithful; “considerable portion” is reckoned at 20–30 faithful (or fewer, in the case of prisoners or cloistered nuns, who otherwise could not avail themselves of Mass); by “holy days of obligation” are meant those currently in force, and not those “suppressed,” except in cases of centenary or immemorial custom. 3) Bination may be granted by the Ordinary either in a parish church at least a quarter-hour’s walk distant from another, or in a public oratory situated about one and a half kilometers from the church, or in a semi-public oratory—even if near the church—in favor of cloistered nuns or important groups or communities that have their own oratory and cannot easily travel to church; but not in favor of a private oratory. 4) Permission for bination cannot be presumed except in cases of extreme necessity and when it is impossible to appeal to the Ordinary. 5) The indult of the Holy See is required for bination on days that are not holy days of obligation and for trination (v.). 6) It is permitted for a priest to binate without need of special permission when it is a matter of completing the Holy Sacrifice begun by another and accidentally interrupted, or to administer Viaticum to a dying person. 7) A priest who binates, unless otherwise dispensed, must keep the eucharistic fast for the second Mass; therefore he should not take the ablutions after the first. 8) One who binates may not accept two stipends for himself; but if the second Mass carries a stipend, this must be applied to the work indicated in the indult; he may, however, accept an indemnity or remuneration for something extrinsic to the Mass (e.g., late hour, travel). 9) A priest who presumes to celebrate two Masses on the same day in violation of canon 806 exposes himself to suspension from celebration for a determined period by the Ordinary (canon 2229, § 2).