SACRED FUNCTIONS. - I. NOTION. - Sacred functions (funzione, from fungor, that is, exercise, performance) are the functions of the power of Order which, by institution of Christ or of the Church, are ordered to divine worship and which can be performed only by clerics. Although the CIC speaks of sacred functions in books II, III and IV without specifying the concept (cann. 484 § 1, 1191-2271 § 2), and although among authors there is no agreement on a univocal meaning of the term, the definition given above seems the most acceptable, inasmuch as it is drawn from can. 2256 of the same CIC, where there is talk of «divine offices», which from the text and context seem unable to mean anything other than sacred functions, given also the comparison with cann. 1165 § 1, 1173, 1193, 2259 § 1, 2275 no. 1. It must be added that the terminology of the CIC is not on this point univocal. Sacred functions, besides by their own name, are also called ecclesiastical functions (cann. 717 § 1, 1195 § 1, 1544); at times simply functions (can. 716 § 1) or ecclesiastical rites (can. 1171) or sacred rites (cann. 2270 § 1, 2271 no. 1). On the other hand, however, the term «divine offices» is at times taken in a narrower sense to indicate a determined sacred function, that is, the choral recitation of the canonical hours (cann. 413-14), whether in Chapters (cann. 413-414), or in religious communities that have the obligation of the Choir (can. 618). Confusion must therefore be avoided, given the instability of the terminology. Furthermore, it is also useful to observe that the recitation of the Divine Office is no longer a sacred function when it is done privately, as happens in the extra-choral recitation on the part of clerics ordained in sacris or of beneficed clerics (cann. 155, 1475) or on the part of the religious of solemn profession who has not assisted at the choral recitation (can. 610).
II. DIVISIONS
Sacred functions can be: 1) Liturgical or extra-liturgical: the former are the complex of acts of worship regulated in an official manner by the Church; the latter embrace ways of carrying out public worship outside the liturgical order, though always under the aegis and the dispositions of the Church.
2) Ordinary or extraordinary: to the former belong those that are performed, or at least can be performed, several times in the liturgical year (and such are the majority of sacred functions): to the latter those that can be performed only once a year (e.g., the sacred functions of the last three days of Holy Week, the blessing of the Palms, etc.).
3) Solemn or simple, if they are performed with the greatest or the least ritual splendor.
4) Reserved and non-reserved, insofar as they can be performed by qualified ministers or by all ministers of worship according to the liturgical laws. These can be divided into: a) pontifical and non-pontifical, if they are reserved to major prelates or can also be performed by the other ministers of worship (various consecrations, blessings, etc.); b) parochial and non-parochial, if reserved to the parish priest (can. 462) or if they can also be performed in non-parochial churches by non-parish priests without need of specific permission (cann. 481, 482). Concretely, liturgical sacred functions are: the Mass, solemn or private, the choral recitation of the Canonical Hours, the confection and administration of the Sacraments. Extra-liturgical sacred functions are: the solemn confection of the Sacramentals (ecclesiastical blessings, exorcisms by the deputed ministers, papal blessings, the apostolic blessing "in articulo mortis", the blessing of the abbot, of the abbess, the blessing and consecration of virgins, the blessing of a sacred place, the blessing and laying of the first stone of a church to be built, the consecration or blessing of a church, the consecration of the altar; the blessing of the oratory and of the cemetery, the reconciliation of a church and oratory, the consecration and blessing of bells, the consecration of the chalice and paten, the blessing of sacred furnishings, of the candles on the Purification, the blessing and imposition of the Ashes on the first day of Lent, the blessing of the Palms, the functions of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the solemn crowning of the Image of Jesus and of the Virgin, the solemnity of the diocesan synod, of the provincial and plenary or ecumenical council, processions, solemn novenas and tridua, the blessing of houses, of the woman after childbirth, the exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the funeral rites of adults or children, the practice of the nine Fridays, etc. Regarding reservation, some sacred functions are withheld by their very nature from the lower ministers, thus the consecration of a bishop cannot be performed except by another bishop. Others are withheld by positive law and reserved to certain ministers of worship in preference to others. Thus the consecration of a bishop is reserved to the Pope (cann. 953) and cannot be performed by others without his mandate; the consecration of churches and altars is reserved as a valid rite to bishops, and to abbots or prelates nullius (can. 323 § 2, 239 § 1), as a licit rite to bishops, abbots or prelates nullius, and local Ordinaries, with the exception of cardinalitial titular churches and the altars of the same (can. 1155); the conferral of the tonsure and minor Orders is reserved, besides to the bishop, to cardinals and to abbots or prelates nullius (can. 239 § 1, 22; 323 § 2, 964, 1°). Some sacred functions are reserved to the cathedral Chapter and within the Chapter itself the minister must be chosen according to a certain order (can. 397 nn. 1-3, 462 n. 7), others are reserved according to can. 426 to the parish priest (solemn Baptism, Communion brought publicly to the sick in the parish and visiting the sick, Extreme Unction, announcing the Sacred Ordination and marriages (cann. 998 § 1, 1022 ff.), assisting at and blessing Marriages (cann. 1094, 1108 ff.), celebrating funeral rites according to can. 1216 (cf. however can. 1218), blessing houses on Holy Saturday or at another time established by custom, blessing the baptismal font, imparting blessings outside the Church with pomp and solemnity, leading processions outside the church with solemnity, saving the rights of the Chapter, of the regulars (cann. 1291, 1295), customs and privileges (see better under the individual entries). By particular law also the first Communion of children can be a sacred function reserved to the parish priest, and likewise the blessing of women after childbirth. When sacred functions are thus reserved they cannot be performed in other churches (can. 481); otherwise their exercise is free according to the liturgical laws (thus tridua, solemn novenas, etc.; can. 482), provided that they do not interfere with the parochial ministry (can. 716 § 1, 609 § 1) or in special cases the competent authority has not ordered otherwise or it is a question of privileges and "iura quaesita" of a local church or of religious or ecclesiastical associations regarding a function in question.
III. TIME AND PLACE OF SACRED FUNCTIONS
The sacred functions must be carried out at the prescribed time, unless freedom is left or they depend on the circumstances of other acts, even profane ones. Some sacred functions may be carried out at any time of the day or night, others at a well-determined time of day, others in periods or cycles of the liturgical year. The local Ordinary, for a just cause, may also determine the schedule of the sacred functions (can. 1171).
Time, as is well known, can be computed: naturally, civilly and liturgically. In relation to the sacred functions, the last kind of time is directly relevant, but indirectly the canonical and civil computation of time also has its importance. Thus, it must be borne in mind that in the private celebration of Mass, the private recitation of the Canonical Hours, and Communion, one may follow local time, whether true or mean or legal, whether regional or extraordinary; in other cases one must follow the common time of the place. Therefore in solemn sacred functions (solemn Mass, conventual Mass, Canonical Hours, solemn Vespers, etc.) one must follow the time commonly used in the place of the sacred function (can. 33 § 1).
The sacred functions have their natural place for their performance in a sacred place, and indeed some, always with the due exceptions, have more particular determinations regarding place, thus: for Baptism (can. 773), for Communion (can. 869), for Confession (cann. 908-910), for Confirmation (can. 791-792), for the celebration of Matrimony (can. 1109), for the celebration of Holy Mass (cann. 822, 823), for the conferral of Orders (cann. 1008, 1109).
The greatest restrictions apply to the celebration of sacred functions in a private Oratory (can. 1195 § 1). With the exception of Mass, the other sacred functions cannot normally be celebrated there.
Bibliography5 works
Giuseppe Sima