Sample Questions on the administration of Sacraments
- A priest routinely re-baptizes Protestants who join the Church as he says, their Baptism could have been invalid.
- A nurse in a public hospital baptizes all babies who are seriously sick. Some recover and are brought up as non-Christians. Another never baptizes a dying baby saying it is none of her concern and God will save all babies. How far are they right?
- A person who had expressed some desire of joining the Church is now unconscious and dying. Will you give him Baptism?
- A school teacher is very eager to receive Baptism, but is afraid to publicly profess the faith. Could she be baptized secretly?
- As people do not choose godparents in good time, the sacristan and his wife regularly stand as sponsors for all babies. Is this alright?
- Can a religious stand as a godparent for Baptism of a relative?
- A Catholic and a protestant family are very devout and friendly. A member from one stands as a godparent for a child from the other. The priest accepts this as it seems to foster Christian unity. What about it?
- You are called to the bedside of a Catholic who is dying, but still conscious. How would you minister to him?
- When you arrive for a sick call, the person has just breathed the last. What would you do?
- A priest gives communion to Hindus saying that Christ came for all people. Comment.
- A Catholic asks you: “Can I receive Communion in the Protestant church if the Catholic Church is far off?” What if it is a Jacobite Church?
- Under what circumstances can you give Communion to Jacobites and Protestants? Note accurately.
- When distributing Communion on a feast day, you notice that the hosts are in short supply. What is to be done?
- A young priest simply refuses to give Communion to people outside Mass under any circumstance. Is he right?
- An elderly man finds it difficult to refrain from food or drink even for an hour before Communion? Is he bound to observe the Eucharist fast?
- At the time of Communion, the celebrant observes that the ciborium for consecration was kept by the server on the side of the altar and he had not noticed it. Can he use these hosts for distribution?
- Can a person receive Communion a third time during the same day (C. 917)?
- A priest accepts even 10 stipends a day for the same Mass. Otherwise, he says, people would be disappointed.
- A priest gets many big stipends from abroad. He asks other priests to say Masses at the local rate and keeps the big difference for himself? Is it alright?
- A priest has to regularly binate for pastoral reasons. Could he accept 2 stipends a day for himself?
- The parish priest’s nephew receives money to be given to the priest for Mass stipends and quietly spends it. Later when the priest comes to know of it, is he obliged to celebrate the Masses?
- A sick man accepts the sacrament of Anointing after much hesitation and now feels much better. Could he be anointed again the next day so that he gets well completel?
- A child of 6 is very seriously sick. Can he be given the sacrament of Anointing?
- You as parish priest are called to the bedside of a dying child of 12 who is still conscious but has not yet received the sacrament of Confirmation. Could you administer it?
- A couple who are living in an irregular union and who hardly turn up for Sunday Mass bring a baby for Baptism. What is the parish priest to do? If he refuses they may join the Protestant Church.
- At a centenary celebration, (the communion) Host was not sufficient. Many people were in the queue for receiving communion. One priest took hosts and consecrated. Is it valid?
- At the ecumenical Mass, the Bishop declared that for the communion only the Catholics would come. Despite this, many others stood in the queue for the communion. You are there. What to do?
- Ecumenical centre in Jerusalem. Purpose is to promote unity among all the Christian denominations. Can a Catholic lay participant participate in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper by a Lutheran Pastor?
- In a mission station where there is only a weekday mass. Sunday Mass is in the Parish which is 60 kms far. An ex-Seminarian comes to you from that mission station and says, “Father, now since 2 years I have not gone for Mass; because I studied in the seminary that only Sunday Mass is obligatory; here there is no Sunday Mass. Am I obliged to go for Mass on other days, since I don’t go for Sunday Mass do I have grave sin?
- A man from Ullal comes to you and says that I am a Catholic and my wife left me when I was in Madras, and now I am married to a protestant lady. I would like to baptize one of my children and I would like to receive communion if you allow my other child for first Holy Communion.
- A friend of mine brought a chalice with him when he came from Rome. It was blessed by Pope John. He sold it at a higher price to me, as it was blessed by the Pope. Simony? Can I keep it with me?
- An Anglican pastor friend of mine joined me at a concelebrated Mass. I did not oppose it. Am I right? I concelebrated at an Orthodox Mass. Can I do that?
- I am a Chaplin to a mental hospital. Can I give communion to the sick people in that hospital?
- Can I say Mass with a loaf of seminary bread? Is the Mass valid?
