Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/457

 VIATOR

399

VIATOR

tion he says " Misereatur" and " Indulgent iam " using the words tui, tuis, tuorum, and tibi. (The singular is used when Communion is given to one who is sirk, ex- cept in the rare case in which it is given during Mass, when the phiral form is used. "Sacrorum Rituum Cong.", 16 Nov., 1906. i The priest then turns to the table, genuflects, and takes the jiarticle between the thumb and index finger of the right hand and holds the pyx in his left hand under the particle. The "Ecce Agnus Dei" and the "Domine non sum dig- nus" are said as prescribed for the ordinary Com- munion in the church. The sick person should say the "Domine non sum dignus" with the priest, at least once, in a low tone (Rit. Rom. Rubr., 19). In- stead of the "Corpus Domini", the form "Accipe frater (soror)" etc. is used, whether the sick person is fasting or not, for it is always used whenthesick person is in probable danger of death. It is a very probable opinion that Communion maj' be administered the next day, and even every day, and while the danger continues the form should always be "Accipe frater" (O'Kane, op. cit., 777). If difficulty is experienced in swallowing the Host on account of the parched condi- tion of the throat, a Uttle water may be given to the si ;k person before he receiv' es Holy Commimion, or the Host may be placed in some wine or water in a spoon, or a little wine or water may be given imme- diately after receiving the Host.

If the danger of death be imminent, but the person be able to receive, all the prayers, as far as the "Misereatur", may be omitted. In case of extreme nece.ssity the priest may even omit the "Misereatur" and the following, and give Communion immediately. In these cases the prayers which were omitted are not supplied afterwards, even though the state of the sick person should allow this. If it be feared that the per- son will be unable to swallow the Host before death, it should not be given. If it be given and death ensue before he can swallow it, it should be removed from his tongue and placed either in a corporal or in some vessel and kept in some secure place and in due time put into the sacrarium. Should the Host not be visi- ble in the mouth, nothing further need be done (Dimne, "The English Ritual Explained", 67; De Herdt, III, n. 191; O'Kane, np. cit., n. 823). If the priest, after bringing the Blessed Sacrament, finds un- expectedly that the sick person is unable to communi- cate, he may give benediction with it to the sick per- son. Bvit he is never allowed the bring the Blessed Sacrament for this purpose when he knows that the person will be unable to receive. Should the sick per- son be unable to retain the Sacred Host, it should be removed and carried to the church in a corporal or clean vessel. There it should be kept in a becoming place until it corrupts, when it should be put into the sacrarium.

AfiPT the Communion the priest purifies the pyx and his fingers in a small glass of water, and the water is given by the priest, or one of the attendants, to the sick person to drink. If the latter be unable or un- willing to take it, it may be thrown into the sacrarium or into the fire at the house. The priest may, if he wish, purify the pyx and his fingers by rubbing them with one part of the little piirificafor previously moistened with water. The purificator should then not be used again before it is washed. The priest then says "Dominus vobiscum" and the prayer "Domine 8anctc",etc. If no particle remain in thepyxhebles.ses the sick per.son with his hand in the same manner as after Communion in the church, using the form "Ben- edictio Dei", etc. O'Kane fn. S:?.")) thinks that since we use "tui" instead of "vestri" inthe "Misereatur", there is sufficient reason to justify the use of "super te" instead of "super vos" in this blessing; the rubric "eummanu benedicit" seems to favour this opinion, although authors who give the form in full say it ought to be "super vos". If a particle remain in the pyx, the

priest genuflects, puts the pyx in the burse, and, with- out saying anything, gives the blessing with the pyx, puts off his stole and surplice, and returns to the church, reciting on the way the Psalm, "Laudate Dominum de coelis", etc. (This rubric ought to be observed, when the priest is obliged to give Viaticum to persons in different houses, until the last particle is given, for the rubric says: "Si altera particula Sacra- menti superfuerit".) Having arrived at the church he places the pyx on the corporal, genuflects, descends to the lowest step and there recites the versiclea "Panem de coelo", etc. and "Dominus vobiscum" and the prayer "Deus, qui nobis", etc., after which he announces the indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines to those who accompanied the Blessed Sacrament inth a light, and five years and five quar- antines to those who accompanied it urilhout a light. He then ascends to the jiredella, genuflects, gives the blessing (o the assembled people in the church with the pyx and places the latter in the tabernacle in the customary manner.

From the Mass of Maundy Thursday till the Mass of Holy Saturday the colour of the stole must be white, the "Gloria Patri" is recited at the end of the Psalms, and the blessing with the pyx may be given in the room of the sick person, but not in the church. It may happen that Viaticum is to be given during Mass, e. g. to a criminal about to be executed, in an hospital or private house, when the sick person is in view of the altar. The rites and ceremonies observed in such cases are exactly the same as when Com- munion is given in the church, except that the form will be "Accipe frater (soror)". The colour of the vestment wiU be suited to the Mass. When Viati- cum is administered to two or more persons at the same time, it is given to them successively, as in the church, provided they be in the same apartment or in apartments opening into each other. In this case "Misereatur vestri . . . veslris" and " Indulgentiam . . .vestroTum . . . vobis" are said; the ablution may be given to any one of them, and need not be divided; in the prayer "Domine sancte" the words "fratri nostro" or "sorori nostra;" are changed into "fratri- bus nostris", or, if all are females, "sororibus no.s- tris", and at the end the blessing with the pyx is given only once to all together.

Maori, Hierolericon ( Venioe. 1712) ; Chardon. Sloria tiei sacra- menti (Verona. 1754); Zaccaria. BM. ritunlis (Horn.-, 1781); Benedict XIV. i)e synorfo rft'ffcesami (Naples. \..: I \).i.v a.vd CoaSART, Concih coll. (Pari.s, 1715); Marti ■ ^ ,' ' "-d.

rit. (Venice. 178.3); Baruffaldi, Ad riliml. 'nent.

(Venice, 1792); Bernard. CouTsrfe/idirffiV r">,, I' -i wxi);

A Sexten, Tract, paslornlut fie ftarram' '■ M, i- : - \ter.

Manual of Moral Theology (New ^ ' \ "•- \ ^ ■ < . The English Ritual Explained (London, I'"'^ < ' ', / the

Rubrics (Dublin, 1867); Rituale Romni'>aint .lust, and by the Christian flock of Lyons. Hagiographers refer to him as "a most holy youth, who on account of his eminent virtues was much beloved by his bishop". After the Council of Aquilria (.3S1) St. ,Ju.st decided to spend the remain- der of his life in the penitential solitudes of Thebais, and selected young Viator as the companion of his voluntary exile. Both the aged bishop .and his youthful lector died in the odour of sanctity in an austere monastery of Sc^'t', is observed on 21 October.

Because St. Viator had sanctified himself in teach- ing the young, he was sclccteii as the patron of a