CANON 2131/

Spiritual Assistance

Canon 213 The Christian faithful have the right to receive assistance from the sacred pastors
out of the spiritual goods of the Church, especially the word of God and the
sacraments.

Commentary
All Christians have a right to receive help from the spiritual goods of the Church. This right is rooted
in baptism; it is not a privilege granted by church authorities, but a claim rooted in the action of Christ that
empowers Christians to seek the services of the sacred pastors. These latter have the obligation to see
that this help is available.

This is the first right mentioned for lay persons and all Christians in Lumen Gentium 37, a conciliar
statement that is the source for many of the rights in this title. Both De Populo Dei (c. 24, §1) and the Lex
Ecclesiae Fundamentalis considered it a fundamental right for all Christians. The current text is only
slightly modified stylistically from canon 13 of Lex Ecclesiae Fundamentalis.

This was the only right (jus) directly stated in the former Code (CIC 682). There it was put in more
general terms: lay persons have a right to spiritual goods and to the most powerful helps necessary for
salvation. Word and sacrament were not specifically mentioned. The Council, building on the concept
that word ands sacrament are constitutive elements of the Church’s mission, listed them as the principle
spiritual goods of the Church.

This right of Christians is further supported by the obligation placed on sacred ministers not to deny
the sacraments to those who seek them opportunely, are properly disposed, and are not impeded by law
(c. 843, §1). Together with the rest of the faithful, the clergy are to provide proper preparation for the
sacraments (c. 843, §2). Preaching the word is a special obligation of the clergy (756-757), and others
can be called to help provide this good for the faithful (cc. 758-759).

The Council called for those goods to be made available in abundance (abundanter). The Code
neither retains this qualification nor specifies the quality of help received; thus it does not legislate the
right to good homilies or to the most pastorally satisfying celebration of the sacraments, although these
clearly are the ideal. The Code does attempt to make it possible for bishops to provide these helps to
Christians more readily despite the growing shortage of clergy relative to the total Catholic population.
The potential for non-priests to provide a range of services has been placed in the law, and bishops are
empowered to take advantage of those options – especially to provide the necessary help to the faithful
entrusted to their care.

While sacred pastors in virtue of their office are responsible to see that those helps are provided
(cc. 386=387), they do not have to do it by themselves. The involvement of others is encouraged in order
to make word and sacraments more readily available. The bishop can reorganize parishes, structure
educational efforts, provide norms for sacramental preparation, and develop whatever else is needed to
facilitate the exercise of this right, making it one of the most influential rights in the Church.

Moreover, access to the sacraments cannot be denied someone in full communion without serious
cause and due process of law. Even those not in full communion can on occasion seek and receive the
sacraments in the Catholic Church; furthermore, Catholics may seek the sacraments wherever they are
validly celebrated provided obvious conditions are met (c. 844).

1/ The Code of Canon Law, a Text and Commentary, The Canon Law Society of America, edited by
James A. Coriden, Thomas J. Green and Donald E. Heintschel, Paulist Press, New York,
NY/Mahwah, NJ, © 1985 by the Canon Law Society of America.