holy mother Church.a 14Whoever does not do this, let him know that, on the day of judgment, he will be bound to render an account Mt 12:36 of himself before our Lord Jesus Christ.
15Let whoever makes copies of this writing so that it may be better observed know that they will be blessed by the Lord God.
- A direct reference to the decree Sane cum olim or Expectavius hactenus of Pope Honorius III, November 22, 1219, Bullarium Romanum, Honorius III, n. XL, tom. III, pages 366a-366b. "Since in times past the golden vessel full of manna prefigured the Body of Christ that contained the Godhead and since this vessel was placed below the Holy of Holies in the gold-covered Ark of the Covenant in order that it might be preserved decently in a holy place, we deplore and are grieved that in several provinces priests who are ignoring canonical sanctions and the judgment of God are carelessly reserving and irreverently touching, with unclean hands, the Sacred Eucharist. [And they do this] so that they neither fear the Creator nor love the Life-Giver, nor tremble before the Judge of all, even though the Apostle sternly threatens that whoever disdains the Son of God or considers the covenant-blood to be ordinary or insults the Spirit of grace (cf. Heb 10:29) will merit a worse punishment than one who transgresses the Law of Moses for which the penalty is the sentence of death. Therefore, lest the wrath of God blaze up in the future against the irreverent because of the carelessness of priests, We strictly enjoin by precept that the Eucharist be reserved always devotedly and faithfully in a place of honor that is clean and designated for It alone. Every priest should teach his people frequently that they should bow in reverence whenever the Life-Giving Host is elevated at the celebration of Mass and that each one should do the same when the priest is carrying It to the sick. At the same time, the priest should carry It in becoming apparel covered with a clean veil and should bring It back opening at his breast and with respect. The priest should be preceded by a torch, since the Eucharist is the radiance of Eternal Light, so that the faith and devotion of everyone be increased. If Prelates desire to escape the vengeance of God and Ours, they should not delay in punishing seriously transgressors of this precept. You should see that the foregoing is so observed that you may be made partakers not of punishment but of reward. Given as above, at Viterbo, on the twenty-second day of November in the fourth year of our pontificate. Honorius III, Pope."
Epistola ad clericos, Fontes Franciscani, p. 61
13E t s c i m u s , q u i a h a e c o m n i a t e n e m u r super omnia observare s e c u n d u m p r a e c e p t a D o m i n i e t c o n s t i t u t i o n e s s a n c t a e M a t r i s E c c l e s i a e.14Et qui hoc non f e c e r i t, s c i a t, se coram Domino nostro Jesu Christo in die iudicii reddere rationem.
15Hoc scriptum, ut melius debeat observari, sciant se benedictos a Domino Deo, qui i p s u m fecerint exemplari.
