ii2 THE MEANS OF GRACE 



dal. The duty of administering Baptism and 

 Penance, in particular, binds even when there is 

 danger of contracting a contagious disease or in- 

 curring grave risk to life or limb. 8 Of course, all 

 reasonable precautions may and should be taken 

 in such cases. The duty just mentioned does not 

 bind priests who are not officially engaged in pas- 

 toral work, though all are bound to respond 

 to urgent calls when there is grave necessity, 

 as, e. g., on the field of battle, or when some 

 one is seriously ill or dying and no other priest 

 can be had. The same rule applies to a pastor in 

 his conduct towards those not under his care. 

 We need hardly add, however, that no true priest 

 will confine himself to what is of strict duty in 

 matters of this kind. 



It is forbidden {extra periculum mortis) to administer 

 the Sacraments to persons who are notoriously unworthy 

 (publice indigni), especially if these persons are excom- 

 municated by name, or are under an interdict, or if they 

 lead a life of public infamy, e. g., prostitutes, fortune tell- 

 ers, concubinarians, and Freemasons publicly known as 

 such, unless indeed they have done penance and repaired 

 the scandal given. The reason for this prohibition is the 

 danger of scandalizing the faithful and Christ's admoni- 

 tion not to give that which is holy to the dogs nor to cast 

 pearls before swine. 9 



8 John X, 11-13. — Benedict XIV, Sacramento Tempore Pestis, May- 



De Synodo Dioecesana, XIII, c. 19, ence 1612. 



n. 8.— Cfr. I. Chapeauville, Tract. Matth. VII, 6.— Cfr. 1 Tim. V, 



de Necessitate et Modo Ministrandi 22. — Rit. Rom., De S. Eucharist. 



