was meant by the phrase 'end of the year.' All agreed that those concerned were bound to hand over to the Ordinary all the remaining obligations which should have been fulfilled, but they disagreed as to the time when they were to be so handed over. The recent decree, to a great extent, removes these doubts. It lays down that the obligation of handing to the Ordinary Foundation Masses or Masses attached to a benefice begins at the end of the year during which those Masses ought to have been celebrated. It declares, too, that the obligation of giving up Manual Masses begins at the end of twelve months after the obligation was undertaken, if there be question of a large number of Masses. By a large number, we presume, is meant a number which a priest is bound to say within a year, and which need not be celebrated within a shorter period. The decree does not state when a smaller number of Masses must be given to the Ordinary. That they must be, at some time, sent to the Ordinary is clear from the decree Vigilanti which speaks of onera, quae reliqua sunt, et quibus nondum satisfecerint.' But no indication is given as to the precise time when they must be handed over. It is suggested by the phrase, 'si agatur de magno missarum numero' that an equally long time is not allowed for a smaller number of Masses. Hence they must, probably, be given up at the end of each civil year-or, at least, at a time which the Ordinary, using the power implied in the words 'juxta modum ab iis definiendum,' determines.

The phrase 'quibus nondum satisfecerint' shows that the Masses for the celebration of which a longer time than a year has been allowed by the donors do not come under this law until the available time for celebrating them has passed.

The Ordinary to whom unsatisfied honoraria must be sent is the diocesan Ordinary if there be question of Foundation Masses under his jurisdiction, or of Manual Masses of priests who are his subjects. The Ordinaries for Regulars are their General and Provincial.

The part of the decree, 'salvis praescriptionibus, etc.,' merely indicates that nothing in this article interferes either

with the rules laid down in a previous article of the decree about the obligation of celebrating within a shorter period a smaller number of Masses, or with the will of the donors. requiring the celebration of Masses within a definite period. Though priests be not bound to hand over honoraria to the Ordinary till the end of the year they are bound to celebrate them within the period required by law or by the will of the donors.

Before passing to other regulations the decree Ut debita states that this and preceding articles bind sub gravi. 'Super integra et perfecta observantia praescriptionum quae tum in hoc articulo, tum in praecedentibus statutae sunt, omnium ad quos spectat conscientia graviter oneratur.'

[To be continued.]

ABSTINENCE IN WORKHOUSES

REV. DEAR SIR,-Under the regulations in force in the Workhouse to which I am chaplain, meat is given to the inmates on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of each week-even on Saturdays of Quarter Tense, and on Vigils, on which abstinence from meat is obligatory, when they fall on any of these days.

As the able-bodied inmates, if residing outside the Workhouse, would be bound to abstain from meat on these days, i.e., Vigils and Saturdays, I ask :

1° Is it the duty of the chaplain to endeavour to get abstinence fare substituted for meat on these days for this class? Such change in the dietary cannot be made by the Master of the Workhouse, but only by the Board with the sanction of the Local Government Board.

2° If he cannot get such fare substituted, is it his duty to bring tie matter under the notice of the Bishop with a view of obtaining a dispensation in the abstinence ?

All the inmates are Catholics. A reply in next issue will oblige.

A CHAPLAIN.

(1) Per se, it is the duty of the Parish Priest, rather than of the chaplain, to make an effort to remedy the regrettable state of affairs mentioned by our corre

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spondent. The Parish Priest is per se bound to look after the spiritual interests of all his parishioners. We say per se because the Bishop can, at any time, subject the chaplain to an obligation in such a matter. From answers to inquiries which we have made we conclude that the Bishop usually does confide to the chaplain full charge over the inmates of workhouses in Ireland. Of course the Parish Priest is frequently the chaplain.

The Parish Priest, or the chaplain where he has independent charge of the workhouse, ought to try, by every legitimate means in his power, to get the practice of the workhouse brought into conformity with the laws of the Church. A public protest made to the guardians would not, we think, fail to bring about the desired effect. Even a private conversation with some Cathouc guardians would go far towards obtaining a remedy In Ireland our Catholic representative men are, as a rule, quite willing to lend a helping hand in promoting Catholic interests. We do not think that there would be much difficulty in obtaining the necessary sanction of the Local Government Board, if the Board of guardians were to introduce a new rule in such a matter.

(2) In the circumstances mentioned by our correspondent the inmates of the workhouse are not bound by the law of abstinence. Hence no dispensation is necessary. It would be useful, however, if any serious difficulty were encountered, to inform the Bishop of the existing abuse, so that his authoritative voice might assist in bringing about a beneficent change in the workhouses in his diocese.

MATRIMONIAL CASE-MARRIAGE OF PEREGRINI

REV. DEAR SIR,-Kindly give me your opinion on the following marriage case. A man and woman, about to get married, have domiciles in England (where the priests in charge of the parishes are called Missionary Rectors). They come to Ireland to get married, and intend to return to England immediately after the ceremony, retaining their domicile there all the time.

Can they be validly married in Ireland at all? And if so, by whom? Yours sincerely,

SACERDOS.

The case presented for solution by our correspondent refers to the marriage of people who are domiciled in a place (England) where the decree Tametsi has not been promulgated, and who wish to be married in a place (Ireland) where the Tridentine law has been promulgated.

(1) If either party has acquired at least a quasidomicile in Ireland the marriage ceremony can be performed before the Parish Priest of the quasi-domicile, or before another priest with the license of the Parish Priest. The way in which our correspondent speaks suggests that, in the case, neither party has acquired a quasi-domicile.

(2) If either party has become a vagus the marriage ceremony can be performed before the Parish Priest of the place where the ceremony takes place, or in the same place before another priest having his license. Our correspondent thinks, and he is the best judge in the circumstances, that this condition has not been fulfilled, since he states of both that they retain their domicile there (in England) all the time.'

(3) Since neither party has acquired a quasi-domicile in Ireland, and since neither party has become a vagus, marriage attempted between them in Ireland, without the license of their own Rector, who is their parish priest in the sense of the decree Tametsi, is invalid. The territorial nature of the Tridentine law prevents its validity. Any priest who obtains that license can validly assist at their marriage in Ireland.

We presume that both are Catholics. If one were not a Catholic then their marriage would be valid in Ireland, so far as clandestinity is concerned, without the license of their English Rector, because the law of clandestinity, neither as personal nor as territorial, would bind in that case, since the decree Tametsi does not bind in England, and does not bind in cases of mixed marriages in Ireland.

LITURGY

PRAYERS IN THE MISSA QUOTIDIANA'

Rev. DEAR SIR,-In saying a Requiem Mass-the Missa Quotidiana-(a) for a brother and sister (deceased), or (b) for brother and two sisters (deceased), what change or changes should a priest make in the Oratio pro pluribus defunctis? Which prayer should he select when the Mass is for ' a deceased person,' of whom he knows nothing? Should any change be made in it? -Yours, etc.

C. D.

In both instances the form of the 'oratio pro pluribus defunctis' selected should run < animabus (seu animas) famulorum tuorum tantum.' As to hypothesis (a) it has been decided that in case of a prayer for two deceased persons of different sexes it is not permissible to use the form 'animabus famuli tui et famulae tuae.1 The plural form masculine should therefore be use exclusively in such a contingency. The same holds where the prayer is for more than two, one of whom only belongs to the male sex. Here, too, the words 'famulorum tuorum,' and these only, are to be employed. Where the prayer is said for deceased persons of different quality, two or more of whom belong to each sex, then the form 'animabus famulorum famulorumque tuorum' is the legitimate one.

The Congregation of Rites has also decided that when the Missa Quotidiana is said for the souls in Purgatory, or deceased persons in general, the three prayers found under this Mass in the Missal are to be said3:-'Si vero pro defunctis in genere Missa celebretur, orationes esse dicendas quae pro Missis Quotidianis in Missali prostant: eodemque ordine in quo sunt inscriptae.'