CANON XIII.

CONCERNING the departing, the ancient canonical law is still to be 

maintained, to wit, that, if any man be at the point of death, he must 

not be deprived of the last and most indispensable Viaticum. But, if 

any one should be restored to health again who has received the 

communion when his life was despaired of, let him remain among 

those who communicate in prayers only. But in general, and in the 

case of any dying person whatsoever asking to receive the Eucharist, 

let the Bishop, after examination made, give it him.

NOTES.

ANCIENT EPITOME OF CANON XIII.

The dying are to be communicated. But if  any such get well, he must 

be placed in the number of those who share in the prayers, and with  

these only.

VAN ESPEN.

It cannot be denied that antiquity used the  name "Viaticum "not only 

to denote the Eucharist which was given to the dying, but also to 

denote the reconciliation, and imposition of penance, and in general, 

everything that could be conducive to the happy death of the person 

concerned, and this has been shown by Aubespine (lib. , Obs. cap. 

ii.). But while this is so, the more usual sense of the word is the 

Eucharist. For this cannot be denied that the faithful of the first ages of 

the Church looked upon the Eucharist as the complement of Christian 

perfection, and as the last seal of

hope and salvation. It was for tiffs reason that at the beginning of life, 

after baptism and confirmation, the Eucharist was given even to 

infants, and at the close of life the Eucharist followed reconciliation 

and extreme unction, so that properly and literally it could be styled 

"the last Viaticum." Moreover for penitents it was considered 

especially necessary that through it they might return to the peace of 

the Church; for perfect peace is given by that very communion of the 

Eucharist. [A number of instances are then cited, and various ancient 

versions of the canon.] Balsamon and Zonaras also understand the 

canon as I have done, as is evident from their commentaries, and so 

did Josephus AEgyptius, who in his Arabic Paraphrase gives the 

canon this title: "Concerning him who is excommunicated and has 

committed some deadly sin, and desires the Eucharist to be granted to 

him."

This canon is found in the Corpus Juris Canonici, Gratian, Decretum 

Pars. II. causa xxvi, Quaes. VI., c. ix.