Canon 720

1. Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute

the ordinary way by which the Christian faithful who is aware of

a serious sin is reconciled with God and the Church; only physical or moral impossibility excuses one from confession of this

type, in which case reconciliation can take place in other ways.

2. Absolution of many penitents at the same time without prior

individual confession cannot be imparted unless: (1) the danger

of death is imminent and there is not time for the priest or

priests to administer the sacrament of penance to the individual

penitents; (2) there is a grave necessity, that is, when in

light of the number of penitents, a supply of priests is not

available to administer the sacrament of penance to the individual penitents within a suitable time so that, through no fault

of their own, they are forced for a long time to be deprived of

sacramental grace or reception of the Divine Eucharist; it is not

considered a sufficient necessity if confession cannot be readily

available only because of the great number of penitents as can

occur on the occasion of some great feast or pilgrimage. 3.

The eparchial bishop is competent to decide when such grave necessity exists and can determine such a case of necessity with

general prescriptions having taken counsel with the patriarch and

eparchial bishops of the other Churches sui iuris exercising

power in the same territory.