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12. The Sacred Ecumenical Council confirms and approves the
ancient discipline of the sacraments existing in the Oriental
Churches, as also the ritual practices connected with their
celebration and administration and ardently desires that this should be
re-established if circumstances warrant it.
13. The established practice in respect of the minister of
Confirmation that has obtained from most early times in the Eastern
Church should be fully restored. Therefore, priests validly confer
this sacrament, using chrism blessed by a patriarch or a
bishop.[14]
14. All Eastern Rite priests, either in conjunction with Baptism
or separately from it, can confer this sacrament validly on all the
faithful of any rite including the Latin; licitly, however, only if
the regulations both of the common and the particular law are
observed.[15] Priests, also, of Latin Rite, in accordance
with the faculties they enjoy in respect of the administration of this
sacrament, validly administer it also to the faithful of Eastern
Churches; without prejudice to the rite, observing in regard to
licitness the regulations both of the common and of the particular
law.[16]
15. The faithful are bound to take part on Sundays and feast days
in the Divine Liturgy or, according to the regulations or custom of
their own rite, in the celebration of the Divine Office.[17]
That the faithful may be able more easily to fulfill their obligation,
it is laid down that the period of time within which the precept should
be observed extends from the Vespers of the vigil to the end of the
Sunday or the feast day.[18] The faithful are earnestly exhorted
to receive Holy Communion on these days, and indeed more
frequently-yes, even daily.[19]
16. Owing to the fact that the faithful of the different individual
churches dwell intermingled with each other in the same area or Eastern
territory, the faculties for hearing confessions duly and without
restriction given to priests of any rite by their own hierarchs extend
to the whole territory of him who grants them and also to the places and
faithful of any other rite in the same territory, unless the hierarch
of the place has expressly excluded this for places of his
rite.[20]
17. In order that the ancient established practice of the Sacrament
of Orders in the Eastern Churches may flourish again, this Sacred
Council ardently desires that the office of the permanent diaconate
should, where it has fallen into disuse, be restored.[21] The
legislative authorities of each individual church should decide about
the subdiaconate and the minor orders and the rights and obligations
that attach to them.[22]
18. To obviate invalid marriages when Eastern Catholics marry
baptized Eastern non-Catholics and in order to promote fidelity in
and the sanctity of marriage, as well as peace within the family, the
Sacred Council determines that the canonical "form" for the
celebration of these marriages is of obligation only for liceity; for
their validity the presence of a sacred minister is sufficient,
provided that other prescriptions of law are observed.[23]
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