3/23/2021
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| Lorenzetti, "Madonna with angels" |
Nullo 7: Religious Houses of Women
Why urge a particularly rigid insistence on the matter of the keeping of the tabernacle key in religious houses of women? Nullo 7 states its reason clearly, “so that abuses and irreverences be avoided which redound on the Blessed Eucharist.” But what particular abuses could redound in a convent that would not be avoided by the general precautions already mentioned for Churches? The explicit requirement of the presence of both the Mother superior and some other nun indicates the propriety associated precisely with modesty and chastity as it excludes the circumstance of private communication between male and a female. It preserves diligent solicitude for the MBS from itself becoming an occasion of sin or scandal.
Nullo 8: Other (non-parochial) Oratories
The priest who is the rector or moderator of the oratory where the MBS is kept is entrusted with the tabernacle key and urged to guard it carefully. This admonition covers for every other conceivable instance of public MBS reservation beyond the two previously mentioned (parish, religious house). Hospital chapels, nursing homes, seminaries, colleges, schools are mentioned by name. For all of these instances, the same previously-mentioned precautions apply.
Nullo 9: Private oratories
There are certain private oratories that have obtained an Apostolic Indult to reserve the MBS. Nullo 9 acknowledges the usual circumstance of the private family itself, rather than the chaplain, being in charge of keeping the key in the sacristy. However, it leaves it to the bishop to determine the preferability whether the priest who celebrates Mass there should keep it, or even the local parish priest.
