Nicaea - Canon 13

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.

Let's begin with a definition.  What is viaticum?  From the Catholic Encyclopedia we understand that

The substantive "viaticum" figuratively meant the provision for the journey of life and finally by metaphor the provision for the passage out of this world into the next.

Formerly it meant anything that gave spiritual strength and comfort to the dying and enabled them to make the journey into eternity with greater confidence and security.  For this reason anciently not only any sacrament administered to persons at the point of death, baptism (St. Basil, "Hom. in sac. Bapt."; St. Gregory Nazianzen, "Orat. de bapt."), confirmation, penance, extreme unction (Moroni, "Diz. di erudizione stor.-eccl.), Eucharist (Fourth Counc. of Carthage, cap. 78, calls it "viaticum Eucharistiæ"), but even prayers offered up or good works performed by themselves or by others in their behalf, e.g. alms-deeds (St. Cyprian), and finally anything that tended to reconcile the dying with God and the Church came under this designation.¹

We can see that what was originally something to help the traveler was applied to the final great journey of death.  Up to the time of the Nicene council one of the deacons would leave the meeting to bring the bread and wine to a dying person as a way to ease the soul in the last hours.  A great premium was placed on actual, rather than spiritual, communion because of the connection the early church made between the elements and Christ's presence with his people as they gathered together.  About this Robert Webber reminds us that

the symbols of bread and wine are the material objects that in a mysterious manner are connected with the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ,through whom man worships the Father.  For this reason the early church had a high view of the symbols of the bread and wine and their place in Christian worship.…The early Christians refused to define exactly what happened to the bread and wine.  For them it was something actually present in a renewing and nourishing way.…The early Christians wished to maintain the mystery of the Eucharist as the culminating point of worship that pointed to the redemption of Christ and served as a means of receiving the benefits of the death of Christ.²

For the dying penitent the elements in this last act salved the conscience by speaking to him or her that the time of waiting mentioned in previous canons was now over.  The soul was clean before God and worthy to receive what God was giving in the elements.  For those not penitent this was a chance to confess any sin before God and have renewed confidence in their firm position by the communion act.  Should the dying person recover, that one should spend time away from the elements, probably as an act by the leaders to safeguard against either the person attempting to fool the church into shortening the time of penance or trying to eat and drink in an unworthy manner.

While writing this I am reminded of a godly person who was confined to the hospital for several weeks because of medical condition.  During that time she requested of the chaplain a chance to have the Lord's Supper.  Being of a group which practiced a closed communion, he was unwilling and asked why her church (my own church at the time) was not honoring her wishes.  She related the story to me after her release, and I was thoroughly ashamed both for my own thoughtlessness but also for those in that local body who could have performed this task.

Let us not lose sight of the importance of the body and blood of Christ to the infirm.  If they are able to partake of the elements, let them do so in joyous communion with the beloved saints and God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.



¹ Augustin Joseph Schulte, "Viaticum," The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 15 (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912).  Cited 28 Oct 2010.  Online: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15397c.htm.

² Robert Webber, Common Roots (2d ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009), 116-117.