celebret

A celebret, in Catholic canon law, is a letter from a bishop or religious superior authorizing a priest to say Mass in a diocese other than his own. The name of the document is taken from the Latin , meaning “may he celebrate”, as it is traditionally the first word of the text therein. ==History== The Council of Trent (Sess. XXIII, chap. xvi on Reform) lays down the rule that "no cleric who is a stranger shall without letter commendatory from his own ordinary be admitted by any bishop to celebrate the divine mysteries". Ordinarily, permission is not to be given to a priest from another diocese or archdiocese to say Mass without this certificate signed and duly sealed.

The seal is the more important requisite, as it is the safer guarantee against forgery. The celebret itself should be officially recognized by the diocesan authority of the place where a priest may wish to say Mass. One who has his celebret in due form, or who is certainly known to be in good standing in his own diocese, may be allowed to celebrate until he has had sufficient time to comply with this rule. A priest with proper credentials cannot reasonably be prevented from saying Mass, though he will be expected to comply with reasonable restrictions which may be imposed.