CathInfo.com

OK, this should be the English translation:

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THE SACRED CONGREGATION OF THE RITUALS OF THE RESURRECTION SUNDAY DECREES TO ESTABLISH THE SOLEMN WATCH OF THE PASTOR.

The Sunday vigil of Resurrection, which St. Augustine calls "the mother of all holy vigils" (sermon 219, PL. 38, 1088), has been the custom of the Church since ancient times to celebrate with great solemnity.

The celebration of this vigil was carried out during the night hours which precede the Resurrection of the Lord. But in the course of time, and for various reasons, the same celebration was brought first to the evening hours, then to the afternoon hours, and finally to the morning hours of the holy Sabbath, with different changes introduced at the same time, not without the loss of the original symbolism.

But in our age, with increasing research into the ancient liturgy, there has arisen a lively desire that the paschal vigil, in particular, should be recalled to its primitive splendor. sit in the original setting of the same vigil, namely at the nocturnal hours which precede Resurrection Sunday. In order to encourage this kind of establishment, a particular pastoral reason also comes, that is, of fostering the concurrence of the faithful; indeed, when the holy day of the Sabbath is no longer considered a festival, as in the past, most of the faithful are unable to participate in the sacred ritual in the morning hours.

Supported by these arguments, many of the local Ordinaries, groups of the faithful, and religious men brought petitions to the Holy See, asking that it would indulge in the restoration of the ancient paschal vigil to the night hours between Holy Saturday and Resurrection Sunday.

And the Supreme Pontiff Pope Pius XII, kindly receiving these prayers, for his care and concern in a matter of so great importance, asked this question to a special commission of experts in the matter, who would subject the whole matter to careful study and examination.

Referring finally to the below written S. Rites of the Congregation of the Cardinal Pro-Prefect, His Holiness has deigned to approve the Rubrics which follow, for the celebration of the paschal night vigil, optionally for this year to be instituted by the wise judgment of the local Ordinaries, and for trial. Therefore, the same local Ordinaries who have used this facility are requested to inform the Congregation of the gathering and piety of the faithful, and of the success of the paschal vigil established. Moreover, all publishers of books are prohibited from printing this rite without the express permission of the Congregation for Sacred Rites.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary.

On February 9, 1951.

C. Card. MICARA, Ep. Veliternus, Pro-Prefect A. Carinci, Archiep. Seleucus Secretary

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So, it appears that this docuмent discusses the first steps wherein the Ordinaries were to test out the nocturnal hours, monitor the attendance of the Faithful, and report back.

Is there another docuмent that shows the results of these tests?

That would be Maxima Redemptoris, which declares them a unanimous success (naturally).

This appraisal, however, exposes the rise:

https://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/f096_Dialogue_18.htm

Aside from the history of all the time changes and what is or is not included liturgically, here are some practical questions as to what a person should or should not do next weekend:

1. If a late-night vigil entails Communion after midnight, then for laity does that proscribe Communion again on Sunday since it's technically the same day?

2. If an earlier vigil entails Communion before midnight but not early enough to get in a meal afterward, and then one assists at Mass on Easter Sunday (and keeps the midnight fast as a norm), in effect is one fasting pretty much from Good Friday onward?

I get that there are lots of local cultural variations, I get that some Catholics will just default to whichever setpoint of 20th century practice suits. Yet is there any fixed traditional guidance on those two questions? Thanks.

Answers:

1. Yes: According to the 1917 CIC, you can only receive Communion once/day, except:

"It is allowed to receive communion twice on the same day:
—If, having already received communion, a danger of death arises so that the second communion is taken in viaticuм;
—If, likewise, the need arises to prevent the profanation of the Blessed Sacrament.
https://fsspx.news/en/news-events/news/eucharist-14-obligation-receive-communion-47189

Note: But according to the 1983 CIC (#917), you can receive twice/day, if you have participated in both Masses.

2. Yes, in odd circuмstances, you could find yourself fasting from Midnight of Good Friday evening, until Easter morning after Mass, if you were observing the traditional minight fasting laws.

Here's how it could happen:  

Suppose you drive 3 hours to attend an Easter Vigil (and subsequent Mass), which begins at 5PM.  Because you wish to receive Communion, you have not eaten since Friday evening.  With Holy Saturday Mass ending around 9:30PM, you don't arrive home until 12:30 AM (at which point you will once again be fasting if you wish to receive Communion at the Easter Mass later Sunday morning).

I suspect this was one of the secondary reasons the fast was commuted to 3 hours, and another reason many pushed back the start of the Vigil until 8AM Saturday morning (among all the other liturgical reasons adduced in previous posts).