1917 Canon Law - Sunday Mass Obligatioin

[1ke]

I am not sure that answers the question. If taken as it is…then a Catholic in the hospital would be required to assist at Mass. There are no exceptions indicated. I don’t think it is universally.

Of course there are no exceptions listed. The law is not written to have copious lists of exceptions. The law is the norm.

People used common sense back in the day (and should still use common sense) and didn’t get all tangled up in needing a list in a book of canon law. The guidance came from their pastor, from their bishop, and from common practice.

Snowing, unable to hitch up the horses, roads impassible? no mass
Just had a baby and can’t get out of bed? no mass, no fasting
In the hospital? no mass
Sick? no mass, no fasting
manual labor working in the field? no fasting
no church within a reasonable distance? no mass

These sorts of things were commonly known, I am not sure where the disconnect has happened in the current day because people act like no one knows these basic things!

 

[Phemie]

Of course there are no exceptions listed. The law is not written to have copious lists of exceptions. The law is the norm.

People used common sense back in the day (and should still use common sense) and didn’t get all tangled up in needing a list in a book of canon law. The guidance came from their pastor, from their bishop, and from common practice.

Snowing, unable to hitch up the horses, roads impassible? no mass
Just had a baby and can’t get out of bed? no mass, no fasting
In the hospital? no mass
Sick? no mass, no fasting
manual labor working in the field? no fasting
no church within a reasonable distance? no mass

These sorts of things were commonly known, I am not sure where the disconnect has happened in the current day because people act like no one knows these basic things!

Things have changed but not always for the better.

While a distance of a few miles might have excused you from Mass back in the old days today some people are willing to drive over hour to attend the Mass of their choice while others feel that if Mass is not offered on the military base where they live they don’t have to drive 5.5 miles to attend the only Mass in the area.

 

[drforjc]

Thank you both for confirming that and Vico’s inclusion of the commentary. I had gone over Dr Peter’s English translation several times and found no exemption in the law itself and did not have access to the sources in his footnotes.

To those who say the 1917 code is irrelevant in light of the 1983 code it is a little like saying that the Old Testament is irrelevant in light of the New Testament (okay, not quite, but stick with me ). There is value in knowing what went before. It helps us understand what are merely human laws that might change versus those laws that are eternal and unchangeable. It can also provide us insight into how things were understood in previous generations and provide a better anchor to understand those same things in this generation. If certain laws changed or were abrogated it is not irrelevant if one want to understand how we got to where we are.

Should we not read anything written by the Church fathers simply because St John Paul II or Pope Francis might have spoken on it? Do the earlier writings have no bearing because they might have been expounded on? Of course not.

Just because someone asks why something in force before Vatican II might have been changed afterwords does not mean that they are attacking any teaching or have an ulterior motive. Perhaps they take the site name of “Catholic Answers” at face value and are asking to understand something of our past and not trying to undermine anything. Could people not just answer the question and then ask “is there a reason so that I can help provide further guidance” instead of just dismissing the question out of hands as unimportant?

You get my gold star for the day for this response! Two thumbs up!

 

[May1980]

I am a bit confused.

I was reading another post about attending mass. I thought this was an obligation every week or it’s mortal sin and one potentially goes to Hell if in mortal sin when they die. Is that how I understand it? Are you saying the rules changed? I don’t understand how they could change. I didn’t know what constitutes mortal sin can change? Since God in unchanging and surely isn’t changing mass requirements or putting in/taking out exclusions due to distance. Someone knows more than I do, and can clarify, I hope.

 

[dans0622]

I am a bit confused.

I was reading another post about attending mass. I thought this was an obligation every week or it’s mortal sin and one potentially goes to Hell if in mortal sin when they die. Is that how I understand it? Are you saying the rules changed? I don’t understand how they could change. I didn’t know what constitutes mortal sin can change? Since God in unchanging and surely isn’t changing mass requirements or putting in/taking out exclusions due to distance. Someone knows more than I do, and can clarify, I hope.

Hello,

It is and has been an obligation. There has been no change in its content or gravity. Along with the obligation, there has been an understanding of the fact that there are circumstances which make it impossible to fulfill the obligation (sickness, inability to travel, inclement weather, etc.). In those cases, there is no sin if the obligation is not fulfilled: the person did not freely disregard the obligation.

Dan

 

[John_Yurich_USA]

Where is the reference in the 1917 canon law that removed the Sunday Mass obligation should a person have to travel more than certain distance. This relief from the Sunday obligation was removed in the 1983 Canon Law.

I grew up under Vatican II and I was taught that the only time one was excused from attending Saturday Vigil Mass(Which is Sunday Mass) or Sunday Mass is if one was ill or was not able to find transportation to Mass. When I have gone on vacations around the United States and parts of Canada I never missed Mass on Sunday.

 

[Phemie]

I grew up under Vatican II and I was taught that the only time one was excused from attending Saturday Vigil Mass(Which is Sunday Mass) or Sunday Mass is if one was ill or was not able to find transportation to Mass. When I have gone on vacations around the United States and parts of Canada I never missed Mass on Sunday.

There are lots of areas in Canada where there is no Mass available. I live in Labrador where many of the north coast communities never see a Catholic priest (the residents are primarily Moravian, Pentecostal, or Anglican). If you’re Catholic and have to live there because you’re a teacher or nurse or social worker you won’t attend Mass until you get out on holidays.

One community is primarily Catholic and might have a priest visit for Christmas and Easter - if the weather cooperates and a flight is able to go in. It’s not rare for the priest to be weathered in for a week or more before a flight is able to go in again. Sometimes our priest will go there by boat in the summer.

We’re lucky, we have a priest in residence. He serves our parish and a small mission about 30 minutes down the road. The Mission will have its own Administrator in the summer.

The next nearest accessible parishes are 350 miles away – two parishes within 7 minutes of each other, served by 2 priests.

 

[Jennifoo]

Of course there are no exceptions listed. The law is not written to have copious lists of exceptions. The law is the norm.

People used common sense back in the day (and should still use common sense) and didn’t get all tangled up in needing a list in a book of canon law. The guidance came from their pastor, from their bishop, and from common practice.

Snowing, unable to hitch up the horses, roads impassible? no mass
Just had a baby and can’t get out of bed? no mass, no fasting
In the hospital? no mass
Sick? no mass, no fasting
manual labor working in the field? no fasting
no church within a reasonable distance? no mass

These sorts of things were commonly known, I am not sure where the disconnect has happened in the current day because people act like no one knows these basic things!

Good point. I find that the Church makes it easy enough to look up Mass times on the internet if one is going out of town. I’ve done that several times when I’ve traveled and have never had a problem attending Mass. Several weeks ago I was in Chicago and asked a front desk clerk about Holy Name Cathedral. Discovered it was a 9- minute walk from my hotel. Easy peasy.