All Soulds Day, Liturgical Rank, Vespers

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Does anybody here know whether All Souls’ Day counts as a solemnity? I thought it isn’t (All Saints is, I know). But then in one calendar I saw it listed as a solemnity too. Another Calendar just showed nothing at all (NO sign, where usually the sign stating the liturgical rank is).
This also influences Vespers, as tomorrow is Sunday, and as I have learned, if it is a solemnity the Vespers today would be taken from the solemnity, but if not, then the first Vespers for Sunday?
Maybe somebody here knows.

Kathrin
 
Still another calendar says it’s a Feast, but it still has two readings like a Solemnity there.
 
A German Liturgy of the Hours Website also says Vespers of Sunday.
 
All Souls’ Day, because of the sobriety which is to be accorded to the day, does not rank as a feast or solemnity, but is rather regarded as a commemoration. Hence, I Vespers of the XXXI Sunday in Ordinary Time ought to be celebrated this evening.

Interestingly enough, we have a Mass at sundown here at the seminary, out in the cemetery. Since the Mass is in the evening, it would technically fulfill the Sunday obligation (even though it’s not being celebrated according to the texts of the Sunday, since the obligation is fulfilled by attendance at any valid Catholic rite on the day of precept or the evening before). So if someone from the neighborhood happened to attend, obligation fulfilled. For us, we’re beholden to other obligations than Church law, i.e. the horarium of the seminary. So no such luck there 😉

-ACEGC
 
Speaking of masses, two churches I often go to (they kind of belong together) do lighting of candles for their deceased at theSunday masses this weekend, One a Vigil, the other a Sunday morning mass. I think they are using the Sunday readings. I am going to a diffeent mass this Sunday (earlier one, ebcause of a family invitation) so I won’t know for sure unless I ask somebody, and I can’t remember for sure about last year, but I think they are using the Sunday readings and just adding the commemoration (if that is the right word) to it, I think in place of or with the prayers of the faithful, because that is in a way what it is (praying for the dead).
There was a morning mass today for All Souls Day at the regular mass time.
 
On the other hand, though, the General Norms for the Liturgical Year list All Souls Day as ranking the same as a solemnity (and hence about Sundays of Ordinary Time)

Link from EWTN

Also, the St. Joseph Guide for the Liturgy of the Hours lists both Sunday Vespers I and the Office for the Dead Vespers as being allowed.
 
It isn’t called a Solemnity because of sobriety reasons but afaik it is essentially a Solemnity as far as importance.
 
In the Extraordinary Form, Vespers of All Souls is superseded by 1st Vespers of the Sunday today. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t the case in the Ordinary Form.
 
In the Extraordinary Form, Vespers of All Souls is superseded by 1st Vespers of the Sunday today. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t the case in the Ordinary Form.
Actually it’s a little different in the OF when it comes to how Sunday and All Souls’ bump up against each other. Recall that just a couple years ago, All Souls’ fell on Sunday. In the OF, All Souls is celebrated on Sunday, while in the EF it is moved to Monday. This created the interesting situation that all priests could offer SIX Masses for All Souls–three in the OF on Sunday and three in the EF on Monday.

In any event, when it comes to the offices, it seems there’s some leeway; as other posters have commented, it seems to be the case that either the Office of the Dead or I Vespers of Sunday is allowed.

-ACEGC
 
Actually it’s a little different in the OF when it comes to how Sunday and All Souls’ bump up against each other. Recall that just a couple years ago, All Souls’ fell on Sunday. In the OF, All Souls is celebrated on Sunday, while in the EF it is moved to Monday. This created the interesting situation that all priests could offer SIX Masses for All Souls–three in the OF on Sunday and three in the EF on Monday.

In any event, when it comes to the offices, it seems there’s some leeway; as other posters have commented, it seems to be the case that either the Office of the Dead or I Vespers of Sunday is allowed.

-ACEGC
I had read that about there being leeway that one could celebrate the Office of the Dead

Our 4:30 Mass was for All Souls while we were told it did fufill the Sunday obligation. All Souls will be on Sunday next year. I am a weekday sacristan and when I was getting the Missal ready I noticed that it did say that that Mass should be celebrated even if Novemeber 2 was a Sunday.
It made me think about next year and guess that the 4:30 Mass will be for All Saints (as well as our 9AM but then the Masses on Sunday will be for All Souls
 
Very interesting! At our EF parish on All Souls we had one priest offer his three private Masses beginning at 7 am, had a High Mass with Deacon and Sub-Deacon at 9 am then two Low Masses offered by another priest right after.
 
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