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Lampo
Guest
Just wondering if every priest is required to say Mass every day of their lives; Fr. Corapi for instance. Does he say Mass daily, and if so, where?
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TheWhoFreak
Guest
If they are the only priest in their parish then I’m sure they’ll have to say Mass every day. My parish has two or three priests on staff so I’m sure they switch off who says the daily Mass. Or if there are 2 Masses in the same day they’ll switch off between who says the 9 AM and who says the 11 AM.
I wonder how priests deal with a parish Mass schedule whose daily Mass is at like, 8 AM (aka the Golfers’ Mass). I couldn’t do it. I’d eventually get irritated with having to wake up at the crack of dawn every day of my life.
Btw, I’m sure they don’t have to do it every day of their priestly lives. I wouldn’t expect my priest to say Mass if he got in a car wreck and was in the hospital or something of that nature. Old age could be a reason as well. My parish has a priest that is at least 80 or so. He teaches seminary classes during the school year. He doesn’t say Mass very often, or at least he doesn’t say the Mass I go to very often.
Sorry for the ramble, hope I answered your question.
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AJV
Guest
No, it is encouraged but not required. Frequently, the priests I’ve seen employ this option will celebrate alone, if they are in a parish with multiple priests.
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FrDavid96
Guest
It’s strongly suggested, but it is not required.
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Friar_David_O.Carm
Guest
It must be remembered that not every priest resides or serves a parish church.
In our community, though we have become a clerical order, our priests do not concelebrate at our community Masses. So each day one of the priests in the house is assigned for that Mass. We do help out a couple of houses of sisters so one or two priests (depending on the day) will go out and celebrate for those communities.
As has been said, it is not required that a priest celebrate Mass every day.
In our community, though we have become a clerical order, our priests do not concelebrate at our community Masses. So each day one of the priests in the house is assigned for that Mass. We do help out a couple of houses of sisters so one or two priests (depending on the day) will go out and celebrate for those communities.
As has been said, it is not required that a priest celebrate Mass every day.
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Just_Lurking
Guest
Can. 904 Remembering always that in the mystery of the eucharistic sacrifice the work of redemption is exercised continually, priests are to celebrate frequently; indeed, daily celebration is recommended earnestly since, even if the faithful cannot be present, it is the act of Christ and the Church in which priests fulfill their principal function.
Can. 905 §1. A priest is not permitted to celebrate the Eucharist more than once a day except in cases where the law permits him to celebrate or concelebrate more than once on the same day.
§2. If there is a shortage of priests, the local ordinary can allow priests to celebrate twice a day for a just cause, or if pastoral necessity requires it, even three times on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
Can. 905 §1. A priest is not permitted to celebrate the Eucharist more than once a day except in cases where the law permits him to celebrate or concelebrate more than once on the same day.
§2. If there is a shortage of priests, the local ordinary can allow priests to celebrate twice a day for a just cause, or if pastoral necessity requires it, even three times on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
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Lampo
Guest
That is great! Thanks. Is there a good, online, searchable Code of Canon Law?
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katiebelle08
Guest
The Vatican Website has the Code of Canon Law listed!!!
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Lampo
Guest
You people are awesome!
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Sr_Sally
Guest
Our parish has a daily Mass (M-F) at 6:15am. Not only does the priest who is assigned get up and get to Mass, but so do the altar boys who don’t live at the rectory.
I know that in the past, barring illness, a priest did say Mass every day.
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TheWhoFreak
Guest
Wow. That’d be hard for me to do, I’m a terrible morning person.
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bpbasilphx
Guest
Don’t forget that Good Friday in the Latin tradition is STRICTLY aliturgical, so there would not be a mass that day at all, even though uninstructed and unknowing people might call it that.
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DominicVobiscum
Guest
I grew up prior to Vatican II. I was told then that each priest had a requirement to celebrate Mass daily.
I went to a Catholic high school, run by Carmelite Fathers. In a section of the school basement, there was a room with about 10 altars lined up, where the priests could celebrate “together” if they so desired.
I went to a Catholic high school, run by Carmelite Fathers. In a section of the school basement, there was a room with about 10 altars lined up, where the priests could celebrate “together” if they so desired.
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JReducation
Guest
Actually, they didn’t celebrate together. Each priest celebrate independently. The purpose of the crypts, as they were called, was to allow several priests to say mass at the same time.
However, the Holy See felt that concelebration was a better option, as there is one priesthood and there is rarely a legitimate reason for several priests living in one house to celebrate mass separately, unless we’re talking about a parish.
In religious houses one priest may celebrate and the rest of the religous community “attends” the community mass. They do not have individual celebrations of the mass unless it’s for a just cause. The other option is that the ordained members of the community concelebrate during the community mass. But there is only one mass celebrated in the house. Many religious communities have it written into their constitutions that the religious must attend daily mass. So, those priests and brothers in a religious house have a daily mass. But that rule is imposed by the Constitutions, not by the Church. The Church strongly encourages it, but does not require it, even of religious.
In my community it is mandated by the rule. The only exception is when traveling or in mission stations where there is no priest. Then the friars may attend mass when there is a priest to celebrate it for them. Missing daily mass when there is a friar to celebrate a mass is non compliance with the rule and the constitutions.
Priests who are not religious, are not bound by these rules. They can limit their celebration of mass to Sundays and holy days of obligation.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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m134e5
Guest
I’m not sure if priests are canonically required to say Mass every day anymore- but I’m sure the good ones (which includes Fr. Corapi) do. Religious communities typically have chapels where the religious live, where priests can go celebrate Mass privately. Many parishes have altars in their rectories where priests celebrate Mass on their days off (and I’m sure many do this whenever they have family or close friends visit).
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JReducation
Guest
If you scroll up, you will see that canon law does not require that a priest celebrate mass daily, only on Sundays and holy days of obligations. However, it is strongly encouraged. But if he does not, there is nothing wrong with it and it does not make him a bad priest.
You mentioned Fr. Corapi. Fr. Corapi is in a different situation. Everyone keeps bringing him up as an example for all priests. It’s not the right example. I’ll explain why.
Fr. C. is a religious AND a priest. Therefore, he follows the constitutions of his congregation. If his congregation allows him to celebrate mass daily on his own, then he does. I don’t know that. However, if his congregation says that he must celebrate mass with the religious in his community, in other words, he must concelebrate when he’s at home, then he must do that.
What I do know is that most religious, whether they are priests, sisters or brothers, are required to attend daily mass by the constitutions of their community and also to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours. The two go together. They are both liturgy and they are both the solemn public prayer of the Church. People in religious communities are bound to both every day.
That’s why I say that Fr. Corapi is not a good example of what a priest would or would not do. He belongs to a religious family and goes by their rules. Many priests are secular, also called diocesan priests. They do not belong to a religious family. They are not in vows and have no community. They have no local superior to answer to. Their obedience to the bishop is only on matters regarding ministry. Their personal spirituality is very private, not like a religios whose spirituality is the responsibility of the community, because they are brothers to one another.
Secular priests have no rule that says that they have to celebrate daily mass. However, every priest and every male religious must celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours daily, under pain of mortal sin, but not the mass. The daily mass is obligatory only for religious, not for secular men and women, even if the man is a priest. This does not make him a bad priest.
Daily mass is a very good thing, not just for priests, but for everyone. However, the Church realizes that people have different schedules and lifestyle and they can’t always make it to mass. Secular priests have their own schedules and lifestyles. Unlike religious who follow a community schedule and whose lifestyle is designed for them by the constitutions of the community, which is Fr. Corapi’s case.
What you see in Fr. Corapi is a combination of his charisma and what his religious community allows him to do. They can turn him off if they want to do so and send him to some mission in Africa tomorrow. This is not the case with a diocesan priest. He does not go anywhere outside of the one diocese and no one can tell him how to live his daily life.
I hope this helps.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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LilyM
Guest
As has been pointed out, technically Good Friday is an exception. Moreover, many priests will have times where due to travel or other factors they will lack the opportunity to say Mass on a particular day.
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Joan_M
Guest
My brother is a diocesan (secular) priest, he is 80 years old and retired. He has a private oratory in his home and he celebrates Mass every day that he is well enough to climb the stairs to the tiny oratory.
Normally, his “congregation” consists of his housekeeper. When my husband and I visited him last year, his congregation increased by 200%!
Diocesan priests used to be required to celebrate Mass every day - before VII. Now, it is not required, but recommended. I would wish that all priests were like my brother - he would feel very badly deprived of grace if he could not say Mass.
Personally, I do not understand some priests who seem to take every chance they can to opt out. Because their lives are so busy with the care of their parishioners, etc., I don’t know how they would cope without celebrating Mass and receiving Jesus every day.
Normally, his “congregation” consists of his housekeeper. When my husband and I visited him last year, his congregation increased by 200%!
Diocesan priests used to be required to celebrate Mass every day - before VII. Now, it is not required, but recommended. I would wish that all priests were like my brother - he would feel very badly deprived of grace if he could not say Mass.
Personally, I do not understand some priests who seem to take every chance they can to opt out. Because their lives are so busy with the care of their parishioners, etc., I don’t know how they would cope without celebrating Mass and receiving Jesus every day.
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Friar_David_O.Carm
Guest
A priest is not requried to celebrate Mass on any day, even a Sunday.
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JReducation
Guest
Actually, he must be at mass Sundays and holy days of obligation. Though I have never met or lived with a priest who does not celebrate mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, even those in enclosed communities.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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