Catholic Masses during quarantine

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Episcopalian

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Are the Catholic Masses currently being streamed on Facebook or other online sources considered Services since the Eucharist isn’t being distributed to the laity?
 
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I don’t have a Facebook, but I’ve been watching Word on Fire on YouTube, they have Daily Mass
 
I’m not sure what you mean by that. Mass is Mass, whether anyone is attending. We don’t usually call it a service, though other liturgical rites are sometimes called that in the Catholic context.

-Fr ACEGC
 
I always thought the word “Service” was used for certain types of Catholic celebrations that are not Masses.
For example, Good Friday Service and Communion Service.

As Father said, a Mass is a Mass. We don’t call it a “service”. The Masses said online are valid; there’s no requirement that laity receive Holy Communion for a Mass to be a valid Mass. A priest could say a Mass all alone in his room with no laity around or watching on camera, and have it be a valid Mass if he followed the rubrics.
 
Could the OP clarify if it is the term “Mass” you are questioning, or is it the obligation?
 
pnewton said:
is it the obligation?
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If the OP is concerned with the obligation, one’s Sunday or HDO Mass obligation is never met by watching a Mass on streaming video or TV or listening on the radio, regardless of whether the priest is giving Holy Communion to the laity at the Mass or not.

However, the bishops in all dioceses affected by COVID-19 have already dispensed everyone from the obligation to attend Sunday and HDO Mass.
 
Thanks everyone!!

I got confused and thought that a Mass was considered a Mass only if Communion was distributed to the laity.

Like evening/morning prayer or funerals are considered services since Communion isn’t distributed.

I think I get it now: a Mass is considered a Mass so long as there’s transubstantiation occuring, or communion is distributed (in the case of Good Friday’s Mass of the Presanctified)
 
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Episcopalian said:
communion is distributed (in the case of Good Friday’s Mass of the Presanctified)
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There is no Mass on Good Friday.
What occurs on Good Friday is called the “Good Friday Service” or perhaps “Good Friday Liturgy”. NEVER “Mass”. This is what I was taught.

I looked up your term “Mass of the Presanctified” and found that this term did not appear in older Catholic missals but apparently before the 1950s was used in the handouts for the clergy. As the article explains, the service “imitates” the Mass.


Furthermore, in the 1950s it was renamed In both the Ordinary and the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, to Solemn Afternoon Liturgy of the Passion and Death of the Lord ( Solemnis actio liturgica postmeridiana in Passione et Morte Domini ) in the 1955 revisions of Pope Pius XII. It is also called the Solemn Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion .

It may be that your Episcopal church is still using the term “Mass of the Presanctified” but since I was born well after the 1950s, I have never heard a Catholic church use this term at all.

The distribution of communion on Good Friday is not required and in fact I believe that it’s a relatively recent development that pre-consecrated Eucharist is even distributed. Edited to add, I checked and up until 1956, only the priest received Communion at the Good Friday liturgy.
 
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Sorry yes, my church leans towards the antiquated I guess. I thought it was called a Mass of the Presanctified since I only ever went with my “old timey” style church.

Thanks for the clarification!
 
Yes, Masses streamed on EWTN are Mass. I watch because Mass is cancelled where I live.
I would like somebody, anybody, to explain to me the “dangers” of drive-in Mass, where attendants sit in their car and don’t even get near anybody else.
 
1cthlctrth said:
I would like somebody, anybody, to explain to me the “dangers” of drive-in Mass, where attendants sit in their car and don’t even get near anybody else.
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It’s mostly the distribution of the Holy Eucharist that’s an issue. Even if everyone is locked in their cars, the priests, deacons and EMHCs would have to go from car to car giving out Communion.
 
Good point, but then what if the priests were to forego distributing Holy Communion to the masses? It would be much better than what we have now - nothing.
 
I think people would have difficulty all going to Mass in person and yet not receiving. Let us hope that when Mass is started again, we will all be able to receive.

I am at least grateful they left the churches open here and we can pray, have confession, and have Adoration, including Exposition at a couple of places.
 
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