Communion Service = Playing Mass

[Cursillista_Jim]

From canon law (see here):

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.

read the next line:
§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
Like I said, our 1 priest celebrates 2 masses every Saturday and 3 on Sunday.

 

[Jean_Anthony]

This thread is straying off away from the OP. Please stay on topic and take any side discussions to new or existing threads. Thank you all.

 

[bpbasilphx]

This is most unusual for 3 priests to be leaving at once. Looks like poor scheduling to me.

I know a priest who 30 years ago had charge of 6 different parishes in 2 different rites. Most of them were in rural Texas.

At his home parish, there was a nun living as a hermitess. When he could not be there for daily mass (which was not infrequently), he authorized her to lead the Liturgy of the Word, Prayer of the Faithful, and distribute Communion from the reserved Sacrament.

I don’t see how anybody could object to this arrangement, under the circumstances.

But what you’re describing is something quite different.

 

[benedictgal]

This is most unusual for 3 priests to be leaving at once. Looks like poor scheduling to me.

I know a priest who 30 years ago had charge of 6 different parishes in 2 different rites. Most of them were in rural Texas.

At his home parish, there was a nun living as a hermitess. When he could not be there for daily mass (which was not infrequently), he authorized her to lead the Liturgy of the Word, Prayer of the Faithful, and distribute Communion from the reserved Sacrament.

I don’t see how anybody could object to this arrangement, under the circumstances.

But what you’re describing is something quite different.

The problem is that the prescription from the Church is geared towards Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest. Unless a Holy Day of Obligation fell during the week, the practice of having a Communion Service in lieu of daily Mass really shouldn’t happen. It would have been better to have a LOTH instead.

 

[m134e5]

I disagree, look at from the lone priest’s perspective. Everything is on his shoulders. He is still doing one daily mass, but has other duties so he has felt he cannot do all three by himself. This is what he decided with the liturgical coordinator as a compromise. There is no scandal here at all, just time delegation.

The priest could celebrate a second daily Mass- it’s just a temporary thing. If he really can’t, he could cancel it, and have adoration during that time- a holy hour for vocations. The most important duty of the priest is to celebrate the Sacraments.