Confused about whether or not watching a televised mass satisfies obligation

[Aydan]

I am very confused I always thought if you couldn’t go to church watching a televised mass would fulfill your Sunday and/or holy day of obligation but then I read this answer from one of the apologists saying that it doesn’t?? Here is the answer I’m talking about
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?threadid=432430
if it doesn’t count then I’ve been under quarantine for the last three weeks and I could not leave the house so I have to watch a televised mass which I did does that mean I am in a state of mortal sin?

 

[rayne89]

If you can not leave your house because of quarantine you are dispensed from your obligation to attend Mass so you are not in the state of mortal due to missing Mass. Televised Masses do not fulfill the Mass obligation but are helpful to those who can not attend Mass.

 

[ElizabethPH]

I wouldn’t think so. There are three things that are necessary for a sin to be mortal: 1. Serious matter. 2. Knowledge or firm belief that the act is seriously wrong prior to committing the act; and 3. Full consent of the will. All three of these conditions must be present simultaneously for a sin to be mortal. This means that if you did not know the act was seriously wron, then you are not guilty of having committed a mortal sin.

How come you thought TV Mass fulfilled your obligation?

 

[Eris_Discordia]

I wouldn’t think so. There are three things that are necessary for a sin to be mortal: 1. Serious matter. 2. Knowledge or firm belief that the act is seriously wrong prior to committing the act; and 3. Full consent of the will. All three of these conditions must be present simultaneously for a sin to be mortal. This means that if you did not know the act was seriously wron, then you are not guilty of having committed a mortal sin.

How come you thought TV Mass fulfilled your obligation?

Some people can’t leave home, so they depend on televised masses. My father was bedridden, so he watched them. I also sung for televised masses with choir.

 

[ElizabethPH]

Some people can’t leave home, so they depend on televised masses. My father was bedridden, so he watched them. I also sung for televised masses with choir.

Hey I don’t have anything against TV Masses. I have watch them, but not to take the place of going to Mass on Sundays or Holy Days. Your father is dispensed just as the OP was dispensed having been quarantined.

The 1st precept of the Catholic Church:

You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.

And regarding singing in a choir in a Mass that is televised and it is a real Sunday Mass then that’s OK. You are actually attending and present.

 

[Aydan]

Hey I don’t have anything against TV Masses. I have watch them, but not to take the place of going to Mass on Sundays or Holy Days. Your father is despensed just as the OP was despensed having been quarantined.

The 1st precept of the Catholic Church:

You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.

of course I assumed they counted because I was still making the effort to participate in the mass I couldn’t go. I don’t understand why it doesn’t count can someone please explain?

 

[Eris_Discordia]

Hey I don’t have anything against TV Masses. I have watch them, but not to take the place of going to Mass on Sundays or Holy Days. Your father is despensed just as the OP was despensed having been quarantined.

The 1st precept of the Catholic Church:

You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.

And regarding singing in a choir in a Mass that is televised and it is a real Sunday Mass then that’s OK. You are actually attending and present.

I actually went to mass twice that day when we sung. Once a our parish and once at the mass. Of course people who miss mass for different reasons is a whole different issue. My dad saw a priest once a month for prayer, although he was unable to receive communion because he lost the ability to swallow.

 

[ElizabethPH]

of course I assumed they counted because I was still making the effort to participate in the mass I couldn’t go. I don’t understand why it doesn’t count can someone please explain?

Because: Your obligation is to ATTEND Mass. That means; be physically present at Mass!

 

[1ke]

I am very confused I always thought if you couldn’t go to church watching a televised mass would fulfill your Sunday and/or holy day of obligation but then I read this answer from one of the apologists saying that it doesn’t??

Watching the Mass on television is a spiritually good thing to do, it is a devotional act. However, it does not satisfy the Mass obligation. To satisfy the obligation, one must assist at a Mass:

Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

However, when one is ill, one is not obligated to attend Mass. You did not commit any sin by not attending Mass. From the Catechism:

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.

 

[1ke]

Some people can’t leave home, so they depend on televised masses. My father was bedridden, so he watched them. I also sung for televised masses with choir.

Yes, this is true. And the Mass on TV can be a spiritually comforting and act of devotion on the part of the bedridden or confined person. It does not, however, fulfill the Sunday obligation. Of course, if one is *unable *to attend Mass there is no obligation.

 

[sabriner]

I suppose it doesn’t count because you’re missing out on the whole point of the Mass – receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. So I’m guessing it would somewhat make up for it if you had an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist giving you Communion…?

hmmm

 

[Eris_Discordia]

I suppose it doesn’t count because you’re missing out on the whole point of the Mass – receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. So I’m guessing it would somewhat make up for it if you had an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist giving you Communion…?

hmmm

My dad couldn’t receive at all. I don’t know what the rules are for that though. If people have medical issues and can’t physically receive, what do you do then?

 

[1ke]

I suppose it doesn’t count because you’re missing out on the whole point of the Mass – receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.

While we can in fact receive the Eucharist during the Mass, not every person can do so. Only Catholics in a state of grace can receive the Eucharist. However, the obligation to attend Mass still binds even those Catholics who, because of their various circumstances, will not receive the Eucharist at Mass.

So I’m guessing it would somewhat make up for it if you had an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist giving you Communion…?

There is nothing to “make up for.” One has no obligation when one is unable to attend Mass. Bringing the Eucharist to the sick is a good thing, and a sick person can be brought the Eucharist every day. There is no correlation to attending Mass.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Aydan, perhaps this will help. It comes directly from the website of the USCCB (the United States Bishops) so it’s authoritative, not hearsay.

Some people have been hospitalized, home-bound, or imprisoned and do not have the opportunity to be physically present with a regular worshiping community. For this reason, many dioceses telecast the Mass and other liturgies as a way of reaching out to those who cannot be physically present for the community’s celebration of the eucharist. **The televised Mass is never a substitute for the Church’s pastoral care for the sick in the form of visits by parish ministers who share the Scriptures and bring Communion, *nor is it ever a substitute for ***the Sunday Mass celebrated within a parish faith community each week. However, televising the Mass is a ministry by which the Church uses modern technology to bring the Lord’s healing and comfort to those who cannot physically participate in the liturgical life of the local Church and who often experience a sense of isolation from the parish and its regular forms of prayer and worship

The televising of a Mass helps a bedbound person to experience a ‘feeling’ of community. It does not substitute for the experience but a person who cannot physically attend Mass is dispensed from the obligation to attend. God does not hold us to the impossible.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

My dad couldn’t receive at all. I don’t know what the rules are for that though. If people have medical issues and can’t physically receive, what do you do then?

You only have the responsibility to receive the Eucharist once a year, not every single Sunday and holy day . . and of course, if you cannot physically receive, God does not hold you to the impossible. In the case of a person who cannot swallow, that person makes a spiritual communion.

 

[1ke]

My dad couldn’t receive at all. I don’t know what the rules are for that though. If people have medical issues and can’t physically receive, what do you do then?

In your father’s case, the priest might be able to give communion your father by placing a small amount of Precious Blood on his tongue or a very small piece of the host which could dissolve on the tongue when visiting him.

However, a person who is in such condition would have no *obligation *to attend Mass and if *unable *to receive the Eucharist due to a physical disability a Catholic would not have an *obligation *to do so either.

 

[guess246]

I suppose it doesn’t count because you’re missing out on the whole point of the Mass – receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. So I’m guessing it would somewhat make up for it if you had an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist giving you Communion…?

hmmm

Actually the whole point of the Mass isn’t to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, but for the priest to make present the perpetual sacrifice of Our Lord in an unbloody manner. Otherwise how would you be fulfilling your obligation if, for whatever reason, you don’t receive Holy Communion?

To the OP, in order to receive any sacrament, and this includes the obligation of attending Mass, you need to be physically present. Televised Masses are no substitute for the real thing just like confessions over the phone aren’t valid. Since you’ve been under quarantine for the last three weeks you are dispensed from that obligation. In any case, watching a televised Mass when you’re unable to attend is a pious practice, and although you aren’t able physically assist you can spiritually assist, if the Mass is live, by joining your prayers with the priest’s.

 

[ElizabethPH]

I suppose it doesn’t count because you’re missing out on the whole point of the Mass – receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. So I’m guessing it would somewhat make up for it if you had an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist giving you Communion…?

hmmm

Our obligation again is to attend Mass on Sunday and Holy Days. We are not obligated to receive the Holy Sacrament, except once a year. And not if one is not well disposed (not in a state of grace). Or perhaps one has not fulfilled the fast requirements and can’t receive. I think perhaps Ike can explain much better or the others

 

[Eris_Discordia]

You only have the responsibility to receive the Eucharist once a year, not every single Sunday and holy day . . and of course, if you cannot physically receive, God does not hold you to the impossible. In the case of a person who cannot swallow, that person makes a spiritual communion.

OK. That makes sense. He saw a priest once a month, and he did get the Rites for the sick and dying every time he got worse.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Aydan, if you were physically quarantined and unable to leave the house, you simply could not physically attend Mass and God does not hold you to the impossible.

You didn’t ‘have to’ watch the Mass if you were unable to be in Church because of a physical quarantine–but if you did watch it, it didn’t ‘substitute’ for the Mass but was simply a pious gesture on your part. It was a nice thing to do, but it wasn’t a NECESSARY thing to do. Does that help explain?