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JennyAnne
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I’ve missed mass on Sunday. I assumed no one wanted me to come into church vomiting…? But perhaps I was mistaken…
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aTraditionalist
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That’s a valid reason not to attend.
@Catholics - Seriously, how is this new and/or shocking information?
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EasterJoy
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Of course you are excused if you are so sick. This was mentioned earlier in the thread.
You sound skeptical. Have you really never heard about the Sunday obligation, or about the typical reasons that excuse the obligation? If you don’t know about this, you ought to ask your pastor.
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rayne89
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Well it is for those that were never taught it. I didn’t know it was a mortal sin until I was in my 20s. I wasn’t taught about the real presence in Eucharist. I made my 1st communion in 2nd grade and my first confession in 5th grade. We made crafts, sang songs, and talked about loving thy neighbor a lot. I learned from EWTN, then made trips to library and eventually added Catholic Answers. My huband came into the church in 97, received all the sacraments -and we were not even married in the church at the time. We had our marriage convalidated in 2004 after we changed parishes. That whole lovely experiment of the 70s & 80s really screwed things up.
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aTraditionalist
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Blessedwithfive
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The next generation won’t be any better as we are still not allowed to teach the truth. People don’t want to hear it and the priests don’t want to sound"harsh".
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JennyAnne
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I’m not skeptical of Sunday obligation, it just seemed like some people in the thread were implying that you had to have an extreme reason to not go, such as being in the hospital, etc.
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EasterJoy
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I don’t know what post gave you that idea. I was taught out of the Baltimore Catechism, and I’ve never heard of someone implying that you ought to allow yourself to go to Mass if you are vomiting or have any communicable disease that would be dangerous for older people to get, let alone that you have an obligation to go.
I’ve seen people brave some very dangerous conditions to get to Mass, and our pastor was very clear that they should not allow themselves out of the house when it was so likely they could break a hip by doing so, even if they very much wanted to go out. Mass was not to be made into an exception. If it isn’t safe to go out, it is not safe to go to Mass. If you wouldn’t expose healthy people at an assisted living community to whatever disease you have, don’t expose the old ladies and old guys at Sunday Mass. It’s common sense.
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PaulGH
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Your daughter was taught correctly. The precepts of the church set forth the minimal things that we are required to do as Catholics, and one of those precepts is that we must attend Mass on Sundays (or Saturday evenings) and on other holy days of obligation (e.g., Christmas, the Ascension of the Lord, All Saints’ Day, etc.). This precept is based on the commandment that we must keep holy the Sabbath day. Of course our obligation is excused if we have a serious reason (such as sickness, care for a sick child, inability to travel to church because of distance or other factors, and so on). A person may also be excused from the obligation on a particular Sunday or holy day by his or her pastor.
You can read more about Sunday obligation in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, here:
scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a3.htm
In particular, read paragraphs 2180 and 2181.
You can also read about the five precepts of the church, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraphs 2041-2043, here:
scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c3a3.htm#2041
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JennyAnne
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My apologizes then, I must have misunderstood.
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Vico
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It’s grave so to deliberately skip, without a good reason, and knowing that, it becomes a mortal sin. Catechism of the Catholic Church:
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.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.
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OurLadysServant
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Yes,
The church teaches if it’s deliberate, full knowledge (that to skip mass is a mortal sin), and committed in freedom of free will (eg not forced by someone else), then it is a mortal sin. However, due to God’s law being written on our hearts, each of us having the Holy Spirit and an angel guardian, having heard catholic teachings on the matter, being brought up in a catholic house or school, - I’d wonder how subjective it can be for some people maybe? Because to have all the above and know it’s wrong yet do skip mass be a mortal sin, if full knowledge that it was a mortal sin first. Like you said, if you know it’s a mortal sin, then it’s a mortal sin indeed to deliberately skip mass on Sunday and Holy Days
QUOTE=PolarGuy;12355249]As usual, most all of the posters are incorrect.
Missing mass has never been declared by the church to be a mortal sin, because no so. As been so defined. Mortal sin requires that an act be done with full consent of the will, which is entirely subjective.
There is no “official list of mortal sins.” If my child was taught this, I’d ask the teacher to show me the list (right after I sent a strongly worded letter to the pastor about the whole incident).
The church teaches if it’s deliberate, full knowledge (that to skip mass is a mortal sin), and committed in freedom of free will (eg not forced by someone else), then it is a mortal sin. However, due to God’s law being written on our hearts, each of us having the Holy Spirit and an angel guardian, having heard catholic teachings on the matter, being brought up in a catholic house or school, - I’d wonder how subjective it can be for some people maybe? Because to have all the above and know it’s wrong yet do skip mass be a mortal sin, if full knowledge that it was a mortal sin first. Like you said, if you know it’s a mortal sin, then it’s a mortal sin indeed to deliberately skip mass on Sunday and Holy Days
QUOTE=PolarGuy;12355249]As usual, most all of the posters are incorrect.
Missing mass has never been declared by the church to be a mortal sin, because no so. As been so defined. Mortal sin requires that an act be done with full consent of the will, which is entirely subjective.
There is no “official list of mortal sins.” If my child was taught this, I’d ask the teacher to show me the list (right after I sent a strongly worded letter to the pastor about the whole incident).
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JimG
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Unfortunately, your experience is quite standard for a particular generation. I’ve heard nearly the same story from a very good Catholic bishop. He said that when he was growing up, he learned a lot in religious education classes–about crafts, singing, making posters, and loving your neighbor. But nothing whatever about doctrine, teachings, sacraments, sins, etc. He didn’t realize what the Eucharist was until seminary.
You are right; that wrongheaded direction that catechesis took in the 70’s and 80’s really did screw things up for a long time. I am continually astonished at what Catholics don’t know about their faith, although I shouldn’t be, given the circumstances.
I learned from the Baltimore catechism. Yes, we were taught that it was a sin to miss Mass on Sunday on purpose for no good reason. I can only recall once in my life deliberately missing Mass, and I was admonished for it the very next day by a Catholic acquaintance who was in the USAF with me at the time.
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EasterJoy
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This is an issue that people struggle with a lot: that is, not the understanding the concept of there being reasons that are excuses, but decided what constitutes a valid excuse.
The easiest solution is to ask your pastor. He has the authority to dispense you of the obligation, if your reason satisfies him. He can tell you his policy on when he wants you to come and when he wants you to stay home–for instance, he can say, “If you think you have something that would be bad for one of our 80 year old, 90 lb ladies to catch, stay home until you’re well for 24 hours. If you have to make a judgment call that worries you, you do your best, but tell me about it later. Don’t come in sick to ask me, though.” (underline mine below)
*Can. 1244 §1. It is only for the supreme ecclesiastical authority to establish, transfer, and suppress feast days and days of penance common to the universal Church, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 1246, §2.
**§2. **Diocesan bishops can decree special feast days or days of penance for their dioceses or places, but only in individual instances.
**Can. 1245 *Without prejudice to the right of diocesan bishops mentioned in ⇒ can. 87, for a just cause and according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop, a pastor can grant in individual cases a dispensation from the obligation of observing a feast day or a day of penance or can grant a commutation of the obligation into other pious works. A superior of a religious institute or society of apostolic life, if they are clerical and of pontifical right, can also do this in regard to his own subjects and others living in the house day and night.
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