Dispensation from Sunday Obligation

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tjhaefner

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Hello:

When asking my Pastor to dispense me from my obligation on a single Sunday (I will be on the Appalachian Trail backpacking for two weeks), he told me he didn’t think he could do so since, although I am registered at his parish, I am actually within the bounds of another parish.

I looked at CCC 1245 and read:

“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.”

That canon later speaks for parish juridical authority, but I cant seem to decipher if this directly pertains to the issue raised by my Pastor.
 
Where the priest is coming from is these canons:
Can. 518 As a general rule, a parish is to be territorial, that is, it is to embrace all Christ’s faithful of a given territory. Where it is useful however, personal parishes are to be established, determined by reason of the rite, language or nationality of the faithful of a certain territory, or on some other basis.
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Can. 519 The parish priest is the proper pastor of the parish entrusted to him. He exercises the pastoral care of the community entrusted to him under the authority of the diocesan Bishop,
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If the church you attend serves a territorial parish- as the canon suggests as a general rule- you are still a member of the church which serves the parish you live in (regardless of where you are registered).

Nothing in the canons about “parish registration”, and as a Catholic you are certainly free to attend mass wherever you’d like.

But the pastor of your territorial parish is still responsible for pastoral care, which this dispensation is part of.
 
So why not just ask him to join you?😛
Or, ask the other Pastor to dispense.🤷
 
OK, now I’ve run into a snag. The pastor of the parish in which I live told me he would not dispense me from my Sunday obligation even though I will not be within 45 miles of a Catholic church (and I’m foot). Now what do I do…
 
tjhaefner said:
OK, now I’ve run into a snag. The pastor of the parish in which I live told me he would not dispense me from my Sunday obligation even though I will not be within 45 miles of a Catholic church (and I’m foot). Now what do I do…
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If it was me, I would never take a vacation that prevented my attendance at Mass.

God Bless
 
tjhaefner said:
OK, now I’ve run into a snag. The pastor of the parish in which I live told me he would not dispense me from my Sunday obligation even though I will not be within 45 miles of a Catholic church (and I’m foot). Now what do I do…
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Did he say why? On the surface it sounds like he’s being unreasonable, but I’m not sure what you can do about it. Perhaps ask the bishop for a dispensation?
 
Perhaps he thinks that, since you will be 45 miles from the nearest church, and on foot, that since it would be physically IMPOSSIBLE for you to attend church, you do not NEED a dispensation.

Why not ask him? He might think that in saying to you, “No, I’m not giving you a dispensation” he’s made it clear as day that you don’t ‘need one’, not realizing that he has not in fact been clear at all.
 
My understanding is;

To receive dispensation means that Mass is available to you, but for reasons beyond your control, you can not make it.

In your case, Mass is not available for you, so dispensation is not needed.

Jim
 
Perhaps asking him over the phone was a bad idea. I see Can. 1248 §2 makes allowance for such circumstances where there is no ordained priest or situations where it is impossible. In my case, it would be a five day walk…one way.
 
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