Does a communion service fulfill the obligation when Mass is available?

[GreenGumby]

If a parish knows it will be without a priest one weekend and plans a Communion service instead, do people have an obligation to attend a close-by Mass or does the Communion service fulfill the Sunday obligation?

I know if people can’t get anywhere else the obligation is dispensed, but that’s not at question here.

 

[Brendan]

A Communion Service never fulfills the Obligation for Sunday Mass. If there is no Mass available, the obligation does not exist.

The Communion Service, in that case, serves to provide the Sacrament of the Eucharist, but where there is no Mass, there is no obligation.

However, if, as you seem to indicate, there are other Masses within a reasonable distance, the obligation remains, and the faithful must attend Mass at the other location.

 

[GreenGumby]

That was my understanding as well. Is there a place I can look that up?

 

[Brendan]

Here is a bit on the subject from a Liturgy Professor at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum.

ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/ZLITUR23.HTM

It is not always easy to judge what is objective, as conditions vary from person to person. However, Catholics should not be too light in assessing their difficulties and should be willing to make reasonable sacrifices in order to assist at Mass.

So, if a Catholic can easily assist at Mass in another parish without any great inconvenience, then in conscience he or she is obliged to do so.

…

Should this not be possible, and a significant number of people would be deprived of Communion, then it is probably best to hold the Communion service. But the faithful should be informed that this service is provided for those who have no alternatives and that those who are able should assist at the nearest Mass.

So if you cannot drive to a nearby parish, then the obligation does not exist, but if you can, you are under obligation to do so.

 

[Lux_et_Tenebrae]

Hi,

In general, the obligation is to attend Mass, not to receive Holy Communion.

I would check with the Pastor of this Parish, and see if any dispensation was given. Perhaps an exception would be made to keep the Parish together. The Parish is a strong factor. I understand that at one time the obligation was to attend at you Parish. I’m not sure attending elsewhere did fulfill the obligation.

Anyone have anything official on that?

Lux

 

[Phemie]

I know that in the early years of lay-led Communion Services I did see an official document put out by a regional (as opposed to national) conference of bishops that put the emphasis on celebrating as a community and discouraged attending Mass somewhere else rather than the Communion Service in your community. That seemed really wrong to me, considering the fact that I drove through at least three separate parishes to attend my own, an ethnic community.

If I was slated to read or distribute Communion at my community’s Liturgy of the Word with Communion I also attended Mass somewhere else. Otherwise I just went to Mass and didn’t go to the LOTW.

 

[Lux_et_Tenebrae]

I think the Pastor can dispense the obligation, as well as the Bishop.

I can definitely understand being uncomfortable with using the dispensation. I think I would also look for a Mass under those circumstances.

Lux

 

[Brendan]

I think the Pastor can dispense the obligation, as well as the Bishop.
Lux

Yes, a Pastor may dispense from the Obligation, but that really isn’t the point.

The OP’s question was if a Communion Service fulfilled the obligation.

It does not. The only thing that fulfills the obligation is a Mass in Communion with Rome.

If the obligation has been dispensed with, or cannot be fulfilled due to distance, sickness or care of infants\sick, the obligation no longer exists. One could stay at home and do nothing, if they so choose.

It would be better if they prayed, watched a Mass for shutins on TV or attended a Communion Service, but they are, unlike Mass, under no obligation to do so.

If, however, the obligation CAN be fulfilled elsewhere, such as a nearby parish, the faithful are under an obligation to do so.

 

[Brendan]

I know that in the early years of lay-led Communion Services I did see an official document put out by a regional (as opposed to national) conference of bishops that put the emphasis on celebrating as a community and discouraged attending Mass somewhere else rather than the Communion Service in your community. That seemed really wrong to me, considering the fact that I drove through at least three separate parishes to attend my own, an ethnic community. .

Yes, it would be wrong, as it shows a false sense of what the Catholic Community is.

Those faithful in geographically seperated parishes are still members of the same community we are in. There is NO substantive difference, only the accidental difference of geography.

 

[Lux_et_Tenebrae]

Yes, a Pastor may dispense from the Obligation, but that really isn’t the point.

The OP’s question was if a Communion Service fulfilled the obligation.

This question was a little more specific

If a parish knows it will be without a priest one weekend and plans a Communion service instead, do people have an obligation to attend a close-by Mass or does the Communion service fulfill the Sunday obligation?

Your response-

If, however, the obligation CAN be fulfilled elsewhere, such as a nearby parish, the faithful are under an obligation to do so.

…does not take into account that since it is organized by the Parish they may have gotten a dispensation, which is why I said this must be determined. It doesn’t fulfill the obligation, but there may not be an obligation under these circumstances.
Lux

 

[GreenGumby]

Thank you for all of your responses. I would be interested in knowing where the priest may give a dispensation and what the form of that dispensation would be. The discussion on maintaining the community is interesting because that is the purpose of the plan. If it was the priest’s intent to dispense the obligation, but he said the communion service would fulfill it, then is the obligation dispensed? I’ll go to Mass somewhere else. There are plenty of choices.

 

[Phemie]

Yes, it would be wrong, as it shows a false sense of what the Catholic Community is.

Those faithful in geographically seperated parishes are still members of the same community we are in. There is NO substantive difference, only the accidental difference of geography.

I just found the document I mentioned. “Ritual for Lay Presiders” was published in 1981 by the Western Liturgical Conference of Canada and in the Foreword by the Chairman of the Conference it says:

Not all communities can have a Sunday Eucharist presided over by a bishop or priest. . . The local community must continue to gather, nonetheless. It must resist the facile solution, namely, to abandon its own roots and travel several or even many miles to join another community. The faith is lived in the local community: it is there that it should be celebrated and not elsewhere. Practical considerations also support local celebrations: if the local celebrations are terminated because of the absence of a priest, and journeys elsewhere are the recommended alternative, where will the journeys stop? In the '80s, if a diocese loses half its normal complement of priests, will the faithful drive forty, then eighty miles each Sunday? What will happen to the catechism programs in the villages and small towns? to the sick and handicapped? to marriage preparation? The local community is not likely to grow in faith if the Sunday liturgical celebrations are always held elsewhere. No effort should be spared to help foster the local celebration of the faith, particularly on Sunday.

 

[Walking_Home]

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/laity/documents/rc_con_interdic_doc_15081997_en.html

INSTRUCTION
ON CERTAIN QUESTIONS REGARDING
THE COLLABORATION OF THE NON-ORDAINED
FAITHFUL IN THE SACRED MINISTRY OF PRIEST

Article 7

Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest

§ 1. In some places in the absence of priests or deacons,(90) non-ordained members of the faithful lead Sunday celebrations. In many instances, much good derives for the local community from this useful and delicate service when it is discharged in accordance with the spirit and the specific norms issued by the competent ecclesiastical authority.(91) A special mandate of the Bishop is necessary for the non-ordained members of the faithful to lead such celebrations. This mandate should contain specific instructions with regard to the term of applicability, the place and conditions in which it is operative, as well as indicate the priest responsible for overseeing these celebrations.

§ 2. It must be clearly understood that such celebrations are temporary solutions and the text used at them must be approved by the competent ecclesiastical authority.(92) The practice of inserting into such celebrations elements proper to the Holy Mass is prohibited. So as to avoid causing error in the minds of the faithful,(93) the use of the eucharistic prayers, even in narrative form, at such celebrations is forbidden.** For the same reasons, it should be emphasised for the benefit of those participating, that such celebrations cannot substitute for the eucharistic Sacrifice and that the obligation to attend mass on Sunday and Holy days y obligation is satisfied only by attendance at Holy Mass.(94) In cases where distance or physical conditions are not an obstacle, every effort should be made to encourage and assist the faithful to fulfil this precept.**

 

[Corki]

In “Sunday Celebrations in the Absense of a Priest” it was also clear that a Communion Service could not be offered at a parish on the same day as a Mass. I have seen parishes that have multiple Masses on Sunday substitute a Communion Service for one or a few while celebrating Mass at the other scheduled times. This is very confusing.

Unfortunately, it appears that the USCCB no longer has its publication available on line. You have to buy it for $50.

Does anyone have a copy of the newest version? When I did a Google search I saw some parish and diocisan guidelines that seem to indicte that a Communion Service did, in fact, fulfill Sunday obligation. That would be a major change to what was previously taught.

 

[scylla]

Nothing fulfills the obligation to attend a Mass, if one is available. What is comparable to the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross?

Not even going to a hundred communion services, a lifetime of novenas or going to the any other prayer service would compare to one Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

It would be a rejection of Jesus and our faith to negate the power of the Mass as the one Sacrifice of Jesus united in the Mass is really true worship of God.

In Christ
Scylla

 

[Brigadoon]

This is of great interest to me. Just a few weeks ago I showed up to Mass and the deacon announced that the priest wasn’t there and we would be having a communion service. I had never been to a communion service before. I had no idea that it might not fullfil the Sunday obligation.

We do not have a full time priest at our parish and I fear this may come up again.

 

[scylla]

Yes it does not fulfill it, but if it is impossible to go to Mass then you do not have to go. It certainly is a good thing to pray together with your fellow Christians and have a Communion service. But nothing compares to the Mass.

So staying and praying with everyone is a good thing, but if you have a Mass that you can go to, you should go to it.

In Christ
Scylla

 

[Walking_Home]

This is of great interest to me. Just a few weeks ago I showed up to Mass and the deacon announced that the priest wasn’t there and we would be having a communion service. I had never been to a communion service before. I had no idea that it might not fullfil the Sunday obligation.

We do not have a full time priest at our parish and I fear this may come up again.

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Find a backup Mass in another parish.