Does EF Mass on New Year's Day fulfill Holy Day Obligation?

[paterpetri]

Does one fulfill his obligation to attend Mass for the Feast of the Mary, Mother of God, on January 1st if he attends an extraordinary form Mass on the same day, even though the extraordinary form Mass would be that for the Feast of the Circumcision instead of Mary, Mother of God?

I ask only because my understanding is that the obligation to attend Mass on a holy day is linked to the feast itself and not necessarily to the day on which the feast happens to fall.

I guess the underlying question here is whether a Latin Rite Catholic who follows the extraordinary form exclusively is bound by the holy days of obligation of the current calendar, or those that were in effect in 1962? Fortunately, the days or dates of the different holy days themselves are the same on the two calendars, even if in this singular instance a different Mass is said due to the change in the liturgical calendar.

 

[AlexV]

This question can be answered simply and easily: YES, an EF Mass on 1 January fulfills your obligation.

End of story.

 

[Digitonomy]

Your obligation is spelled out under canon law. A Latin Catholic, whether attending the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite, or the Anglican Use, or the Mozarabic Rite, etc is still bound by the Code of Canon Law of 1983.

Can. 1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.

§2. With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

Can. 1247 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the 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.

 

[paterpetri]

Thank you, Digitonomy.

I appreciate your well-substantiated response.

In Christ,

Steven

 

[jfallaw]

At their plenary assembly in November 1991, with follow-up mail balloting by absentees, the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved two motions which affect the observance of holy days of obligation in the dioceses of the United States. They decided that whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated. The next month, Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk, president of the NCCB, requested confirmation of this decision from the Vatican Congregation of Bishops.

This action was confirmed by the Congregation for Bishops on July 4, 1992 (Prot. N. 296/84), after that dicastery had received the advice of the Congregation for the Clergy and the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legal Texts. The letter of confirmation was signed by Bernardin Cardinal Gantin, Prefect, and Archbishop Justin Rigali, Secretary. Pope John Paul II approved and confirmed the same on the same date.

 

[Digitonomy]

They decided that whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday

That is a good point regarding the canons listed above. However, such a situation won’t occur until 2011.

paterpetri:

Thank you, Digitonomy

:tiphat: